Isla Blanca Park on South Padre Island is seen at sunrise.
Hundley_Photography/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Beaches are big business in Texas. Each year, some of the most popular surfside spots in the Lone Star State bring in billions of dollars in revenue through hotel stays, recreational activities, dining, fishing and water sports, and ecotourism. So it’s no surprise that local officials would want to invest in the environmental jewels that pay such dividends.
Over the last year alone, several communities in South Texas have invested more than $20 million to make major overhauls of some of the best beaches in the state. Read on for a look at just what’s under construction at your favorite getaway.
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A portion of the RV park located within Isla Blanca Park, as well as the park road that rings the popular South Padre Island beach park, can be seen in this undated photograph.
Courtesy Cameron County Parks & Recreation Department
The ‘best beach in Texas’ is getting a $12 million facelift
Isla Blanca Park is a Cameron County-owned beach access located at the southernmost tip of South Padre Island. Its expansive 300-acre footprint is home to the widest stretch of powdery soft sand on the island and a dizzying array of amenities, including two large shade pavilions with picnic tables, a lengthy wooden boardwalk perfect for sunrise strolls, bait and concession stands, ample parking, and indoor and outdoor event venues. In May, USA Today named Isla Blanca the best beach in Texas for the third time in a row.
But at the center of the park is one of the most unique features of all — a massive campground that can accommodate everything from RV “glamping” you roughing it in a pup tent. It’s this space that is currently undergoing a $12 million improvement to upgrade the campground’s electrical, water and sewer infrastructure, and to expand the number of camping spaces available. The project officially broke ground in October and is expected to continue through the current summer season, at the very least.
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Find it: 33174 State Park Road 100, South Padre Island, TX 78597
South Padre Island beaches get major upgrades with millions from SpaceX
Two more Cameron County-owned beach accesses are also getting major facelifts. But this time, their makeovers are being funded, in large part, due to the largesse of SpaceX.
The newly public company which has established its headquarters in nearby Starbase, has donated a combined $6.4 million to help renovate two beach accesses located on the opposite end of South Padre — Andy Bowie Park and Cameron County Beach Access #3.
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Shown is Andy Bowie County Park in Cameron County. The popular beach access is about to undergo a major improvement with the help of a $2 million donation from SpaceX.
Courtesy Cameron County Parks Department
Andy Bowie County Park gets $6.9 overhaul on South Padre Island
SpaceX donated $2 million toward Andy Bowie, which will be getting new elevated plaza pavilions, picnic tables and environmentally friendly lighting. The park’s restrooms, bathhouses and concessions were also upgraded, according to Cameron County officials, who held a ribboncutting on the latest phase of the improvement project on June 26.
“These much-needed improvements to aging infrastructure come an ideal time as we welcome residents and visitors to our beaches during the busy summer season,” Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. said.
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In all, the Andy Bowie project will cost $6.9 million, with $2 million donated from SpaceX, an additional $4.2 million coming from COVID-19 relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, and another $662,000 in county debt.
Find it: 7300 State Park Rd 100, South Padre Island, TX 78597
Artistic renderings show what infrastructure improvements to Cameron County Beach Access #3 may look like after completion, which is slated for 2026.
Courtesy Cameron County Parks & Recreation Department
Cameron County Beach Access #3 to see $4.4 million SpaceX-funded glow-up
Meanwhile, just half-a-mile down the road, SpaceX is also helping to fund major upgrades to Cameron County Beach Access #3. The company has donated $4.4 million toward the project, which includes putting in a new 159-space parking lot made of permeable materials, adding pavilions and picnic tables with barbecue stations, building restrooms, showers and rinse stations, and improving the parking lot lighting.
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Find it: 28495 State Park Rd 100, South Padre Island, TX 78597
Shown are artistic renderings of the improvements that will be made to E.K. Atwood Park on South Padre Island in 2026.
Courtesy Cameron County
E.K. Atwood park undergoing $3 million in upgrades
Finally, Edwin King “E.K.” Atwood Park — which is also known as Cameron County Beach Access #5 — is getting a $3 million makeover thanks to disaster relief funding approved by Congress after the 2019 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
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Renovations got underway in April and are expected to be completed by January 2027. Like the other county beach parks, E.K. Atwood will be getting a better parking lot, shaded pavilions, new restrooms and rinse stations, and an improved driveway for beachgoers who wish to take their vehicles directly onto the sand. E.K. Atwood is one of only two beach accesses in Cameron County that allow visitors to drive onto the beach.
“I’m proud of the approximately $51 million investment that Commissioners’ Court has made in our coastal parks on South Padre Island since 2017 to ensure that residents and visitors alike can fully enjoy the best beaches in Texas,” Treviño said.
Find it: 27159 State Park Rd 100, South Padre Island, TX 78597
Shown is I.B. McGee Beach in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Moelyn Photos/Getty Images
Beloved Port Aransas beach park begins $1.2 million improvement project
I.B. Magee Beach Park, located in Port Aransas on Mustang Island, is undergoing a $1.2 million improvement that is part of a larger $6.6 million project to better Nueces County beach accesses.
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Like the Rio Grande Valley’s E.K. Atwood Park, I.B. Magee’s renovations are being funded, in part, thanks to oil spill disaster relief funds. Some 2,223 linear feet of boardwalk will be constructed in a loop around I.B. Magee’s RV park. In May, the park joined Isla Blanca as part of USA Today’s 10 best beaches in Texas.
Find it: 321 N On The Beach, Port Aransas, TX 78373