Traveling with the dog, or with a wheelchair? The Coastal Bend is one of the more welcoming coasts on either count — here's exactly how it works so you can plan with confidence.
Bringing your dog
Good news for dog owners: leashed pets are welcome on more than 60 miles of beach at Padre Island National Seashore, plus its campgrounds, trails, and boardwalks. The rule is a leash no longer than six feet, at all times. Dogs aren't allowed inside park buildings, and there's a sandy pet path at the north end of the Malaquite Visitor Center parking lot that leads straight down to the sand.
- Pick up after your pet — carry bags and use the nearest trash can
- Bring plenty of water; the Gulf sun is brutal and there's no shade
- Never leave a dog in a parked vehicle
- Obey posted nesting closures and steer clear of marked turtle and bird nests
- Watch for wildlife — coyotes, snakes, and ground-nesting birds
Beyond the park, Port Aransas beaches are dog-friendly with dogs leashed at all times (off-leash play is for the town dog park), and Corpus Christi's beaches allow leashed dogs too — though dogs are kept off the city beaches on major holidays.
An accessible coast
The National Seashore's Malaquite Visitor Center is fully wheelchair accessible — button-operated doors, a lowered information desk, accessible restrooms and picnic tables, and a paved ramp from the deck down to the edge of the sand. The park loans beach wheelchairs and walkers from the visitor center on a first-come basis, and the Grasslands Nature Trail is accessible with benches along the way.
Beach wheelchairs — some even float
- Padre Island National Seashore — borrow a beach wheelchair or walker at the Malaquite Visitor Center
- City of Corpus Christi — free beach wheelchairs, including amphibious 'WaterWheels' chairs that roll over sand and float in the water (first-come while lifeguards are on duty, or reserve through Parks & Recreation)
- Port Aransas — the city lends a sand-and-surf 'Mobi-Chair,' reserved in advance through City Hall
- Mustang Island State Park — beach wheelchairs available by checking in with park staff
Quantities are limited and these programs change, so call ahead to reserve and confirm what's available the day you'll be there.
Accessible attractions
Off the sand, the Texas State Aquarium is fully accessible — elevators, ramps, accessible parking, and free loaner wheelchairs. The USS Lexington is partly accessible: the Hangar Deck and Flight Deck — home to the theater, mess deck, ship's store, and restrooms — are reachable, and the 'LEX LIFT' elevator carries visitors up to the flight deck, but the carrier's other decks are reached only by steep ship's ladders. The Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center has an accessible boardwalk over the wetlands with shaded platforms and mounted viewing scopes.
Mats over the soft stuff
Soft, dry sand is the hardest part of any beach for wheels. Some city beaches, like Corpus Christi Beach, have roll-out accessible access mats that give a firmer path toward the water — a good reason to choose a beach that has one.
A leashed dog trotting down 60 miles of open beach, or a floating wheelchair rolling right into the surf — this is a coast that tries hard to let everyone in.
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