Hotels

The closest hotels and restaurants are in Corpus Christi. If you want to stay in the park, you'll have to camp.

Malaquite Campground, a developed campsite at Padre Island National Seashore about a half-mile north of the visitor center, is a great spot to bed down, with 50 sites ($8 per night) that are available on a first-come, first-served basis year-round. Sites, within 100 feet of the beach, have good views of the Gulf, and the campground has cold showers, restrooms, and picnic tables. There are no RV hookups, but there is a dump station. For those who don't mind its limitations, it's definitely the best place to camp; it gets crowded only during spring break and on summer weekends.