North Beach Dispersed Camping

Others have posted “don’t get too close to the dunes” because the sand is soft. And that’s true, however, I was set up right in the edge of the soft sand, well above the packed-down “road” along the beach. I had been there for several days and it was fine, and then one day the high tides were a lot higher than the previous days, and the water was coming in under my trailer. I had to pack up in a hurry and get off the beach. So just beware of the tides.

Oh my goodness! I don't know what it's like at other times of the year, but in February it was a dream! It wasn't crowded at all! Each morning I woke up and found sand dollars and shells along the shore. We saw tons of Progress Man of Wars, as well as Cabbage Head jellyfish.
Watch out for parking too close to the dunes, as the sand is we're soft there.
It's paradise! Enjoy!

We loved our stayed at Padre Island National Seashore North Beach. There were few other campers our entire time. It is less crowded than South beach. There are no facilities at North beach, just a large trash can and registration kiosk at the entrance. Be careful to watch the tides as I hear storm surge can push the water up to the dunes. We didn’t have this issue during our stay though I spoke to others who had. Also be careful not to park too close to the dunes as the sand is softer there. We got stuck in our way out! Otherwise our time here was magical!

At ranger check in we were told there is no water available. Sinks were off in visitor center. Go with tank filled or call to confirm. Luckily we had 1-4 tank so all was well. Camped on north beach. Was a bit rutted and or stabilizers gathered some sand. Glad to have 4WD. Used our weboost and went from 2 bar 3G to 3 bar LTE. Easy turn around for our big rig

Easily accessible beachfront boondocking spot on the Texas coast. Pulled in on a Monday after camping on South Beach at Padre Island National Seashore (PINS) to seek less traffic and better cellular data service. Views are incredible and the ocean noise is calming. My kid had a blast searching for seashells, playing in the sand, and briefly enjoying the brisk winter sea. The first few days held 75 degree sunny days in the middle of winter, and as the vortex came through only a few hours below freezing temperatures with most days getting to the at least to the mid 40's (remember this is a worst-case winter situation here), so no worries about freezing tanks and excess propane usage. Access to the beachfront is provided by a paved road. Before accessing the beach there is an information kiosk and large dumpster. The transition to the beach area was smooth when we were there but we were warned these conditions could change. Camped during the highest tides of the month (+1.5) and there was at least 25' of beach between the camper and gulf at max tide without having to tuck into the dunes. Only traction challenge was getting the camper moving from stationary when leaving which was easily solved by turning on 4wd on stock tires. You'll find marine debris (small trash pieces) washed up onshore daily (a phenomenon caused by gulf currents); this wasn't a big deal for us and PINS gives out free trash bags to assist cleanup at the park visitor's center. A dump station is just up the road through the gates of the park with potable water (which was quite slow on 2 separate occasions). Cellular service was reliable for voice, data, and even streaming when connected to a booster (we have a WeBoost). Nearby Padre Island has a grocery store ($$$$), hardware store, multiple fuel stations (with propane cylinder exchange), and restaurants; Corpus Christi (30 min drive) is large enough to provide additional services needed. This and nearby South Beach were so enjoyable they will become an annual trip for us; hard to beat free beachfront camping!