Explore LCRA’s Matagorda Bay Nature Park
LCRA’s Matagorda Bay Nature Park is a special place where the original channel of the Texas Colorado River meets the Gulf of Mexico. The 1,600-acre park has access to 23 miles of beach and two miles of river frontage. It is located in one of the best birding areas in the nation and has a variety of campsites and an RV park. Matagorda Bay Nature Park is a great place to relax at the beach and explore nature through a variety of activities including fishing, kayaking, camping, hiking and swimming.
Sand, Sun and Adventure at Matagorda Bay Nature Park, Texas
A special place awaits you where the lower Colorado River meets the Gulf of Mexico. Matagorda Bay Nature Park, Texas, is a great place to relax at the beach and explore hundreds of acres of coastal marshes and dunes. It is also one of the best birding sites in the nation.
The 1,600-acre park is a unique, environmentally significant property being carefully preserved and developed by LCRA, a conservation and reclamation district created by the Texas Legislature.
What's there to see and do? Play in the warm waters of the gulf, hunt seashells along 22 miles of beach, go fishing, or visit the natural science center. Three piers extend over the river channel and a fourth pier extends over the Gulf of Mexico.
Tent camping is allowed on the beach and an RV park is on the river channel.
My friend Bob and I spent the weekend tent camping on the beach between the river channel and the ocean. Yes, beach driving is allowed with a permit. However, please be aware that the sand can be soft. My 4-wheel drive SUV did fine; however I saw several cars and trucks get stuck in the soft sand.
Sit back, relax and enjoy the weekend.
Videography by Ken Kramm, October 2011; Canon Vixia HF S20.
Creative Commons music ccmixter by Pitx, Chords For David:
and Simple:
Matagorda, Texas / Colorado Rivermouth
3DR Solo - GoPro Hero4 Black. Back-bone Ribcage - 4.2mm M12 lens. First day shooting with Gimbal.
Colorado Rivermouth after the floods around Central and SE Texas....lots of debris being washed-up on beaches.
Rhastafarian by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (
Artist:
Matagorda Bay Nature Park Summer Day Camp
Matagorda Bay Nature Park summer camp registration is now live! Join us in sunny Matagorda, Texas, for an adventurous coastal day-camp experience. Matagorda resides in a unique location on the Texas coast, offering recreation on the Gulf of Mexico, along the lower Colorado River and across wetlands. Campers ages 6 to 15 have the opportunity to attend natural science-themed day camps in June 2019 with outdoor activities including fishing, seining, rock wall climbing, archery on the beach, arts and crafts, beachcombing, birding, kayaking and more. Matagorda Bay Nature Park even offers a full-service RV park for families to stay during the weeks of camp. Campers will embark on new adventures each day, so be sure and reserve your spot today!
For more information or to register, visit lcra.org/camps or call 979-863-2603.
Matagorda, TX Beach Camping GOPRO
Camping on Matagorda Island, TX August 8th-August 10th, 2014
Matagorda Island
Hobie Tandem Island sailing trip to Matagorda island from Port O'Connor, TX, April 2012.
We camped three nights on the island, hiked, fished, and sailed.
Surfing Matagorda Texas
Saturday the surf was choppy and disorganized. Sunday the wind turned offshore and the swell began to build. I have heard so many stories of Matagorda throwing barrels. So far this has been the best waves in Taxes that I have surfed. There were people all the way from Galveston. We were the first ones in the water and close to the last ones to leave. We stayed the night and made it a weekend surf trip and documented the journey.
Entering Matagorda
Produced with the support of the Matagorda County Historical Commission and Rice University, this film offers an inside look as local residents discuss the rich history and culture of Matagorda County. Part of Stephen F. Austin's Old 300 Settlement, the region flourished thanks to rice farming and other enterprises. With the arrival of industrial projects like TenarisBayCity, some say the area is poised for a new era of prosperity.
Exploring Abandoned WW2 Airbase on Matagorda Island, Texas (Mavic Pro 4K)
Matagorda Island Air Force Base is a closed military airfield on the north end of Matagorda Island, northeast of Corpus Christi, Texas. It was closed by the United States Air Force in 1975.
The original airfield was built in 1942 as Matagorda Island General Bombing and Gunnery Range.
The range had four Single-Engine Gunnery Squadrons assigned, flying the North American T-6 Texan.
The facility was closed on 3 February 1945, and placed in a standby status.
During the Cold War, in 1949, the United States Air Force Strategic Air Command reactivated the range and refurbished the runways. Runway 03/21 was extended to 8,000' to accommodate jet fighters, along with SAC B-29 and B-50 Superfortress bombers.
The base was inactivated in 1975 after the end of United States involvement in Vietnam. The property was subsequently turned over to the Department of the Interior as a federal wildlife refuge.
Today, the runways and taxiways, although infested with vegetation, are in very good condition. There are several structures, hangars, and buildings of various types in various stages of deterioration. Also there is a usable dock and a small port facility (Source: Wikipedia).
Matagorda Island
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Matagorda Island , Spanish for thick brush, is a 38-mile long barrier island on the Texas Gulf coast, located approximately seven miles south of Port O'Connor, in the southernmost part of Calhoun County.Traditional homeland of the Karankawa Indians.The island is oriented generally northeast-southwest, with the Gulf of Mexico on the east and south, and Espiritu Santo Bay on the west and north.It is separated from San José Island to the south by Cedar Bayou, and is separated from the Matagorda Peninsula to the north by Pass Cavallo.
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Matagorda Beach - Matagorda Island, Texas
For the full trail guide please visit:
Popular with fishermen, shell collectors, kayakers, paddleboarders, 4WD 4x4 off-road enthusiasts, and beachcombers, Matagorda Island offers up 23 miles of accessible beach with a wide variety of sand and shell terrain. Whether you’re looking to lounge in the sun with a large group of friends or find a secluded spot to camp for the weekend, you’re sure to find just the right spot on the island.
Get the trail details and download a GPS route today at:
Cute (bensound.com) licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.
Matagorda Island 2015
Winter kayaking around Matagorda Island along the Texas Coast
America's Wildest Places - Aransas and Matagorda Island National Wildlife Refuge, Texas
What is today known as the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge first emerged 120,000 years ago during the Pleistocene era when a barrier island was born. Great continental glaciers retreated and their melted ice filled the sea. A rising sea piled up ridge after ridge of sand along today's Texas Gulf Coast, creating a vast island of which Aransas is a remnant. Time brought many changes to the land. River sediments filled barrier lagoons, joining the island to the mainland. Grasses and trees invaded sandy ridges creating a home for Ice Age mammals such as lion, camel, bison, bear, mammoth and mastodon. The Pleistocene era was lost to geological history; behind it was left the land and a few mementos of that era, including fossilized teeth and alligators.
Today, this landscape is best known for its prominent place in the American wildlife conservation movement. In 1941, when only 15 whooping cranes survived in the wild, the iconic bird became an emblem of alarm and concern for all endangered and threatened species. Aransas became a focal point of the national and worldwide effort to rescue the species from extinction.
Thankfully, due to the foresight of others, the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge had been established in 1937 to serve as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife... and ...for use as an inviolate sanctuary, or for any other management purpose, for migratory birds... The wildlife conservation mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ensures the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge will continue to conserve, protect and enhance these lands for the benefit of wildlife and the American people.
Other native species you can see on the Refuge include the American alligator, javelina, roseate spoonbill, white-tailed deer, armadillo and spectacular wildflowers.
Matagorda Island is a barrier island situated along the coastal bend of Texas in Calhoun County and part of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.
The Island is a significant natural area. It is 56,683 acres in size and stretches 38 miles long, varying from .75 to 4.5 miles in width. Approximately 30,000 of those acres are uplands and the remaining 26,000 acres are salt marsh, tidal flats, and Gulf beaches. Matagorda's orientation is northeast-southwest with the Gulf of Mexico on one side and Espiritu Santo Bay on the other. There is no public means of accessing the Island and it is this isolation that provides an unparalleled opportunity for protection of its bountiful natural resources. The remoteness is also what makes Matagorda Island attractive as it offers a unique opportunity to experience the amazing coastal barrier island ecosystem.
VISIT ARANSAS
The refuge is open seven days a week from 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset.
The best time of year to see the whooping cranes is from mid-October through mid-March where they may be seen feeding in the refuge's marsh during daylight hours. Visitors can also enjoy seeing the birds from boat tours offered by private operators.
Hopper's Landing is the closet place to camp and it is three miles north of the refuge's main gate. It has cabins, RV sites and tent camping. Call 361-286-3331 for more information. Other nearby camping options include Gator's RV Park & Cabins (Austwell) and the City of Austwell Park, which accommodates RV sites. Goose Island State Park is about 30 minutes from the refuge and offers RV sites and tent camping.
Directions:
From the South: Follow Hwy. 35N to the FM 774 exit. Turn right on FM 774 and go approx. 6 miles, winding through the farm fields. Turn right again on FM 2040. Go another 6 miles to the Refuge gate. Go to the Visitor Center to register.
From the North: Travel south on Hwy. 35 to Tivoli. Continue past Tivoli for approx. 1 mile to the FM 239 exit (on your left). Follow FM 239 to Austwell. Upon entering Austwell, FM 239 turns into FM 774 at the curve. Continue on FM 774. Follow 774 & take a right at the stop sign. Go down the end of the street. Take a right again. As you exit Austwell, drive ½ mile to the FM 2040 intersection. Go left on FM 2040 for about 6 miles to the Refuge gate. Go to the Visitor Center to register.
The lat/long for the refuge's main entrance is 28.313449,-96.804022
Yaroooh! for Kids | News - Magazine
Matagorda Island Restoration - by CBBEP
CBBEP worked with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Coastal Conservation Association, and the Texas General Land Office's Coastal Impact Assistance Program to restore hydrology back to 15,000 acres of marsh on Matagorda Island where the Whooping Cranes feeds during the winter. Great partnerships for protecting great habitat!
Learn more at cbbep.org
Music by Secession:
Barnard's Matagorda bay kayak trip!!!!
3 guys enjoying life, just fishing
JOURNEY TO MATAGORDA BEACH; MARCH 2017
Take a JOURNEY to MATAGORDA BEACH,TEXAS with us on a mild, windy day. All we did was just watch the waves crash on the rocks for a couple of hours, had a PICNIC, and walked through the NATURE SCIENCE CENTER. A nice time to just relax and watch nature.
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SONGS:
Ethnic Mixtue 5 by Johan Hynynen (EPIDEMIC SOUNDS)
Climbing Through the Air 3 by Thomas Skyldeberg (EPIDEMIC SOUNDS)
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Aransas and Matagorda Island National Wildlife Refuges
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
National Conservation Training Center
America's Wildest Places - Volume 1
A Video Tour of Eight National Wildlife Refuges
Aransas and Matagorda Island National Wildlife Refuges
'A Place for Nature'
Texas
SOLO Beach CAMPING and FISHING! (East Matagorda)
Took the Jeep and solo skiff 20 miles down the beach to find a secluded area on East Matagorda Bay to fish and camp on an over night adventure!
Link to Matagorda Jetty Location:
Link to the Camping Location:
Matagorda County, Texas Beaches and Travel Commercial
Discover the undiscovered beauty of Matagorda County, Texas. A great get away for your family.
2011 COT Matagorda Island Field Trip.wmv
Members of the Cradle of Texas Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists enjoyed an eco-studies field trip to Matagorda Island on May 1, 2011. Matagorda Island is an uninhabited barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico 10 miles off the Texas mid-coast. Our trip was led by Doc & Martha McAlister to study the ecosystems of this protected preserve. Matagorda Island is one of the last truly wild places left and it is a privilege to visit and study. To learn more, read Life on Matagorda Island by Dr. Wayne Doc McAlister, Texas A&M Press, ISBN I-58544-338-7. Thanks to Capt. Tommy Moore & the Skimmer for transportation and Thanks to Penny Neff and Team Laguna at the Laguna Reef Hotel in Rockport, Texas for outstanding Texas hospitality and great accommodations.