At the tail end of our road trip to and through Texas, we made our way to the water to spend a night camping on the sand at Bolivar Beach near Galveston. We’d been on the road for a little over a week at this point in our trip. We’d already seen Big Bend National Park and San Antonio. To end the trip, we thought time spent near the water would get us ready for the long journey back to Minnesota.
To get to Bolivar Beach, we rode the ferry from Galveston Island. The ferry is free plus it’s an exciting mode of travel. One none of us had experienced before. During our visit in early March, the wait for the ferry took no more than 30 minutes. Waits during peak periods can be much longer. Ferry attendants que vehicles and then load about 70 vehicles on board each ferry.
Once on the ferry, the 2.7 mile trip took just 20 minutes. When the ferry docked, we drove off onto highway 87 and made our way to the nearest gas station were we purchased a $15 access permit.
Bolivar Beach is unique. It’s one of the last beaches that you can drive and camp on. All 27 miles of clean, wide open beach are open for visitors to enjoy. We chose a quiet stretch just a mile or so from the main road access.
We spent the morning drinking coffee and watching the dolphins. Our afternoons were spent looking for seashells and wading in the water. At night, we built a beach campfire and ocean breezes.
We really enjoyed Bolivar Peninsula and the opportunity to sleep seaside on the soft, sugary sand. Time spent near the water was a great way to unwind before we journeyed 1,200 miles back to Minnesota.
Happy Adventuring, Rochelle