Texas Porch

State park / Outdoors

Goose Island State Park: Bay Camping, Fishing, and the Big Tree

Goose Island State Park near Rockport offers bayfront camping, a 1,620-foot fishing pier, and access to one of Texas's most celebrated old-growth live oak trees.

Aransas County The Great Outdoors

Goose Island State Park sits along St. Charles and Aransas bays north of Rockport. The park offers 44 bayfront campsites, 57 oak-shaded sites, and 25 walk-in tent sites, with water and electricity available. A 1,620-foot fishing pier juts into the bay; no fishing license is required to fish from the pier or shore inside the park. The park also has a boat launch and put-ins for kayaks and canoes.

The park is home to the Big Tree, a coastal live oak designated as the Texas State Champion Coastal Live Oak in 1969. It is one of the largest live oaks in the state and has stood for hundreds of years.

Park hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The entrance fee for adults is $5; children 12 and under are free. The park can fill up on holidays and during spring birding season, so reservations are recommended. Visit tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/goose-island for current fee information and to book a campsite, as prices can change.

Source to confirm: TPWD — Goose Island State Park

More Aransas County notes

Property tax

How the Homestead Exemption Lowers Your Property Tax in Aransas County

If your Aransas County home is your main residence, you can apply for a homestead exemption to lower your property tax bill.

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Coastal windstorm / Insurance

Coastal Windstorm Coverage: TWIA and the WPI-8 Certificate in Aransas County

Aransas County is in the Texas windstorm insurance zone. Most properties need a WPI-8 certificate to get wind and hail coverage through TWIA.

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Flood / Hurricane

Hurricane Evacuation Planning for Aransas County

Aransas County sits directly in the Texas hurricane belt, and the City of Rockport uses a phased, time-based evacuation system. Voluntary evacuations begin 40 hours before a storm; mandatory orders start at 32 hours and ramp up from there.

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Short-term rentals

Short-Term Rental Registration in Rockport and Port Aransas

Rockport and Port Aransas both require short-term rental owners to register with the city and collect local taxes. This applies even if you list on a third-party platform.

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