Texas Family Road Trip Guide
Rockport, Fulton, Aransas Pass Family Activities – Volume 2
Rockport Demo Bird Garden and Wetlands Pond
This is a comfortable place for birders to start their tour of the Rockport area. There are picnic tables, a nature trail boardwalk, and wetlands viewing area.
Visitors report seeing white ibis, roseate spoonbills, brown pelicans, white pelicans, great blue herons, egrets, whistling ducks, sandhill cranes, and whooping cranes.
Are you new to coastal birding? There are handy plaques to help you identify the species you see.
137 bird species have been identified within the Rockport Demo Bird Garden and Wetlands Pond.
2405 Highway 35 North
(361) 729-6445
Port Aransas Jetties
Port Aransas is like if you were able to filter Galveston and were just left with the touristy part. There are enormous photo op shark sculptures. An entire family can stand in the mouth and take a picture. Lots of rental cottages are available.
Port Aransas is small. Golf carts are a go to means of transportation on the island, and several rental locations are available.
Sixteen dollars gets you an annual pass to the well kept beachfront.
Our kids rented a surfboard. The waves were big enough, but they broke too fast to really get going.
We also spent several hours fishing the Port Aransas jetties. This is an ideal destination if you are hoping to see sea turtles on your visit.
Bay Education Center
This is a free museum detailing natural biodiversity of the region.
Their “Science on a Sphere” exhibit is popular and currently they have a travelling exhibit, “Oceans of Plastic”.
UTMSI.UTexas.edu
750 Channel View Drive
(361) 749-6711
Fish Rockport TX
Rockport offers a great chance to catch our “big three” in-shore species: speckled trout, redfish, and flounder. You can also catch black drum, sheepshead, Spanish mackerel, and sharks.
The area is known for big “specks”. Catch yours with a silver spoon, Berkley Gulp, or Rattle Trap. If you prefer live bait, shrimp, croaker, and shad will work on all of the species we’ve discussed. Float your live bait under a popping cork, on a Carolina rig, or freeline your bait with a light rattling rig.
Multiple fishing piers and bank fishing locations are available.
- Rockport Beach. The pier is closed, but there is ample bank fishing here.
- Goose Island State Park. This pier was destroyed during a hurricane. There was construction in this area during our visit, so
hopefully it is being rebuilt. - The end of Market and Water Street
- By the Old Art Museum / Navigation Office. 911 Navigation Circle, Rockport
- For redfish, try the Inn at Fulton Harbor to the left of the shrimp docs. Use light weights and shrimp. 215 North Fulton Beach Road in Fulton
- Fulton Beach Bulkhead at the Convention Center (black drum) 402 North Fulton Beach Road
- Hunt’s Castle Pier. 725 South Water Street in Rockport.
- Cove Park in Ingleside – live bait available at Ann’s Bait
- Reel ‘Em In Pier in Rockport. For hotel guests. 1603 South Water Street
For large numbers of speckled trout, try the above piers at night.
We hope you have enjoyed today’s Texas Road Trip planning guide.
You’ll love Rockport, Fulton, and Sabine Pass.
There are lots of fun restaurants, activities, and lodging options for families.
