South Padre Island Beach Rules

In Texas, all beaches are considered public highways and all traffic laws still apply. A posted traffic sign reads 10mph when entering the beach, but you can coast to around 25mph up until you hit the Willacy County boundary line (N26°24'39.91"W97°13'24.68") where you can drive as fast as you want. However, be careful and DO NOT SPEED PAST 25MPH within the Cameron County region as Park Rangers are very strict. This is for the safety of everyone as well as for environmental reasons because of the heavy traffic usage within this boundary.

There are quite a few regulations and rules for driving on South Padre Island , but you should be very aware of the following:

• No driving on or behind the dunes or mudflats behind the dunes

• No driving on private and wildlife property

• Open fires or camping in or behind the dunes are prohibited.

• Pets must be on a leash

• No firearms

• No treasure hunting

• No trespassing of private property

• No ATVs

• No glass containers

• No speeding (more than 25mph)

You CAN do the following:

•  Camp IN FRONT of the dunes

• Hike on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Property

• Fish

• Swim and Surf

• Sun bathe nude in Willacy County region (though, not officially)

• Park an RV and any vehicle overnight for as many days as you want

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