Before You Go to South Padre Island

Driving on an isolated sandy beach is a lot like flying an airplane. Before a trip, a pilot creates a flight plan, studies maps, checks fuel and oil tanks, rehearses emergency procedures, researches the weather, and gathers the needed equipment.

If there is only one message you leave with after reading this article, let it be this: Planning, common sense and having the right tools will make you virtually stuck-proof on Padre Island, but most importantly, gaurantee you to have a good time. I am amazed at how many stupid people I see out there on Padre Island . I always see these huge monster trucks and F350s out there with their gigantic tires the size of small house getting stuck in the most peculiar of places. Then, their buddies will attempt to pop them out of the sand and get stuck themselves. Oh, and if you got one of those new hummers, you can forget it. I've seen those stuck more than any other vehicle out there.

Okay, you might be wondering what kind of car I have and how many times I've been stuck out there. Well, let me tell you.

I have a 1990 Jeep Cherokee with a malfunctioning four-wheel drive system. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't depending on what mood it is in. Yea, my Jeep has an ego, but she hasn't let me down yet. And while the cheap-o tires on my Jeep are about the size of the ones on tricycles for children, let me just say that they have conquered everything that mother nature has thrown at them.

With that said, if you follow the rules and use common sense I guarantee that you will not get stuck or stranded out in the middle of nowhere. Actually, you'll be amazed at how many small 2 wheel-drive cars make it out there on a daily basis. Check out the vehicles that the local fisherman drive and you'll see Cadillacs, Blazers and minivans. It's not how big it is, but how you use it.

Planning

First, lets plan out the trip. The road to South Padre Island and to the beach area we'll be talking about in this article is called Highway/Park Road100 and it'll take you all the way down to an access point on the island named “Beach Access 6” (N26°12'25.2"W97°10'45.1")This is the last access point where vehicles are allowed to drive on the island and so this is where you want to exit. If you miss it, you'll eventually hit the end of the highway with a barricade and sign that says “Road Closed”. If you do not want to drive the car on the beach, the barricade area is a good place to park the car and walk the beach.

Basic Map

Detailed Map w/GPS (Pdf file)

There is a $3 fee to drive on the beach.

Padre Island has not changed much for the past 1000 years, and like the Spanish explorers before us, it was and still is difficult terrain for any form of transportation.

This means that you should be prepared to fill up your gas tank before and after driving on South Padre Island . At about 25mph driving speed (the speed limit within most of the area you'll be driving), it will take you about one hour each way if you go all the way down and back to the highway as each leg is about 20 miles. So, on the safe side, be sure to plan for at least 3 hours.

Recommended Tools

Be sure to pack lots of water as it can get very hot on certain days and you never know if your car will break down or you need to assist another motorist. There are no drinking stations where you will be driving and the closest gas station/convenience store could be more than 10-30 miles away!

For peace of mind, try to take along a shovel, bucket, a pair of 2x4s and a tow rope. In the event that you do get stuck, you'll be able to easily get yourself out with those basic tools. A shovel is probably all you need because you can use it to dig away the sand that is between your tires, but you can also use a bucket to scoop up ocean water and pour it on the sand. This will harden the sand and give your tires a bit more friction to use when digging itself out of the sand. Wood planks also can be used by putting them under a tire or two for added friction and a tow rope can be used to hook up your car to another vehicle in case you need to get “popped out” but you are more likely to use this equipment on other people :)

If you've been reading this far, you have probably noticed that I've included a few GPS data points throughout the article. A GPS is handy because you will get accurate navigational information at all times as long as you have extra pairs of batteries. A GPS will also give you a visual reference of how close you are to various boundaries and the end of South Padre Island . Just keep an eye on the battery power!

If you plan to do some hiking, be sure to bring along lots of bug spray! While you won't have hostile Indians to fight off like the Spanish explorers might have faced, you will definitely be squaring off with huge mosquitoes and horse flys!

Also, don't forget to bring a tire pressure gauge. This is important and will be explained later.

Next Page : Beach Rules