Beaches at High Island
Built on a salt dome at the end of Bolivar Peninsula in Galveston County, High Island is a small town with two remote beaches. High Island East and High Island West beaches sit on either side of the salt dome at 38 feet above sea level, the highest point on the Gulf of Mexico, according to the Bolivar Chamber of Commerce.
The beaches are remote, nearly inaccessible by car and surrounded by oil pump jacks and oak trees. Nearby Crystal Beach is a family oriented and more populated beach. Crystal Beach stretches 7 miles across the Bolivar Peninsula.
Recreation
On the beach, visitors can go for a run in the sand, swim off the coast or go surfing in the Gulf of Mexico. Nearby, visitors can see one of four bird sanctuaries or enjoy the wildlife refuge for a nature walk. Smith Oaks Sanctuary, the largest of the bird sanctuaries on High Island, covers 143 acres, notes the Bolivar Chamber of Commerce.
Visitors can see egrets, herons and spoonbills while walking under 100-year-old oak trees. The Anahuac Wildlife Refuge also has several walking trails. The refuge is a layover stop for migrating birds and at times visitors can see as many as 80,000 geese stopping by on their way south, according to CultureMapcom.
Accommodations
For travelers with an RV, the High Island RV Park has RV pull-in sites with sewer hookups. The RV park also has tent camping sites as well as restrooms with showers, a laundry facility and free WiFi. The Gulfway Motel is located in High Island Texas and is open year round.
According to BirdingHighIsland.com, there is also a rental home near the Huston's Audubon's Boy Scout Bird Sanctuary known as "The Roost." Rentals fill up quickly during the spring, but remain mostly vacant during the summer and fall.
