Bolivar Peninsula (Texas) beaches reopened

[JohnnyM]

Today's Galveston Daily News reports that the 27 miles of Gulf Coast beaches on Bolivar peninsula have been reopened effective immediately.

They have only been closed since last Thursday, and Galveston County officials have since indicated that the closure last week was only for the purpose of keeping large groups away from the beach over the Easter weekend. So now the beaches are back to being available for boondocking, if anyone is looking for a place in that part of the country.

The beaches on Bolivar are located in unincorporated Galveston County, which means that they are under county, not state, control. The beaches in the City of Galveston and on Galveston Island, as well as Galveston Island State Park, which is located on part of the west beach on the island, remain closed until further notice.

Johnny

 

[LoveCareThinkDo]

So, is this land that the public regularly uses for recreation? Or is it in an area that is usually only used by boondockers? Would the public be randomly walking around in this area? Are they likely to flock here because all other places are closed?

 

[Qxxx]

There was another recent thread on boondocking possibilities in the area, and which JohnnyM also responded to.

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=37976

 

[JohnnyM]

Hi LoveCareThinkDo,

This is just a long stretch of narrow beach on the Gulf side of a peninsula which has a few scattered small towns along the road. The towns are located up on the high(er) ground and the beaches are mostly untended and unimproved. The whole peninsula is a remote and moderately inaccessible coastal area which is gradually but steadily disappearing into the Gulf.

The beaches on Bolivar are used by everyone who makes the effort to get to them, including beachgoers, people fishing, and campers. Unless something has changed, which I doubt, overnight camping and sleeping are still allowed. (Of course, building or settling in are no-go -- in other words, just be cool about it and you'll be OK.)

The beaches on Galveston Island, across the ship channel on the other side of Galveston Bay, are big and well-tended and maintained and much more easily accessible, but they are off-limits for the time being, and overnight camping has been outlawed there for years. The (free) ferry which connects Galveston and Port Bolivar is still running 24/7. It is operated by the Texas Highway Department and is not subject to local control.

Johnny