Goose Island vs Mustang Island State Parks

Over the last few weeks we’ve visited both of these state parks. They aren’t far from each other, but a big difference in our opinions of them for camping.

The campsites at Goose Island are big and private. Mustang Island is basically a parking lot with every two campsites connected to each other so when you step out your front door you see your neighbor’s front door. If you have a small enough RV and are brave enough, you can stay on the beach. You have to be brave because there are all kinds of warnings that if you get stuck, the park doesn’t help. You have to pay big bucks to be towed. There were a group of small VW vans staying there while we were there.

You can walk the beach at Mustang Island, but right now it’s really windy. We biked to the geocaches in the park. But they are on a busy street with cars whizzing by. Not very fun.

The birds are varied at Goose Island with both birds in the tree areas (cardinals, warblers, titmouse (titmice??), and white-winged doves) and  seashore birds like roseate spoonbills, herons, egrets, ibis, and whooping cranes. The volunteers give several classes on birding. They are enthusiastic (2 hours per session looking at birds!). There are birds at Mustang, but they are mostly the noisy type (grackles and mockingbirds). 

Goose Island has different hiking trails and places to bike. There are geocaches in the park plus ones just outside that included a tennis ball geocache and one at a local cemetery. Of course, I always like stopping at cemeteries, especially older ones like this one. 

The class they have at Mustang wasn’t very impressive. One of the parts including touching sea anemones over and over for the fun of it. According to what I read on the internet (yes, I know not everything is true), oils on your hand hurt sea anemones.

Even though we don’t plan to return, sunrise is nice at Mustang Island.