Bolivar Flats Beach Dispersed Camping
County Park
Write a Review Rettilon Road Bolivar Peninsula, TX 77650 Official WebsiteGPS: 29.3729, -94.728
Overview of Bolivar Flats Beach Dispersed Camping
Be aware of the tides and high tide line when choosing a beach campsite. Strong winds or storms can significantly elevate tides and create hazardous conditions along the Gulf Coast.
Accessibility is not guaranteed, always scout ahead before driving on sandy beaches.
Learn more: Boondocking 101
Last Price Paid: $0
Reported by Nearfarwherevertheyare on 2/26/2024
Longest RV Reported: 43 feet (Fifth Wheel)
Reported by Running.From.Normal on 3/25/2023
Elevation -32 ft / -9 m
Max Stay 14
Tent Camping Yes
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Q&A - Ask the Community about Bolivar Flats Beach Dispersed Camping
To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly.
camper-730802 asked on 12/24/2022
Is there a difference between the “permit” beach and the free beach? I’m seeing two different listings here but it lo...
Kathy asked on 1/31/2021
Would a 37’ Class A be able to park on Bolivar Flats Beach without getting stuck in the sand?
Reviews of Bolivar Flats Beach Dispersed Camping 20 people have reviewed this location.
Cell Phone Coverage
Confirmed by 9 Users
Last reported 2/26/2024
Confirmed by 9 Users
Last reported 12/25/2023
Confirmed by 1 User
Last reported 3/27/2019
“Cant wait to come back!”
Reviewed 1/24/2021
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
Overall Rating
This was our first experience camping on the beach in our van and it was amazing! The kids loved taking the ferry and we arrived to Bolivar Flats around 11am on a Sunday. The sand was easy to drive on, even for our 2 wheel drive haha and we had no issues! We picked a spot at the end where everyone turns around but since we stayed in la... more
This was our first experience camping on the beach in our van and it was amazing! The kids loved taking the ferry and we arrived to Bolivar Flats around 11am on a Sunday. The sand was easy to drive on, even for our 2 wheel drive haha and we had no issues! We picked a spot at the end where everyone turns around but since we stayed in late December there wasn’t much traffic! It felt like we had the entire beach to ourselves and weather was warm enough that the kids were able to splash around in the gulf! Several cars seemed to show up early for fishing and always found a spot right around the entrance but left in the evening so all we heard were the sounds of the waves at night. Definitely take bug spray as the mosquitoes came out once the wind calmed down...even in December!! Overall the beach seems well maintained and garbage cans look to be changed daily. Highly recommend!
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Amazing beach camping ”
Reviewed 1/20/2021
| Days stayed: | 6 |
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| RV Length: | 43' (Fifth Wheel) |
Overall Rating
We loved it here, stayed mid January and had 50’s and 60’s. A little fuller on the weekend but we still had space to ourselves. We had no issues with party people or loud noise. The very end is where everyone turns around, just a heads up that it’s not the best spot to park. Since it is off season we got our annual pass for... more
We loved it here, stayed mid January and had 50’s and 60’s. A little fuller on the weekend but we still had space to ourselves.
We had no issues with party people or loud noise.
The very end is where everyone turns around, just a heads up that it’s not the best spot to park.
Since it is off season we got our annual pass for $5.
Some mosquitoes when the wind died down.
No problem at all with the sand, hard packed!
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Verizon 4G
Running.From.Normal would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great first time boondocking experience!”
Reviewed 12/30/2020
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 4 |
Overall Rating
You can't get anymore oceanfront than this. This is the first time we gave dry camping a try. We couldn't have asked for a better experience. There is some trash around. I don't know if it washes up from the Gulf of some people are just slobs. We did our part by picking it up around us. We wanted to stay on the permit side figuri... more
You can't get anymore oceanfront than this. This is the first time we gave dry camping a try. We couldn't have asked for a better experience. There is some trash around. I don't know if it washes up from the Gulf of some people are just slobs. We did our part by picking it up around us. We wanted to stay on the permit side figuring it would be less crowded. When we went to the store to buy the permit, we were told that the beach is rarely patrolled this time of year and not to waste our money. There were maybe 5 other RVs on the free beach and permit beach combined. No one was within 150 yards of us. There were a few others that came for the day. There was no noise to speak of except for the crashing of the waves. Definitely a great first time dry camping experience.
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AT&T 4G
Verizon 4G
GFinn would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Mixed Feelings”
Reviewed 9/13/2020
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
| RV Length: | 28' (Class A) |
Overall Rating
The location is great, there is lots of room to set up camp wherever you would like. The negative points outweigh the positive in my opinion however. Lots of folks with loud music, which you can avoid, but once you setup camp its a pain to move again. We were unfortunate enough to have campers show up at 11pm and party till 5am righ... more
The location is great, there is lots of room to set up camp wherever you would like. The negative points outweigh the positive in my opinion however. Lots of folks with loud music, which you can avoid, but once you setup camp its a pain to move again. We were unfortunate enough to have campers show up at 11pm and party till 5am right next to us (god knows why, the beach was completely empty). They had little kids partying with them (who does this??).
The worst of course where the mosquitoes, 1000s of them, there is marsh land right behind this site, maybe it was just the time we were there, but by evening we could not open the door of our motorhome without swarms of them flying in, we could not walk. We had dozens of bites by nights end.
We could not wait to pack up and leave. We went to seashell beach for the rest of the next day
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AT&T 4G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great Experience”
Reviewed 8/8/2020
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 3 |
Overall Rating
We got there on a Wednesday evening (we bought our permit in Willis,Tx on the way) and we pretty much had the beach to ourselves, with the exception of some fishermen down the beach a little ways. We took Retallion Rd and went right at the beach to the permit side. We sat up our tent near the dunes. On Thursday an RV came on to camp an... more
We got there on a Wednesday evening (we bought our permit in Willis,Tx on the way) and we pretty much had the beach to ourselves, with the exception of some fishermen down the beach a little ways. We took Retallion Rd and went right at the beach to the permit side. We sat up our tent near the dunes. On Thursday an RV came on to camp and there were a few families/couples that came to the beach for the day. The tide was really low so on Thursday night we moved our tent closer to the water. It was a great time and it the seclusion was nice. There is a port a potty at the entrance, but don't even bother, completely disgusting! The nearest gas station is 5mi away and the nearest grocery store is about 8mi away. We had no issues with cell service.
They do come by daily to check cars for permits. We saw one sheriff vehicle and that was on Friday afternoon.
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AT&T 4G
Cricket would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“First time camping, best place to do so!”
Reviewed 7/25/2019
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 3 |
Overall Rating
I bought a little 16’ travel trailer for me and my 3 year old twins to do some exploring. I never liked the idea of rv parks, but I don’t think the twins are ready for tent camping! Anyway, chose the flats as our first trip and couldn’t have been more pleased. The site was a little dirty, but there were plenty of trash cans and the r... more
I bought a little 16’ travel trailer for me and my 3 year old twins to do some exploring. I never liked the idea of rv parks, but I don’t think the twins are ready for tent camping!
Anyway, chose the flats as our first trip and couldn’t have been more pleased. The site was a little dirty, but there were plenty of trash cans and the ranger dropped off bags. 30 minutes and our site was cleaned up and the camper was set up. We arrived Thursday and never had anyone too close to us. The free side of the beach was way more cramped.
This will definitely be a place we stay most of the summer!
Cell service(Att) was great, plenty of room to maneuver(class a and down), and with the ocean breeze you can get by without ac. Also, you can walk 200-300 feet out and still be chest level!
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AT&T 4G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great beach camping”
Reviewed 3/27/2019
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 3 |
| Site Number: | not applicable |
| RV Length: | 30' (Fifth Wheel) |
Overall Rating
We stayed 3 nights here in mid-March 2019. There is no overnight fee, but you are required to buy a $10.00 permit (good for the entire calendar year). The beach is patrolled, and there are well maintained trash cans every hundred yards or so. We were here mid-week, and it was very quiet. If you like crystal blue water and white san... more
We stayed 3 nights here in mid-March 2019. There is no overnight fee, but you are required to buy a $10.00 permit (good for the entire calendar year). The beach is patrolled, and there are well maintained trash cans every hundred yards or so. We were here mid-week, and it was very quiet. If you like crystal blue water and white sand, you will not find that on the Texas-Louisiana Gulf coast in this area, but having grown up in southwest La., I was impressed with how clean the beach and water were for this location. There is a porta potty at the entrance, but we didn't use it so don't know the condition. Also a dumpster is at the entrance. The beach was hard packed and there was plenty of room to park near the dunes. If you are worried about high tide, and you do need to be aware, check the tide table for times of high tide, and don't set up camp until after the afternoon tide. We didn't have any problem, and I think if you stay by the dunes you will be fine. The beach is only 3.5 miles from the ferry (free) to Galveston, and having camped many times at the Galveston Island State Park, we much prefer Bolivar, and will camp there again if we are back in this area.
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AT&T 4G
T-Mobile 4G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Awesome beach camping ”
Reviewed 6/7/2018
| Days stayed: | 1 |
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Overall Rating
The free parking is to the left I think. To the right you have to have a beach sticker better to be safe then pay a fine. It’s only $10 and it lasts the whole year. The lady told me Jan-feb 2019 the stickers will be on sale for $5. I did forget my blow up mattress so I was very uncomfortable when trying to sleep. The cops patrolled aro... more
The free parking is to the left I think. To the right you have to have a beach sticker better to be safe then pay a fine. It’s only $10 and it lasts the whole year. The lady told me Jan-feb 2019 the stickers will be on sale for $5. I did forget my blow up mattress so I was very uncomfortable when trying to sleep. The cops patrolled around 11pm. Their light is very bright if you have a thin tent. Bring a first aid kit and food because the little store they have after the ferry is only worth it if you have nothing else. And please clean up after your mess you can bump your trash bags on your way out. I didn’t go to deep on the beach because I didnt wanna get stuck but I only say 1 porta potty. I had my go girl so I wasn’t worried. One small car did get stuck in the sand for a few hours close to the entrance
Chelsea would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“$10 unlimited beach camping!”
Reviewed 4/13/2018
| Nightly rate: | $10 |
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| Days stayed: | 8 |
| RV Length: | 30' |
Overall Rating
We LOVED this spot. It for sure is in our top 3 spots ever! We arrived during a storm and slept inland that night because we were warned it was a flood zone. The next morning we drove right into the beach, stayed towards the right and set up camp. A ranger came by and collected $10 for a permit and it expired at the end of the year. Mi... more
We LOVED this spot. It for sure is in our top 3 spots ever! We arrived during a storm and slept inland that night because we were warned it was a flood zone. The next morning we drove right into the beach, stayed towards the right and set up camp. A ranger came by and collected $10 for a permit and it expired at the end of the year. Mind you it was March. The beach was littered with trash that had washed ashore. The ranger gave us large blue sturdy bags and we filled them every day. By the 3rd day, a large portion of our area was clean. Kids enjoyed the water, beach walks, beach play and the beach. Despite leaving with half the beaches sand in our trailer, it was so worth it. We also took the ferry into Galveston (free) one of the days which was fantastic as well. We’d so stay here again!
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AT&T 4G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Love it!”
Reviewed 3/25/2018
| Nightly rate: | $10 |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
| RV Length: | 31' |
Overall Rating
OMG it’s beautiful here! Lots of space to maneuver large rigs. Hey 188sft - you guys rock!!! We were so lost trying to find the place and found your post with the GPS coordinates! Thanks so much! I’m going to repost the coords here too 29.383223, -94.72345 so that others can find this oasis. We need to watch the tides and there isn’t... more
OMG it’s beautiful here! Lots of space to maneuver large rigs. Hey 188sft - you guys rock!!! We were so lost trying to find the place and found your post with the GPS coordinates! Thanks so much! I’m going to repost the coords here too 29.383223, -94.72345 so that others can find this oasis. We need to watch the tides and there isn’t supposed to be a storm coming in over the next couple days so we have to watch for that too. The beach here is pristine and the sand is well packed so it’s no problem driving heavy rigs on it. We love it and are having a great time. Don’t forget to get your pass for $10. We bought ours at the gas station up the road. It’s actually good until Dec so don’t stick on your window when you get it! Just lay it on your dashboard where it’s visible so that you can use it again and again while it’s valid. Enjoy your stay here! There are also tons of RV parks on the main road in case you have to relocate or need hookups for some reason.
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AT&T 4G
RichP would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
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Amenities
Hookups
- dry camping
Facilities
- restrooms: vault
- trash
Pets
- pets
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