Lamar and Goose Island area guide

Overview

Lamar is a small community in Aransas County. It sits at the north end of the Copano Bay causeway on State Highway 35, about ten miles north of Rockport.

Goose Island State Park is on the southern tip of the Lamar Peninsula, between St. Charles Bay and Aransas Bay. The park is 321.4 acres and has two parts: a mainland with live oak woods, and a small island made of oyster shell. Wildlife is a big reason to come. The park says you may see white-tailed deer, raccoons, armadillos and over 300 kinds of birds. It also says alligators are sometimes seen, and it shares alligator safety tips on its site.

Across St. Charles Bay is the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, where the endangered whooping crane spends the winter.

What to do

When to visit

Whooping cranes usually arrive at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in late October and leave by mid-April, so winter is the time to look for them. The refuge also sees millions of waterfowl, shorebirds and songbirds pass through each spring and fall.

TPWD says wildflowers fill Goose Island State Park in spring. It lists its busy seasons as Memorial Day through Labor Day, October through Thanksgiving, and January through April. The park often reaches capacity, and TPWD recommends a reservation for both camping and day use.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, according to NOAA. Storms sometimes form outside those dates. Check the forecast from the National Weather Service in Corpus Christi and follow local officials.

History

Lamar was founded in 1839 at Lookout Point, at the channel entrance to Copano Bay. It began as a rival town to Aransas City, just across the channel, and it was named for Mirabeau B. Lamar. The customhouse was moved from Aransas City to Lamar, and Aransas City went into decline. After that, Lamar grew as a port town and a site for salt works.

During the Civil War, federal troops bombarded and destroyed Lamar. Only the ruins of a few old homes and a Catholic chapel, Stella Maris, were left. They were built of shellcrete, a cement made of burned oyster shells, sand and lime.

The state acquired the land for Goose Island State Park from private owners between 1931 and 1935. A law then set aside the state-owned island as a state park, and the Civilian Conservation Corps built the first park facilities in the 1930s. The crews cleared land, planted trees and cared for The Big Tree. They also built the park's recreation hall out of shellcrete and added roads, bridges and drainage systems.

Getting around

Lamar is at the north end of the Copano Bay causeway on State Highway 35 and Farm Road 13. Lamar is about ten miles north of Rockport and about forty miles north of Corpus Christi.

Goose Island State Park is north of Rockport in Aransas County. It has a boat launch and a separate launch for kayaks and canoes, and a fish cleaning station.

Getting here

These drive times come from the OSRM routing service, which uses OpenStreetMap data. Each one starts at the center of the city and ends in Lamar. Drive times vary with traffic, so allow extra time on busy days.

• From Houston: about 180 miles and about 3 hours 45 minutes. The route uses I-69, US 59, US 77, TX 239 and TX 35.
• From Austin: about 180 miles and about 3 hours 45 minutes. The route uses US 183, US 87, US 77, TX 239 and TX 35.
• From San Antonio: about 170 miles and about 3 hours 15 minutes. The route uses I-37, US 281 and TX 188.

Where to stay