National Parks Traveler Episode 163: Exploring Padre Island National Seashore

By Kurt Repanshek - March 27th, 2022

Some 615,000 visitors a year flock to the hard-packed gray sands of Padre Island National Seashore along the Gulf Coast of Texas. Mild winter temperatures here allow the national seashore to be fully enjoyed year-round, although summertime visitors can expect relentless heat, despite the epic Gulf breezes that blow nonstop.

This completely undeveloped national seashore boasts an abundance of natural wonders in its tidal flats, dunes and grasslands. Ample solitude can be found on it 65-mile stretch of beach, including 60 miles that are only accessible by four-wheel drive.

The Traveler’s Lynn Riddick takes an in-depth look at Padre Island National Seashore and finds that not only is it a popular destination for campers, windsurfers, and anglers, but history buffs might find intrigue in the remnants of early settlements, cattle ranches and military installations found there.

:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
:12 Episode Introduction with Kurt Repanshek
1:02 Caribbean Song - Tim Heintz - The Sounds of the Everglades
1:16 Great Smoky Mountains Association
1:36 The Everglades Foundation
1:47 Potrero Group
2:20 Lynn Riddick visits Padre Island National Seashore to explore its wonders with the seashore's Shelley Todd, the park's chief of resource management.
17:41 Wonder Lake - Various Artists - The Spirit of Alaska
17:50 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
18:10 Wild Tribute
18:30 Washington’s National Park Fund
19:05 Grand Teton National Park Foundation
19:35 Lynn Riddick and Shelley Todd continue their tour of Padre Island National Seashore.
32:59 Beyond the Reef - Tim Heintz and Grant Geissman - Seascapes: A Musical Journey
33:07 Friends of Acadia
33:31 Nova Scotia Tourism
34:00 Yosemite Conservancy
34:21 Interior Federal Credit Union
34:50 Shelley Todd and Lynn Riddick continue to explore Padre Island National Seashore.
46:19 Shee Beg Shee Mor - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
46:37 Episode Closing
47:06 Orange Tree Productions
47:37 Splitbeard Productions
47:47 National Parks Traveler footer

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Padre Island National Seashore

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