VISITING ROCKPORT, TEXAS

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Visit www.wildtexas.com to learn more about Texas before you come!

Imagine a place where - nature is unspoiled, the quality of life is important,  recreational and relaxing activities abound, plenty of warm sunshine, excellent fishing, and golf await you.  Rockport's appeal and charm is largely due to its "sleepy fishing village" attitude.  Nobody is in too big of a hurry!  You actually feel like you've really been away from the "big city noise" which can be so refreshing to the mind.  Slightly off the beaten track and about 30 minutes north of Corpus Christi, Rockport offers the best: a laid-back lifestyle combined with the convenience of "big city" amenities.  There are so many places to see, so much to do...go ahead and get started!  Rockport averages about 310 days of sunshine per year and the median temperature is 79 degrees supported by clean, healthy gulf breezes.  It's a beautiful place to visit and a fantastic place to live!

The Rockport-Fulton area of Texas has become a world-famous birding location with 7 major stopping points along The Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail (GTCBT).  Over 500 bird species have been recorded since the days of Connie Hagar.  A large number of birds funnel through this area on their migratory routes each spring and fall. Of course, on any given day you can see between 35 - 50 bird species who make Rockport Beach Park their permanent residence.  The Park, part of the Connie Hagar Wildlife Sanctuary, is managed by the City of Rockport and located just around the bend from downtown Rockport Harbor.  The Rockport Beach Park was also a recent recipient of the Clean Beaches Council award for the first Blue Wave Beach in Texas: $3 - Day Pass, $7 - Year Pass.

Gulls at the pristine Rockport Beach Park: Texas' First Blue Wave Certified Beach

The GTCBT is a fantastic resource for birders around the world as well as a great tool for developing eco-tourism within Texas. The Trail takes advantage of the existing Texas coastal highway system to create a recreational, educational, and economic opportunity for all those who visit or live near the trail. The highway system, which skirts the entire length of the Texas coast, offers a rare opportunity to link hundreds of sites, and attract birding tourists from around the world.  Thousands of professional & amateur birders, photographers, and naturalists come from all over the US and Canada to see our spectacular waterfowl, wading, and seashore birds.  "The GTCBT represents a delicate balance between the conservation needs along the Texas coast, and the demands and desires of the human population that resides there.  Projects such as the GTCBT respect that essential relationship between man and the environment." (Fermata Inc.) See map of Central Coast Trails.

Just north of Rockport - a delightful and scenic 45 minute drive - is the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Dept. maintains a federally designated winter home to the endangered Whooping Cranes and supports many other native wildlife inhabitants.  The ANWR carries the distinction of having the 2nd largest highest species count in the National wildlife Refuge System and encompasses 58,982 acres and the majority of the refuge is located on Blackjack Peninsula.  The Whooping Cranes almost became extinct during the 20th century. Approximately 80,000 people visit the refuge each year to view over 300 bird species found there and to take in the abundant wildlife for which the refuge is so well known. Along with rare, migratory birds you can view wild turkey, alligators, deer, javalina, bobcats, coyote, raccoon, and many more.  Take the 16 mile drive (with audio) tour, hike the 9 walking trails, stroll the 5 mile Observation Trail, spot your favorite bird from the Observation Tower,  have a picnic or visit the Wildlife Interpretive Center.  We ask that you please observe the natural trails as marked.

Have a wonderful visit in Rockport, Texas...the charm of the Texas Coast!

Coastal Bend Area Chamber of Commerce links below:

 Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce (Community Services & Area Businesses)