Galveston Island State Park
Galveston Island State Park | |
---|---|
Texas Parks and Wildlife | |
Website | Official website |
Galveston Island State Park is a Texas state park located on western Galveston Island in Galveston County, on the western Gulf Coast in Texas.[2]
Geography
The park protects 2,013.1-acre (814.7 ha) of dunes, estuaries, wetlands, brackish ponds, and beaches. It was established in 1975. It is adjacent to the city of Galveston.
Habitats include surf, beach, dunes, coastal prairie, fresh-water ponds, wetlands, bayous and bay shoreline.
History
Galveston Island is a barrier island between Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The island began to form around 5,000 years ago. It took another 3,000 years for the core to become high enough to withstand typical storm surges.[5] American Indians began to visit Galveston Island around 2,000 years ago.[5]
In the 16th century, Spanish exploration initiated European interaction with the indigenous
The LaFitte brothers, fleeing the prosecution of
Park establishment
The saga of protecting the land began in 1950.
By the late 1960s, Stewart's heirs wanted a park to be established. In 1969, under the State Parks Bond Program, 1,950 acres of the private land was purchased from the heirs. A small part of the original property with the family's Stewart Mansion was not included in the sale. The state park opened to the public in 1975.
Dunes renewal projects
The park was closed again, due to damage from Hurricane Ike on September 14, 2008. In July 2009 the park was reopened for outdoor recreation and camping.
Fauna
The first nest in a decade of the Kemp's ridley sea turtle was found at the park in 2020.[7]
See also
References
- ^ Christopher Adams. "What is the most visited state park in Texas? Here's the top 10 countdown". KXAN.com. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ Galveston Island State Park
- ^ Friends of the Park
- ^ Park Trails map
- ^ a b c Native Americans history
- ^ Houston Chronicle: "Settlement-in-suit-over-isle-state-park" (1985)
- ^ "Egg-citing news: Sea turtle nest found on Galveston Island for first time in a decade". ABC13 Houston. KTRK-TV. May 24, 2022. Retrieved May 27, 2022.