Padre Island National Seashore protects over 130,000 acres of undeveloped barrier island which includes Gulf of Mexico Beaches, grasslands habitat and the Laguna Madre, one of the few remaining hypersaline lagoons left in the world. Families can enjoy swimming and sand castle building along the Gulf of Mexico beaches, camping in one of our designated campgrounds or along the beach, observing nature along our Grasslands Nature Trail or watching birds during the fall and spring migrations.