Surfside Beach combines a four-mile coastline with birdwatching and local history. When choosing a destination, it is worth keeping these different highlights in mind: specific rules apply to vehicles and dunes at the beach, while trails, fishing spots and historic sites offer their own reasons to visit.
Beach Rules and Trails
Vehicles must display a valid beach permit when driving or parking on the beach. The areas where driving is permitted are east of Highway 332. Protected dunes may not be driven on, parked on or entered on foot; disturbing the dunes is also prohibited. These rules are an important part of planning if spending time at the beach is part of your itinerary.
A beach wheelchair, also called a Mobi-Chair, is available through the Town Hall to help visitors access the beach. For getting around on land, the Bluewater Highway Trail is suitable for walking, golf carts, bicycles and jogging. It runs from the main entrance at the intersection of Highway 332 and Bluewater to the edge of town. This gives visitors another way to explore on foot or on wheels; no walking time is specified.
Birdwatching on the Coast
Surfside Beach’s shoreline along the Intracoastal Waterway forms the southern boundary of the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge and is an important bird habitat on the Texas Gulf Coast. In total, the town’s diverse habitats support more than 300 resident and migratory bird species. Year-round, birds found along Bluewater Highway include brown pelicans, gulls, terns, herons, egrets, stilts, shorebirds and magnificent frigatebirds.
The Surfside Bird & Butterfly Trail is 2.5 miles long. It features native plants and donated benches. The bird information covers both the large number of resident and migratory species and specific species found year-round along Bluewater Highway. This makes birdwatching a distinct focus to plan around, alongside beach activities and local history.
Fort Velasco and Local History
The Fort Velasco Discovery Center’s exhibits are located above the Surfside Beach Town Hall. The center includes a palisade with murals depicting local history and the Battle of Fort Velasco Monument. The Fort Velasco Timeline Circle approximates the size and location of the original Fort Velasco from 1832. Together, these sites offer different ways to engage with the area’s history: exhibits and murals, a monument, and a spatial commemoration of the fort.
Surfside Beach holds an annual reenactment of the signing of the Treaties of Velasco on May 14, 1836. This annual event thus refers to a different historical date than the 1832 Fort Velasco. Visitors who want to include the reenactment in a specific trip should check the event dates in advance.
Fishing, Surfing and Events
At Surfside Beach, fishing in the surf, fishing from shore and fishing from the long jetty are all possible. The Surfside Jetty is more than half a mile long, and its level walkway sits about five feet above the water. The surf works in small swells and can handle waves of at least double-overhead height. On a summer evening, crabbing is also possible at the Surfside Beach Crabbing Pier or on the beach. These activities differ in both location and season: birds can be observed year-round along Bluewater Highway, while crabbing is listed as a summer-evening activity.
The Surfside Beach Crabbing Pier is across the highway from Stahlman Park, at 2211 Bluewater Highway. Stahlman Park offers a beach setting for weddings, receptions, private events, meetings, family reunions and community events. For boating, the ramp on Thunder Road leads directly into the Freeport Channel. Public restrooms and a fish-cleaning station are also located by the ramp; the boat ramp is ready for use.
Explore more destinations: Jones Creek, Oyster Creek, Pearland, Manvel, West Columbia, Freeport, Lake Jackson, Angleton.
Return to the main travel overview: Brazoria.
