Just got back from Gulf Waters yesterday...This was my second visit and I won't be back there. The current management is so unfriendly that I couldn't bring myself to go back. We were told at 10 minutes until 10 that quiet time was coming up, apparently we are too stupid to own a watch. We were talking, no more, on our patio in a large group and was accosted by the couple in the golf cart. We were questioned on more than one occasion as to the age of our kids, apparently a 16 year old that doesn't look 16 doesn't qualify. I'm not sure how that happens because he is 5'11 and 210 pounds.
Also, restroom/shower facilities are only open while the office is, so don't plan on using them unless you shower during business hours..Also, they only have 2 washer/dryers, not near enough for the size of park.
I will give them the fact that they have the cleanest and largest pads on the island. If you are a first timer and you don't have kids to take, you will probably enjoy it, it is pricey, but it is nice...
Ditto, never a return to Gulf Waters because of "management" attitude, rude customer relationships and a no refund policy regardless of a very serious situation back home.
Your site is picked for you based on rotation amongst the site owners irrespective of very numerous vacancies. Costly? Yes, but no problem.
Prefer Pioneer which was not sold. Sites a little tight but makes it easier to meet fine people from Pennsylvania and more.
Didn't care for the State Park further down the beach.
Check out Pioneer at: http://www.campingfriend.com/PioneerBeachResort/
Enjoy Texas!
Stan and Carmen
2002 GMC 2500HD Sierra 8.1L, 4x4 ext cab.
2006 Aspen T29RL
Mustang Island SP has a RV parking area with water and electric. It is pavement and sand, just over the dunes from the beach. Very windy most of the time, sand always blowing.
McGee County park has RV pads with water and electric, in the sand. Camping permitted on the beach.
The commercial operations are all RV parks or resorts with no camping. They do have more developed sites, concrete or gravel and grass, with some communal facilities. Some of the RV resorts have been going condo, either not available to visitors or becoming unfriendly.
We've stayed at Island RV Resort, which is not really a resort; it is an old RV park. The location is convenient to the ferry (but ferry traffic is near) and waterfront fishing docks. This is a quite old property, visiting it reminds me a lot of what it was like going to St Petersburg in the '50s, before the Tampa area turned into vast urban sprawl. Port Aransas has that 50's - 60's flavor generally, but looks to be changing fast.
The Island RV property was laid out when the largest RVs were about 28-30 feet long and had no slideouts. If your rig is a whole lot bigger, you might be hard to accomodate, and if they have a space it might be a tighter squeeze than you had hoped for. A lot of sites have shared utility posts, with not enough space street side to let both units extend slideouts. Space in and out of sites is tight; one of their rules, you don't move your RV without their man guiding you. Island is big on rules.
Tropic Island is right on the Cutoff Road, even closer to the ferry traffic. It is grassier and shadier, and somewhat roomier. Same convenience, to the waterfront and trolley bus. I haven't stayed there, might try it next time.
Gulf Waters is at the south end of Port Aransas, and is the end of the line for the trolley system. It is developed as a RV Resort in the modern sense, and has been going condo/timeshare. Nice facilities, but if you want to go anywhere after the trolley stops running, you need to bring your own transportation.
There are a couple other RV parks in town, between the waterfront/downtown area, and the beach. These have the convenient beach access (and wind, blowing sand) of the county park, but more facilities like laundry and commons rooms. Atmosphere tends toward "trailer park."
If your interest is not the beach, rather the area and the waterways behind the barrier islands, there are nicer places to stay in Rockport.
Brucec wrote: Well we just love Ransom Road RV Park in Aransas Pass Texas been there three winters now. It may be filled up already though?
There is also a brand new RV Park in Aransas Pass do not know the name yet but I have been told it is done now with about 300 sites.
Last year our cousins stayed at Ransom Road RVPark. We visited them a number of times. They paid under $300 a month. WOW !!!
Most all the sites are pull thru with full hook ups on very long cement pads. Nice grass between sites and everyone we met was very friendly.
We stayed up the road in Rockport. Windy every day for over a month. Had mud rain come thru one night. Locals said it was rain mixed with sand from a storm in Mexico. Never saw such a thing- woke up to find our truck covered in mud.
The gulf coast is flat as a frying pan. I think the highest point is the bridge in Corpus Christi. Every day was hot- humid & windy. Wife said she'll never go there again.
We're off to the Gulf Shores area in Alabama this winter. That way we can go to New Orleans ( which we love) and over to Florida when we want.
Happy trails,
Bill B. (Michigan)
2007 Dodge Ram 2500 MegaCab CTD
2007 Jayco Eagle TT Model 322FKS
The folks having had problems with Gulf Waters should go to RVParkreviews.com and post your experiences. They have very high ratings, and we almost reserved there, but these are the things we like to know about before we book a site.
This place is nice but the office and personnel are very rude ! Actually, I think they TRY to run off the guest. Read prior postings on this place !
*search for: GULF WATERS RV RESORT- Port Aransas, TX.
* This post was
edited 07/26/08 08:30pm by yoquedo *
Just got back from Pioneer RV Resort. Nice facilities and convenient to the beach, but they don't have many rules and they don't enforce the ones they do have. If you don't have a golf cart, be prepared to have to dodge all of the carts going over the boardwalk to the beach - it is only wide enough for one cart and lots of people there have them. My son was almost hit by a kid driving one and not watching where he was going. Quiet hours are not observed and security was basically nonexistent. It wasn't all bad though and if they had a second boardwalk for pedestrians, it would be a whole lot safer.
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