McFaddin Beach

McFaddin Beach is a 32-kilometer public beach on the upper Texas Gulf Coast, which is a part of McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge. This extensive and spacious beachfront parcel consists of hard-packed sand, which is good for walking as well as driving.

On weekend nights, local youngsters gather on the beach to make a bonfire and spend time chatting, drinking, partying, but overall, the beach is uncrowded, even desolate, and offers enough space for everybody. Moreover, if you arrive in the middle of the week, you’re quite likely to find yourself on the beach all alone.

Location And Access

Located southwest of Port Arthur, McFaddin beach stretches from Sea Rim State Park on the east to High Island on the west and can be accessed via Highway 87. Sabine Pass lies 19 km farther to the east. The entrance to the beach is free. Overnight camping is allowed, and you can park directly on the shore.

Swimming Conditions

The water in this part of the Gulf of Mexico is typically brown, so don’t expect amazing ocean views with clear blue-and-emerald waters. Nevertheless, the ocean is fairly clean here and it offers some enjoyable swimming on a hot summer day. If you’re in little mood for swimming, you can just spread out a towel, sunbathe, and listen to the waves in quiet and seclusion.

Archeological Issues

McFaddin Beach isn’t exactly an archeological site, but it’s a place where you can sometimes find animal bones and other artifacts from the entire span of Texas prehistory washed ashore. Archeologists call such accumulations a redeposited or secondary context.

McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge

This 58,000-acre refuge includes the largest freshwater marsh on the Texas Coast and supplies feeding and resting habitat for various bird populations. It’s open to the public from 10 a. m. to 5 p. m. Wednesday through Sunday and offers such recreational opportunities as free hunting (there are many areas to hunt waterfowl, blue and green-winged teal, mottled ducks, shoveler, gadwall, scaup, etc.), fishing (blue catfish, alligator gar, red drum, flounder), crabbing, wildlife watching, wildlife photography, and hiking.

Driving Time

• 35 minutes from Port Arthur, TX
• 55 minutes from Beaumont, TX
• 1 hour 45 minutes from Houston, TX

Hotels and rentals

If you're considering staying for one or even a few nights, there are plenty of options available near the beach. Chose your preferred accomodation type and your favourite room provider:

• Nearby rentals from VRBO.
• Nearby rooms and properties from Booking.com.

Beaches nearby

Additionally, there's a number of beaches near McFaddin Beach which you can visit:

• Little Florida Beach (31 miles)
• Crystal Beach (35 miles)
• Bolivar Beach (40 miles)
• Holly Beach (Cajun Riviera) (40 miles)
• Galveston Island East Beach (Galveston East Beach) (45 miles)