Goose Island State Park
Encyclopedia
Goose Island State Park is a state park
in the U.S. state
of Texas
, located north of the city of Rockport
on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico
. The park covers 321.4 acres (130 ha). It is surrounded by both St. Charles and Aransas Bay
s.
The park was established on land acquired from private owners between the years 1931–35. The Civilian Conservation Corps
built the earliest facilities.
The park is home to "The Big Tree
", a Southern live oak
(Quercus virginiana), thought to be over 1000 years old. It has a circumference
of 35 feet (10.7 m), is 44 feet (13.4 m) in height and has a crown
spread of 90 feet (27.4 m).
Although it is located on the seashore, there is no designated swimming area at the park, as the shoreline consists of concrete
, oyster
shell, mudflat
, and marsh
grass. Instead, the main park activities include camping
, birding, fishing
, and boating
. The park averages more than 60,000 overnight campers each year and has about 200,000 visitors annually. There are 45 shade shelters with electricity and water on the island. There are 57 shelters with electricity and water and only 27 with no electricity, and just water. Speckeled trout, red fish, drum, flounder, and sheepshead are a few fish that you can fish for.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, located north of the city of Rockport
Rockport, Texas
Rockport is a city in Aransas County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,385 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Aransas County. The coastal community has approximately 8000 citizens. Large windswept live oaks are a dominating feature of the area and the state's oldest live oak,...
on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. The park covers 321.4 acres (130 ha). It is surrounded by both St. Charles and Aransas Bay
Aransas Bay
Aransas Bay is a bay on the Texas gulf coast, approximately northeast of Corpus Christi, and south of San Antonio. It is separated from the Gulf of Mexico by San José Island . Aransas Pass is the most direct navigable outlet into the Gulf of Mexico from the bay...
s.
The park was established on land acquired from private owners between the years 1931–35. The Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
built the earliest facilities.
The park is home to "The Big Tree
The Big Tree, Rockport
The "Big Tree" is one of the most famous live oaks in the world. It was named Texas State Champion Coastal Live Oak in 1969. It is thought to be one of the largest in the United States.-History:...
", a Southern live oak
Southern live oak
Quercus virginiana, also known as the southern live oak, is a normally evergreen oak tree native to the southeastern United States. Though many other species are loosely called live oak, the southern live oak is particularly iconic of the Old South....
(Quercus virginiana), thought to be over 1000 years old. It has a circumference
Circumference
The circumference is the distance around a closed curve. Circumference is a special perimeter.-Circumference of a circle:The circumference of a circle is the length around it....
of 35 feet (10.7 m), is 44 feet (13.4 m) in height and has a crown
Crown (botany)
The crown of a plant refers to the totality of the plant's aboveground parts, including stems, leaves, and reproductive structures. A plant canopy consists of one or more plant crowns growing in a given area....
spread of 90 feet (27.4 m).
Although it is located on the seashore, there is no designated swimming area at the park, as the shoreline consists of concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
, oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
shell, mudflat
Mudflat
Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats, are coastal wetlands that form when mud is deposited by tides or rivers. They are found in sheltered areas such as bays, bayous, lagoons, and estuaries. Mudflats may be viewed geologically as exposed layers of bay mud, resulting from deposition of...
, and marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
grass. Instead, the main park activities include camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
, birding, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, and boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
. The park averages more than 60,000 overnight campers each year and has about 200,000 visitors annually. There are 45 shade shelters with electricity and water on the island. There are 57 shelters with electricity and water and only 27 with no electricity, and just water. Speckeled trout, red fish, drum, flounder, and sheepshead are a few fish that you can fish for.
See also
- Aransas National Wildlife RefugeAransas National Wildlife RefugeAransas National Wildlife Refuge is a 114,657 acre protected area situated on the southwest side of San Antonio Bay along the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Texas. It is located in parts of Aransas, Refugio, and Calhoun counties. The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge was established by Executive...
- Copano Bay Fishing PierCopano Bay Fishing PierThe Copano Bay Fishing Pier is a pier in Aransas County, Texas, United States used primarily for recreational fishing. The pier has two separate sections. One is 2500 feet long on the south side of the bay and the other is 6190 feet, or 1,886.712 meters, long on the north side.The pier was...
- Mustang Island State ParkMustang Island State ParkMustang Island State Park is a state park located south of the city of Port Aransas, Texas, United States on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico that covers and has a beachfront. The land was acquired from private owners in 1972 and opened to the public in 1979....
- George W. Fulton MansionGeorge W. Fulton MansionThe George W. Fulton Mansion is one of the earliest Second Empire style buildings constructed in Texas and is one of the most important of the style in the Southwest United States still in existence. Colonel George Ware Fulton and Harriet Gillette Smith built the 3.5 story structure overlooking...
- List of Texas state parks
- Texas Maritime Museum
- Texas State AquariumTexas State AquariumThe Texas State Aquarium is a nonprofit aquarium located in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States. It is dedicated to promoting environmental conservation and rehabilitation of the wildlife of the Gulf of Mexico...