CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Corpus Christi Police Department released a compilation of helpful resources and rules to keep in mind this week as we move into the first days and nights of Spring Break 2024.
If you are visiting our coastal city, the department has prepared this list to help you be safe, get through traffic and enjoy the water.
Whether you're a visitor, or a Caostal Bend native, we hope you enjoy yourself, have fun and stay safe!
And of course, always remember the 'Leave it better' rule!
Traffic:
If you want to know of any traffic congestion on the local highways, be sure to follow the Texas Department of Transportation Twitter page twitter.com/TxDOT_Corpus or check out https://drivetexas.org/ for any traffic updates for the state.
The Corpus Christi Police Department will also post any issues on their Facebook page:
Beach Flag Warning Conditions:
If you want to find out about surf conditions, be sure to follow The City of Corpus Christi-Government Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/citygov
You can see a video explaining the beach flags here (https://youtu.be/wDXjZiciNVw)
Rip Current Videos:
The National Ocean Service produced two very informative videos on how to survive a rip current and how to identify a rip current.
Rip Current Science https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ4hcaJ91TY&t=19s
Rip Current Survival Guide https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa4k5TcIo_U
Rip Current Safety for Kids https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ76XfBVKq0
Beach Parking Permits:
If you need a beach parking permit visit the City of Corpus Christi web page for locations which they are being sold. https://www.cctexas.com/beach-parking-permits
Beach Rules:
- Notice Pet Rules. No dogs are allowed on the North Side of the Channel (JP Luby Beach) during Spring Break.
- No glass containers. Glass on the beach is an accident waiting to happen. Use a reusable tumbler, bottle or can for your thirst-quenching needs.
- No bonfires within City limits. No bonfires or fireworks of any kind are allowed on any beaches inside city limits. Small campfires are allowed on Gulf Beaches only. See specific rules for Gulf Beaches below.
- Beach parking stickers. Any vehicle with wheels and a motor that is parked on the sand must have a beach parking sticker.
- Road rules apply on the sand. The driving lane on the beach is considered a road and all the same rules apply (speed limit, licensed driver, etc.)
- Do NOT drive in the dunes. Follow the rules of the road and stay out of the dunes. ATVs are allowed on most vehicle-friendly beaches, but drivers still have to follow the rules of the road and ATVs must be street legal. All drivers must be 18 or older and if you plan to park it on the sand, a beach parking permit is required. Most importantly, never-ever drive your ATV or any other vehicle in the sand dunes.
- Parking Distances. Must park at least 25 feet from the water and must drive 50 feet from the water (parallel to the water)
- Leave it better. Leave it better than you found it. Pick up a complimentary trash bag at the Visitor Information Center (309 N. Water Street, Suite D) or the blue boxes located right on the beach. These bags are cleverly designed so they won’t catch the wind and fly off down the beach.
- Fill up holes. If you dig a hole, fill it in before you leave. Whether digging a hole for a campfire or a sandcastle, it’s important to fill these holes back up. Not only could someone trip and fall if they step in one, but Beach crews work hard to keep our beaches clean, and these sand holes make that task a little bit more difficult.
- Be restroom savvy. Locate the nearest public restrooms. It may be an awkward topic, but please be aware that public urination is illegal in every state in the country and may lead to an arrest.
- Don’t leave pop-up tents unattended on the beach. This may seem like a good idea to reserve your beach spot overnight but think again. Beach crews work on keeping the beaches clean starting as early as the sunrise. If you leave your pop-up tent on the beach overnight, Beach crews will remove it in order to keep the beaches as clean as possible!
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Rules for Gulf beaches:
- Speed limit is 15 mph.
- Beach Parking Permits are required.
- Campfires allowed, but no larger than 3’ x 3’ x 3’ with no residue left.
- Campfires must be fully extinguished and replace any sand in holes.
- Camping is prohibited in front of condos and hotels.
- Camping is allowed for 3 days & nights consecutively, but no more than 6 days within a month.
- No pallets or building material. Wood pallets and building material used in construction are often coated in toxic chemicals that are not meant to be burned in campfires. They also may contain hardware such as nails or screws which could become dangerous to others or wildlife.
Additional Rules for North Beach or McGee Beach:
- Driving on the beach is prohibited.
- No BBQ pits allowed on beach premises.
- No moonwalks or other inflatable games.
- No campfires.
P.S.: We hope you enjoy this vintage 3News Spring Break report from the sandy beaches of Port Aransas with our very own Dennis Tardan, circa 1984.