Sea Rim State Park is a
state park in southeast
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
.
The park is located on the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...
in southern
Jefferson County, south of
Port Arthur and just west of
Sabine Pass
Sabine Pass is the natural outlet of Sabine Lake into the Gulf of Mexico. It borders Jefferson County, Texas, and Cameron Parish, Louisiana.
History Civil War
Two major battles occurred here during the American Civil War, known as the First and ...
. The park was closed for several years due to extensive damage from Hurricanes Rita (2005) and Ike (2008). The park has recently re-opened but currently has limited resources.
Description
The D. Roy Harrington Beach unit is the coastal portion of the park, offering beach access between the Gulf of Mexico and the mainland marshes. Swimming in the marshes is not permitted due to the presence of
alligator
An alligator is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. The two extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis''). Additiona ...
s.
The Marshlands unit is located in the inland
marsh
A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found a ...
es of southern Jefferson County, and is only accessible by boat. The park does rent canoes and kayaks so that these areas of the park may be explored by visitors. Many species of
migratory birds
Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south along a flyway, between breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Migration carries high costs in predation and mortality, including from hunting by ...
stop in or pass through the park, and the Marshlands unit provides observation blinds for
bird watchers.
borders the park.
Three nearby national wildlife refuges on the Texas coast -
Brazoria N.W.R.,
San Bernard and
Big Boggy - form a vital complex of coastal wetlands harboring more than 300 bird species.
History
The park land was purchased from the
Planet Oil and Mineral Corporation and
Horizon Sales Corporation in 1972, and opened in 1977.
The portion of
Texas State Highway 87
State Highway 87 (SH 87) runs for between Galveston, Texas (at a terminus shared with Interstate 45 and Spur 342) to U.S. Highway 59 and U.S. Highway 84 in Timpson, Texas.
Highway 87 has a notable stretch between Sea Rim State Park and High Is ...
extending through Sea Rim to
High Island
Geologically, a high island or volcanic island is an island of volcanic origin. The term can be used to distinguish such islands from low islands, which are formed from sedimentation or the uplifting of coral reefs (which have often formed ...
is closed, having been destroyed in 1989 by
Hurricane Jerry. Previous storms had eroded the beach, leaving the highway vulnerable to storm-generated surf.
In September 2005,
Hurricane Rita did extensive damage to Sea Rim State Park, forcing its closure.
Hurricane Ike caused further damage in 2008. In April 2010 the park re-opened to limited daytime use. By June 2014 TPWD had restored services at the park. The park provides water and electric service to campsites located off of the beach. Visitors have an option to camp on the beach in primitive campsites. More detailed information is available on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Division website.
See also
*
Anahuac NWR - nearby wildlife refuge to the west.
*
List of Texas state parks
This is a list of state parks and state natural areas in Texas, United States, managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Several state historic sites that used to be managed by Texas Parks and Wildlife are now managed by the Texas His ...
References
External links
*
Sea Rim State Parkfrom the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) is a Texas state agency that oversees and protects wildlife and their habitats. In addition, the agency is responsible for managing the state's parks and historical areas. Its mission is to manage ...
.
{{Portal bar, Marine life, Oceans, Texas, Tropical cyclone
Protected areas of Jefferson County, Texas
State parks of Texas
Beaches of Texas
Landforms of Jefferson County, Texas