Beach driving tips and tricks
how do you drive on the beach?
Driving on the beach can be highly subjective. Exploring the furthest reaches of natural beaches takes knowledge and a willingness to protect the environment. Weather conditions may also significantly affect the difficulty of driving on the beach. Also, the beach may change over time, as vehicle use, weather, and maintenance modify the shoreline. Always check with the managing organization and/or recent users before planning a trip to Padre Island and scout ahead if you are not sure of current conditions.
Enter the beach only at designated access points and proceed directly to the hard-packed sand near or below the high tide line. Avoid driving on the upper beach whenever possible, and never drive over any dunes or over beach vegetation. If beach conditions require driving above the high tide line, avoid those areas with known sea turtle nests or shorebird breeding areas.
Avoid the wrack line or areas of dense seaweed, which may contain sea turtle hatchlings or baby birds.
Minimize ruts on the dry sandy beach by lowering tire pressure and using 4WD, particularly in front of sea turtle or bird nests. Depending the type of wheel, tire pressures can be reduced safely to approx ~20psi
Drive slowly. Movement should be slow enough to observe any bird eggs, chicks, or sea turtle hatchlings in the vehicle’s line of travel. Please be aware that recently hatched chicks often feed along the water’s edge. They may freeze in place rather than run away when ATVs or other vehicles approach.
Whenever possible, avoid driving on the beach at night. Do not park vehicles adjacent to nests or posted areas, and, if you must drive on the beach at night, turn headlights off when parking.
If you observe a sea turtle crawling out of the surf, stop the vehicle and turn off all lights. No additional movement should occur until the turtle moves across the beach and begins digging her nest or moves into deeper water