Fast Changing Plans

A month ago, we believed that all park facilities were being totally razed and that reopening of the beach side was 5 to 7 years away.. How quickly things change! Now we have word that the entire park tentatively could be open by June 30, 2009. and that it would be open every day. No, the redesign and the rebuilding will not be complete by then, but the a beach parking area will be available. the entire beach will be accessible, some picnic facilities will be restored,  and limited overnight camping will be accommodated. 

On the beach side, the beach is fully cleaned, sifted and restored. New dunes have been built, perhaps they are a bit further back than before in some places, and they have been planted with appropriate grasses to hold the sand and resist the wind. Spaces have been left open for beach access. Two restrooms in the RV camping areas were salvaged, and they will provide toilet and shower facilities. The RV pads that bordered the east/west park road and the pavement servicing them are in good condition with their picnic shelters intact. One parking area where the headquarters building was has been salvaged, and some picnic facilities will be available with easy passage to the beach. The freshwater swale area on the east end has been preserved, and hopefully the marsh grasses will grow back to allow development of a trail in the area. 

On the bay side, you already knew that the paddling and hiking and biking trails are open, that the Nature Center is refurbished and open on weekends. In addition, the picnic shelters at the amphitheater have been rebuilt ready for the family fishing schools this summer, the fish cleaning station at Como Lake has a new roof, the RV camp area has been cleared with utilities restored, and the camping shelter area has been cleared with trees newly planted ready for tent camping. Pictures of this activity can be seen by clicking on the "Rebuilding the Park" link at the left margin. 

Tentative plans call for a June 30, 2009 reopening of both sides of the park on an every day dawn to dusk schedule with a total of up to 60 RV stations some with hookups on both sides combined plus a so far undetermined number of tent camping spaces as well. We'll keep you informed as plans firm.

Requests for quotes for the park redesign are out now. public forums will be held in appropriate places to get user input as to desired features and facilities. We will advise you of the sites and schedule. Rebuilding still could take 5 to 7 years primarily because of the funding cycles involved. This legislative session is over for these purposes, and the next session is 2 years away. If funding is voted then, the funds would not be available until the next year, and then construction would be another couple of years, ergo 5 to 7 years until completion. Fortunately we will not have to wait that long to enjoy the park even if not fully.

Great News!

After feverish activity over the last four months by FoGISP members, park staff and a multitude of volunteer groups from far and wide, the north (bay) side of the park was reopened on Saturday March 21, 2009. The opening ceremony featured luminaries from Texas Parks and Wildlife, Galveston city government, Jamaica Beach city government and donor foundations. Over 100 people attended and indulged in hot dogs and refreshments while enjoying the refurbished Nature Center hereafter known as the Welcome Center. 

A surprising number of old north side relevant nature exhibits have been salvaged, refurbished and/or recreated and new ones of great interest have been developed, broadband web wireless access is available, and flat screen TV and DVD facilities are installed.. While not squeaky clean, which I doubt they ever could be, all the fishing spots, birding haunts, hiking trails and paddling trails are accessible and in fine condition. In addition beginning Sunday 22 March 2009 the north side of the park is open on Saturdays and Sundays from dawn to dusk and the Welcome Center is open and attended from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Click on the Activities, Events and Meetings Schedule link on the left to see a complete listing of regularly scheduled guided events that are available weekends as detailed there. Also go to the Rebuilding the Park page link at the left to see scenes from opening day and to watch the progress as the park is rebuilt.

The park gate about 500 feet west of 13 mile road leading from FM 3005 to the Welcome Center will be opened on weekends for all hiking, birding, paddling and fishing activities normal to the bay side of the park as well as the scheduled nature activities. FoGISP volunteers will man the reception center until the park is rebuilt and fully functioning. It will be a monumental task, and FoGISP will need all the volunteers we can get. Call us if you are inclined to help. Click the Volunteer link at the left for volunteering instructions.

Damage to the south side from Hurricane Ike was extensive and terminal to that side of the park as we knew it. That side of the park is closed to the public as cleanup and reconstruction progresses. Damage to the park south of FM3005 is so severe that it will be razed totally to the point that all pavement will be removed and all park facilities will be leveled to and removed from the ground. This work has been contracted and begun. The razing and debris removal will be complete by the end of March, 2009.Park facilities will be redesigned and completely rebuilt. This process could take up to 5 to 7 years. The south side of the park most likely will be closed for that length of time, so the public beach, camping and picnic activities will be severely limited if not unavailable. Click on the Rebuilding the Park link on the left to follow events as they transpire.

The north side of the park is mostly open space with prairie, woodlands, marsh, bayous, coves and bay with few structures to be damaged. Here the problem was debris and trash scattered over the landscape. The restroom building in the camping area was completely demolished, and it will be razed. The Welcome Center was not structurally damaged, so it has been gutted and refurbished on the inside. It has been reconfigured to serve as park headquarters and reception center when the north side reopens as stated above for all the usual north side sites and activities and a limited continuing schedule of weekend nature activities. You can see a schedule of these activities by clicking on the Activities, Events and Meetings Schedule link at the left.  

FoGISP Mission Statement

The mission of the Friends of Galveston Island State Park is to promote the interests of the park and its users through volunteer work, fundraising, and stimulating community interest in the park.

Newsletters

See our latest newsletter or archives.

You need the Adobe Acrobat PDF reader to view newsletters. Most modern Web browsers already have the PDF reader installed or available on the CDs that came with the computer. If you don't have it, you can download it now.

Contributions and Participation

You are also welcome to join or volunteer.

Contact Us

E-mail FoGISP@aol.com

See the Contacts page for more information.