The Brazosport Area is a coastal community comprised of Clute, Freeport, Lake Jackson, and Surfside Beach just 50 miles south of Downtown Houston. This is your destination if you are looking for sandy beaches and family fun this Spring Break.

1. The Beaches
Miles of sandy beaches with interesting seashells and marine life make Surfside Beach a perfect retreat for recreational sports, sun worshipers and nature lovers alike. Try to catch your dinner at the Surfside Jetties or Crabbing Pier or feast at one of the restaurants on the island. Visitors will find plenty of beach house rentals, and souvenir shops, as well as surfboard, jet-ski and kayak rentals to keep them busy. You need to purchase either a daily or annual beach permit to drive and park on the beach. A daily pass is $15 and an annual pass is only $30. They can be purchased at the main entrance and the gas station on the island.

Follett’s Beach is the 13-mile stretch of public access beach between Surfside Beach and San Luis Pass. This “free” beach is available via public access entrances along Bluewater Highway aka County Road 257.

Bryan Beach is part of the city of Freeport and has three miles of natural beach. There are no amenities here so if you need anything, stop in Freeport before you go over the intracoastal.

2. Free Attractions
Sea Center Texas is an aquarium and fish hatchery in Lake Jackson that can produce 20 million fingerlings annually, primarily red drum and spotted sea trout, for release into Texas coastal waters. Visitors can drift lazily among the vast aquariums, visit the 20-foot touch pool and handle marine animals or explore the outdoor wetlands boardwalk. Hatchery tours must be scheduled in advance.

The Brazosport Museum of Natural Science is housed in the Center for the Arts and Sciences in Clute. It contains one of the largest seashell collections on display in the South along with fossils, including dinosaur and mammoth bones. Other exhibits feature Texas coastal wildlife and a mineral collection. Don’t miss the free Art Gallery there, too.

The Lake Jackson Historical Museum chronicles the history of the area with interactive exhibits and lifelike animatrons from the plantation era to modern times. Learn why Lake Jackson’s streets are named “This Way” and “That Way,” or try your luck flying the Windecker Eagle, the first all-composite aircraft to receive FAA certification.

3. The Wildlife
The Brazosport Area is home to two national wildlife refuges, two bird sanctuaries, and numerous trails to explore.

The Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge has a self-guided auto tour, boardwalks, large ponds and discovery center make this site a favorite among explorers. Visitors can spot a variety of ducks, wading birds and hawks along with reptiles and alligators. The San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge also has a self-guided auto tour, large ponds and observation platforms for spying a variety of birds, reptiles and alligators. It is also home to the San Bernard Oak Trail that leads to the Texas Champion Live Oak. Both refuges are great for kayaking.

Other places to spot wildlife are the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, the Quintana Neotropic Bird Sanctuary, the Dow Centennial Trail, the Dow Woods and the Kelly Hamby Nature Trail.

For more information go to VisitBrazosport.com.