PINS Grassland Nature Trail

Adventure Location: Padre Island NS, TX.
Adventure Date: 1/xx/2018


 This adventure was a few days ago but there is no exact memory of which day it was.

After you pass through the Padre Island National Seashore (PINS) entry point and move on down the road about a quarter mile, the Grasslands Nature Trail is on your right. For some reason the OFM really enjoys this very mild trail and has walked it many times in the past. He did it AGAIN on this day and still enjoyed it.

He takes his time and meanders like a real professional Meanderthal. The sign at the beginning gives you some idea of the things you may see along the trail.

Just the other side of the sign is this group of yucca to cheer you on your way. They are a very good specimen of the plant. If you get close and listen carefully they can tell you many wild happenings in the area.

The trail is very accommodating to most any mode of travel. The paving is well maintained all the way around the area. It winds in and out of the hills of sand and grasses with occasional views of Laguna Madre in the distance. In the winter it can be very cold and in the summer miserably hot. Substantial wind is a constant possibility.

You will see agave of many different sizes. Some are really healthy and others bear the scars of prairie fires in the past.

Since this is a natural area the large ants are a normal part of the landscape. They are easy to avoid but sometimes interesting to watch for a few minutes. If they happen to show interest in your feet, move on quickly.

An since this is real desert there are stickers of all sorts scattered around the trail. If you leave the trail for a photo or closer look please pay attention to the vegetation. It can be painful.

When you get back to your vehicle, the closest restroom is a few miles on into the park at the visitor center. The visitor center has neat things to see inside it too. The high stairs accessed from the visitor center deck is neat to go up for a panoramic view of the area. 

Then when you return to the deck another set of stairs takes you down to the beach to frolic. But first please read the caution signs along the beach stairs. They can help you have a very pleasant adventure on the beach.

The OFM goes here often because he always comes very close to having tooooo much fun.