The Brazosport Area is a coastal community comprised of Clute, Freeport, Lake Jackson, Quintana 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 summer.
Surfside Beach
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. Visitors will find plenty of beach house rentals, restaurants and souvenir shops, as well as surfboard, jet-ski and kayak rentals to keep them busy for a day or beyond. Learn more here.
A beach permit is required to drive or park on the beach. Free parking is available at the Surfside Jetty County Park which offers free access to the pedestrian only beach.
Fishing
The Brazosport Area is teeming with diverse fishing opportunities. Bryan Beach, Quintana Beach, and Surfside Beach are ideal for surf fishing. There are dozens of boat ramps, marinas, and bait and tackle shops in the area, making it a boat owner’s paradise. Cast a line from the abundant and easily accessible jetties, piers or banks. The Surfside Jetty is more than half a mile long with a flat surface walkway about five feet above the water. For others, the deep Gulf is reachable from the many charter boats of all sizes that make their headquarters in Freeport and surrounding areas. Learn more here.
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 unique jade and ivory collection.
Festivals
The Brazosport Area is home to two of the most fun festivals on the Texas Gulf Coast. The Great Texas Mosquito Festival is July 25-27. This fun-filled, family event has a great carnival, fun contests, a 5K and a BBQ cook-off. Live entertainment caps off each evening. This year’s shows include an 80’s flashback with Skid Row, a Hispanic heritage performance to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of Tejano superstar Selena’s concert at the Mosquito Festival, and country singer Jerrod Niemann.
The 72nd Annual Fishin’ Fiesta is July 4-7 at the Freeport Municipal Park. It is a multi-day fishing tournament with prizes for both inshore and offshore categories including juvenile and adult divisions. Don’t like fish? Sample the entries from the Jr. Hamburger Cook-Off. Kids aged 8-12 can participate in this fun grilling competition. Other activities include a Kidfish off the Brazos River, a carnival, live entertainment, and a fireworks display.