E.K. Atwood Park Is Cameron County's Quieter Beach Access #5

A little north of Andy Bowie, Edwin King Atwood Park is the county's Beach Access #5 on South Padre Island. It's smaller and lower-key than the big island parks, and that's the whole point — it spreads the crowd out and leaves you a stretch of sand with fewer people on it.

You'll find ADA dune walkovers, interpretive signs, rinse stations, restrooms, picnic pavilions, vehicle beach access, and seasonal beach patrol. The drive-on access is the real draw for locals who'd rather back the truck up to the surf and fish or set up for the day than haul gear over the dunes.

Beach driving here rides on surf, tides, and safety, so the access can open and close with conditions. Atwood has also had upgrades moving through, which means the amenities you find one season may have grown by the next.