The cheapest beds on the island are behind the dunes — if you know where overnighting is actually legal. Here's the honest map.
First, the rule: no overnight camping on the public beaches.
City ordinance prohibits camping on any public beach inside city limits between midnight and 5am, and anything left unattended on the sand between sunset and sunrise can be hauled off. Pitch the tent in a designated campground — both options below put you steps from the Gulf anyway.
Tents + RVs · from $15
Beachside sites with electricity run $30/night (50 of them), larger 12-person sites $35, tent-only sites with electricity $20, and primitive hike-in sites $15 — plus the daily entrance fee. Dunes, bay paddling trails, and the darkest sky on the island.
Reserve through the Texas State Parks system — beachside sites go months out in warm weather.
State Park beach guide →RV · beachfront
The Park Board's own beachfront RV park: 65 full-hookup sites on 1,000 feet of sand, each with a picnic table and barbecue pit, plus a pavilion with showers and laundry, a playground, and free wifi.
Rates move with season and site row (beachfront vs. lagoon side) — get a quote directly from the park before you plan around a number.
Map →Worth knowing
Wind is the roommate. Gulf-front sites trade shade for a constant sea breeze — stake everything, and check the live beach conditions before a tent weekend.
Summer needs the electric sites. An August night without a fan is a Gulf Coast rite of passage nobody repeats; the $20–$30 electric sites earn their fee.
Private RV resorts line the West End too. We list them once they clear the same two-source verification as every hotel on this site — until then we won't pad this page with names we haven't checked.
Want walls after all? Compare the value-tier hotels or a West End beach house.
Rules and rates verified 2026-08-16 against the City of Galveston, Texas Parks & Wildlife, and Park Board sources — confirm when you book.
Quick answers
Not overnight on the public beaches — city ordinance prohibits camping on any public beach within city limits between midnight and 5am, and gear left unattended between sunset and sunrise can be removed. The legal beach-camping move is a beachside site at Galveston Island State Park or the beachfront Dellanera RV Park.
Beachside sites with electricity run $30 a night (larger 12-person sites $35), tent-only sites with electricity $20, and primitive hike-in sites $15 — all plus the daily park entrance fee. Reserve through the Texas State Parks system; beachside sites book out months ahead in warm weather.
Yes — Dellanera RV Park, run by the Galveston Park Board, sits on 1,000 feet of beachfront with 65 full-hookup sites, each with a picnic table and barbecue pit, plus showers, laundry, and a playground. Rates move with the season, so get a quote directly.