The park is home to the renown Big Tree, a 1,000-year-old, coastal live oak; an area on the mainland, and the island. We have seen several other impressive live oaks in our travels: Angel Tree near Charlestown, SC; Old Senator in St. Augustine, FL; Friendship Oak near Biloxi, MS; the Texas Champion Live Oak in San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge; as well as many other huge oaks along the Gulf Coast. And we have learned the history of the destruction of so many oak trees due to hurricanes in Biloxi, Galveston, and Corpus Christi. Hurricane winds sometimes destroy the trees, but sea water on the root systems of these large trees can also kill them.
Big Tree can be found in a grove of oaks near the bay. The stats are:
- 35’ circumference
- 44’ tall (growth stunted by coastal wind)
- 89’ crown
- 1000+ years old
When Native Americans were the only inhabitants, this tree was a sapling; when Spanish explorers first came to the area it was 500+ years old; in the 1860s Civil War battles were fought in the area; and when it was close to 1,000 years old (early 1900s) the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) first built a fence around it. Wow!
Many other live oaks surround Big Tree, providing protection from severe weather. There is a walkway and fence around the tree so you can see it from every angle. The state park rangers have cared for this special tree since the early 1900s.
The bay is nearby and many damaged docks provide a stark reminder of the terrible damage this area sustained during Hurricane Harvey last August.
We drove to the main entrance to Goose Island State Park where we paid the admission fee ($5/adult for a day pass) and picked up a map.
The campgrounds and some areas of the park are closed as work continues to repair damage from Hurricane Harvey.
We made a quick stop at the boat ramp where there is a small dock.
A nearby bridge provides access to Goose Island. We parked and explored the island on foot. No one else was here since the campground is still closed.
There is a boardwalk that provides great views of the mudflats here. They provide shelter to migrant and native birds. Oyster beds can be found all around the area.
The Nature Viewing Area was beautiful. And our sweet doggie, Sadie, could not resist going for a swim in the bay on this sunny day.
There were also lots of American white pelicans here. I am fascinated by these huge birds! Migrating whooping cranes are often seen here (although we did not see any) as they feed on blue crabs and berries found on coastal wetlands.
As we walked to the other end of the island, we saw this road damaged by the hurricane. The camp sites in this area will not reopen until it is repaired.
At the tip of the island is a large (1,620’ long) fishing pier. It, too, is closed until hurricane damage is repaired.
The CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) Company 1801 spent 18 months shaping this area into a park in 1932-33. President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced the depression-era public works program that employed out-of-work, unmarried men that were supervised by army officers and experienced craftsmen. They cleared brush, dug drainage ditches, and built park facilities.
The CCC built the concession building here of shellcrete blocks (oyster shells, sand, and Portland cement). It is also currently closed and needs repairs.
We saw a couple of whooping cranes and several sandhill cranes feeding in a field near Big Tree. The park ranger had given us a tip of where they had been sighted on the day we visited.
On our drive home we took the ferry from Port Aransas to Mustang Island. It’s free, but sometimes can be a wait. The best part was seeing dolphins swimming in the channel!
For additional information about Goose Island State Park, go here tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/goose-island. Updates on repairs can be found there, as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment