With health and safety being a such an important factor in our lives during the pandemic, we were initially stumped about where and how to take a little family vacation. We wanted to stay pretty close to home, so you can imagine how thrilled we were to discover the Airstream rental options at Matagorda Bay Nature Park! With two fully equipped, modern Airstreams on site at their RV & camping park, this overnight rental gave us a chance to spend a few days at the beach in a perfectly socially-distanced way.

Matagorda Bay Nature Park is a LCRA-managed 1,333-acre park and nature preserve that is located at the mouth of the Colorado River on the Matagorda Bay peninsula, just over a 3-hour drive from Austin. You can enjoy miles of Gulf beachfront as well as the coastal marshes and wetlands of the Colorado River right where they intersect on the coast. Matagorda Bay Nature Park is a very popular spot for fishing, and visitors can also enjoy birdwatching, kayaking and paddling, mini-golf, and a variety of nature programs such as guided walks, seasonal day camps for kids, and even horseback riding. In the park, you’ll also find a Welcome Center that doubles as nature center and a gift shop, offering snacks and souvenirs.

To stay overnight in the park, you can bring your own RV (22 campsites have a full hookup), reserve a spot for tent camping, or opt to stay in one of the two Airstream campers that are available to rent for   stays of 2-nights or more. Each Airstream sleeps four, includes its own restroom, shower, and kitchen, private bedroom and a dining table/living room that converts to an additional bed. The Airstream comes with towels, linens, dishware, cookware, a coffee maker, t.v. — almost anything you would need is already set up for you! The Airstreams include an outdoor patio with a grill, picnic table, plenty of seating, and YETI cooler for your use during your stay. The two rental Airstreams also include a pretty view, just overlooking the fishing deck on the Colorado River. We were so pleased with the cleanliness of our Airstream and the convenience of having it all set up with almost everything we could need. We only had to bring in our food, drinks, clothes and beach gear.To get to the beach, you’ll need to take a short drive from the RV campground. A $10 annual permit is required to drive on the beach, and we were told that the further you are willing to drive, the more beautiful and peaceful the shoreline. Because you will be driving on the beach, it’s important to note that 4-wheel drive is essential. (In fact, we noticed a few trucks that got stuck in the sand and had to be towed out.) One good thing about driving on the beach is that you can control how to social distance by picking your own spot as far away from others as you wish to go.

Our family had a wonderful little vacation at Matagorda Bay! To learn much more about the amenities, rentals, and day pass fees at Matagorda Bay Nature Park, please visit the LCRA website. To make a reservation for an overnight stay, please click here.

If you’ve been thinking about renting an RV to head out on the road with your family at a destination of your choice, you can check out RVshare.