NPS photo by Phil Slattery

Padre Island National Seashore near the 10 mile marker.

Padre Island National Seashore is the longest section of undeveloped barrier island in the world, protecting rare coastal prairie; a complex, dynamic dune system; and the Laguna Madre, one of the few hypersaline lagoon environments left in the world. The National Seashore and surrounding waters provide important habitat for marine and terrestrial plants and animals, including a number of rare, threatened, and endangered species. Situated along the Central Flyway, Padre Island is a globally important area for over 350 migratory, overwintering, and resident bird species. It provides habitat for five species of threatened and endangered sea turtles and is the most important nesting beach in the U.S. for the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. The National Seashore is also one of the few places in the world that the public can go to see Kemp’s ridley sea turtle hatchlings being released into the wild. The National Seashore's remote location also makes it one of the few places where the public can find quiet and solitude relatively near a major urban area and where one can observe the night sky with minimal interference from light pollution.