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While Houston has no beaches of its own, Texas' sandy shores are easily reached in an hour or less by car. Your options include one of the state's best-known beach communities, quaint beach towns or quiet, barren beaches free of modern conveniences and distractions. The area's warm climate also ensures ample opportunities for swimming, surfing and sunbathing most of the year, from the early spring through mid-autumn.

Galveston is about 40 miles south of Houston and offers the most bustling beach experience close to the Bayou City. All of its beaches offer showers, bathrooms and refreshments for sale. On the far east side of the city, you'll find East Beach, Texas' largest beach and a popular party area. To its west is the mile-long Stewart Beach, which is family friendly and alcohol free. Continuing west, you'll find a series of smaller beach areas around Galveston's protective seawall and piers and jetties, popular spots for surfers, kite-flyers and anglers. Access to the beaches themselves is free, although you will have to pay a parking fee. Beach facilities are open only from March through October.

If you want a less crowded and more rustic beach experience, you can head west outside Galveston's city limits to the island's public West End beaches. These beaches, along Farm-to-Market Road 3005, have several access points all the way up to San Luis Pass. You can drive and park your car on the beach for no fee, but you'll find little in the way of amenities. Just outside the city, you also will find Galveston Island State Park, which has camping and restroom facilities, and it was named by "Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine" as the best beach picnicking spot in the state. Park access requires a small fee.

Bolivar Peninsula, accessible by ferry from Galveston's east side, is something of a happy medium between Galveston and its more remote West End. It's home to about 30 miles of continuous beach where you can drive, swim, fish and camp. Crystal Beach, about 10 miles into the peninsula, is one of the most visited areas. Bolivar has bathroom facilities but no shower facilities, and you will have to buy a parking pass for your vehicle. Unfortunately, the Bolivar area was severely ravaged by 2008's Hurricane Ike, which washed a few of its small communities off the map entirely, but it has been embarking on the slow rebuilding process ever since.

Brazoria County's beaches are about an hour south of Houston at the end of Highway 288. Surfside Beach, a small community with shops, restaurants and bars, is its busiest beach community. Vehicle access on the beach requires a permit, although you also will find limited free parking near Surfside's pedestrian beach. For a quieter beach experience, you can visit Bryan Beach, south of Freeport. Most of Bryan Beach is isolated with few facilities, and there is no charge to park on the beach. The eastern edge of the island is home to the tiny community Quintana, which has free bathroom facilities as well as camping areas and cabins.

Michael Baker has worked as a full-time journalist since 2002 and currently serves as editor for several travel-industry trade publications in New York. He previously was a business reporter for "The Press of Atlantic City" in New Jersey and "The [Brazoria County] Facts" in Freeport, Texas. Baker holds a Master of Science in journalism from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn.

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Beaches Near Houston, Texas | USA Today