Nearby Attractions
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Beach Rules
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Bolivar Lighthouse
The lighthouse withstood three of the worst storms hitting the peninsula; the 1900 and 1915 storms and Hurricane Ike in 2008. During the 1900 and 1915 storms, the light-house harbored a number of peninsula residents, saving them from certain death. Ac-cording to an inspector’s report after the 1900 storm, over 6,000 lives were lost on Galveston Island.
The Bolivar Lighthouse was officially retired on May 29, 1933, after 61 years of service. The lamps and reflector lenses have been reassembled and are a key artifact in the On the Water exhibit displayed at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. The Fresnel lens, named for French scientist and inventor Augustin Fresnel, could be seen for miles.
Shark-Tooth’n
Sleep-in and let the sun light-up the sky, ready for a stroll on Bolivar Peninsula, how about the beach? The perfect activity for kids and adults, Treasure Hunting on the beach of Bolivar Peninsula. There’s a group of locals that make it a mission, a daily stroll of the tide-line to see what washed-up with the incoming tide from afar….most are mainly after Shark Teeth and Sea Beans. Collections in cases and jars can be found in many of the beach houses in Crystal Beach Texas, there’s no secret but there is a skill to finding treasures. Spend the morning on the beach, soaking up the sun, watching the kids run and play, see what treasures you can find on a Bolivar Peninsula Beach!
Fort Travis Park
The Bolivar Peninsula has a long history of fortifications. Many were built on the site of the present Fort Travis Seashore Park. Fort Travis was the first fort established by the Republic of Texas (1836) to protect the Galveston harbor entrance. Using army recruits and slave labor, an octagonal earth and timber fortification was built.
Fort Travis was named in honor of William B. Travis, a famous defender of the Alamo. Fort Travis received a Texas Historical Marker in 1993.
Clean Wide-open Beach
Bolivar Peninsula encompasses 27 miles of Beach Shoreline on the Upper Texas Gulf Coast. The beach in Crystal Beach Texas and on Bolivar Peninsula is one of a kind, and the last of its kind. Vehicles are allowed to drive on, park and enjoy all 27 miles of coastal waters. Families and friends enjoy the day building sand castles, searching for shells and shark teeth, surf fishing, boogie boarding and more… Setting up a BBQ or just vas-king in the sun. Easy access to the beach by most cross roads off Hwy 87 makes finding that perfect location to set-up for the day a worry free event. Make sure you purchase your yearly beach parking permit from any of the many local shops or stores on Bolivar or in Crystal Beach Texas, cost is around $15 for the year. All we ask is that what you bring onto the beach you take out, helping us keep our beaches safe and clean for visitors in the future.
Rollover Pass
Rollover Pass Is Now Closed. Due To Erosion On The Beachfront and Silting Of The Intracoastal. Galveston County took control of Rollover Pass by Eminent Domain. Filling in Rollover Pass has begun and plans are to build a County Park and Fishing Pier in the future.
Rollover Pass is an important landmark on the Bolivar Peninsula. Smugglers used the narrow strip of land between the Gulf and Galveston Bay on the Bolivar Peninsula long before there was a man-made channel. They rolled their ill-gotten gain (usually packed in barrels) over from a ship on the Gulf to a waiting boat on the Bay side, where it would be carried for distribution. During the American Prohibition, the practice continued, with barrels of liquor being rolled over the pass to waiting boats on the other side.