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Barrier island in southern Texas
Photo: uploaded by Johntex, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Padre Island is actually two barrier islands off the Gulf Coast of Texas. At 113 miles in length combined, it would be the longest barrier island in the world. However, because of the artificial Mansfield Channel created in 1964, the island is split into two: North Padre Island, which is a residential subdivision of Corpus Christi with a small degree of tourism infrastructure, and contains the National Park Service's Padre Island National Seashore, which protects 60 miles of undeveloped coastline; and South Padre Island, a popular Spring Break and summer resort community that is accessed via the Rio Grande Valley in deep south Texas.
City and popular spring and summer resort
Protected area for the northern part of the world's longest barrier island
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Corpus Christi · Regional · CRP
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