Region: Gulf Coast
Although separate municipalities, Rockport and Fulton share heritage,
business and recreational areas. Abundant access is available to saltwater
recreational opportunities. This peninsula between Copano Bay and Aransas Bay is
sheltered from the Gulf of Mexico by St. Joseph Island.
Rockport was established in 1867 as a shipping point for wool, hides, bones
and tallow. It became the seat of Aransas County in 1871. Tourists, boaters and
anglers enjoy the mile-long, award-winning Blue Wave beach.
Fulton was settled in 1866 and was named for George Ware Fulton, who built a
French Second Empire-style house in the mid-1870s in north Rockport.
Coleman-Fulton Pasture Co. ranched in the area and promoted efforts toward a
deep-water pass and railroads in order to market their beef. It is now a tourist
community.
Jetty sheltering Rockport Yacht Basin is a popular spot for bay fishing. Dawn
hours are generally most productive. Many hotels and motels on bayfront maintain
private fishing piers for guests. Group-boat bay fishing is available at the
yacht basin. Make navigating shallow bay waters a fun experience by chartering a
fishing trip with a wide array of professional fishing guides.
Rockport-Fulton lies along the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, which
extends from Brownsville to Orange along the Texas coast. www.tpwd.state.tx.us/wildlifetrails.