Explore at Your Own Pace
Self-Guided Tours
Four free tours through Rockport and Fulton — walk through 150 years of Texas history, drive the Lamar Peninsula ghost town circuit, or follow the legendary Connie Hagar birding route. No reservations, no fees, go at your own pace.
Historical Tours
Irish colonists, Civil War salt works, Victorian mansions, and a lost ghost town
Downtown Rockport Historical Walk
A century and a half of Texas history in ten walkable blocks
Start at the railroad marker on S. Magnolia and walk north through the heart of historic Rockport — past the site of the grand Aransas Hotel, down Live Oak Street past two 19th-century churches, through the Victorian residential district along Broadway, then down to the waterfront and the harbor. Every block has a story from the 1870s through Hurricane Harvey.
Fulton Historical District Tour
From the Fulton Mansion to the commercial fishing docks — Fulton's golden era
Fulton was the industrial engine of Aransas County — meat packeries, commercial fishing, and one of the grandest Victorian homes on the Texas coast. This walk loops through the remarkable story of George W. Fulton, who built his empire on the post-Civil War cattle industry and created a mansion that still stands today. The route ends where it began, at the second historical marker on the mansion grounds.
Lamar Peninsula Loop
Whooping Crane wetlands, a 1,000-year-old oak, Irish colonists, and a Civil War chapel
The Lamar Peninsula is one of the most historically layered places on the Texas coast — Whooping Crane wetlands, a 1,000-year-old live oak, Irish colonists, Samuel Colt, a Civil War-era chapel, a lost and restored cemetery, and the ruins of a 19th-century commercial wharf. This half-day driving loop covers deep Texas history and delivers wildlife in equal measure.
Birding Tours
Following the routes that made Rockport famous in the birding world
Rockport Birding Circuit
The legendary Connie Hagar route — nine key stops from Rockport to the Lamar Peninsula
Connie Hagar made these routes famous. Starting at the sanctuary that bears her name, this full-day driving circuit covers the best birding in the Rockport area and continues north onto the Lamar Peninsula — from colonial nesting colonies and harbor diving ducks to the ancient live oak where Whooping Crane winter habitat begins. Excellent any season, exceptional during spring migration (March–May) and winter (November–February).
Then & Now Classic Birding Route
The 1989 Connie Hagar driving circuit — revisited 37 years later
In 1989, the Rockport/Fulton Area Chamber of Commerce published a birder's guide built on the legacy of Connie Hagar — the woman who put this coast on the world birding map. The guide described a driving loop through marsh, bay, woodland, and beach that visitors could begin anywhere and follow for a full day of birding. This tour recreates that exact route in 2026. Some stops are unchanged. Some have new names. Some are gone entirely — replaced by gated communities, residential streets, and roads that no longer exist. The Whooping Crane flock that numbered fewer than 60 birds in Hagar's time has recovered to 560+. The salt marshes that once lined the causeway are million-dollar real estate. Part 1 covers the Lamar Peninsula and the FM 1781 corridor. The birding here is as good as the 1989 guide promised — but the shoreline along Copano Bay holds a deeper story the guide never mentioned. Looking across the water from Rattlesnake Point, you are looking at Live Oak Point: the site of Fort Aranzazu, Spain's 1766 coastal military outpost and the region's first customs house for Spanish Texas. James Power incorporated Aransas City on this shoreline in 1839 — the Republic of Texas's westernmost port before Corpus Christi existed. It was gone by 1847. Across the bay lies El Copano, the deepest natural harbor on the Texas coast, port of entry for Irish immigrants from County Wexford, and the stage for the 'Horse Marines' — mounted Texas rangers who captured three Mexican supply schooners from horseback in June 1836. Part 2 completes the loop through the Rockport/Fulton birding circuit back to Connie Hagar's sanctuary.
All 59 Historical Markers
Browse every Texas Historical Commission marker in Aransas County
Birding Spots Guide
The top seasonal birding locations around Rockport and Fulton
Guided Boat Tours
See Whooping Cranes from the water with Captain Kevin