Lamar Peninsula Loop
Ghost town, ancient chapel, Texas' oldest tree, and Whooping Crane wetlands
The Lamar Peninsula is one of the most historically layered places on the Texas coast — Irish colonists, Samuel Colt, Civil War salt works, a lost cemetery, and one of the oldest trees in Texas. Add the winter presence of Whooping Cranes and you have a half-day driving loop that delivers history and wildlife in equal measure.
★ Tour Highlights
- ✓The Big Tree — 1,000+ year old live oak, sacred to the Karankawa people
- ✓Lamar Cemetery — established 1854, lost, and restored; families like the Byrnes, Colts, and O'Connors
- ✓Stella Maris Chapel — oldest structure in Aransas County, built 1854 with oyster-shell cement
- ✓Site of the Town of Lamar — once a rival to Rockport, now a ghost town since 1915
- ✓Lamar Burton Wetlands — 105 acres of Whooping Crane winter habitat (Nov–Mar)
Tour Stops
Goose Island State Park
Birding Site202 S Palmetto St, Rockport, TX 78382
Start at Goose Island State Park — explore the park, then drive north on Park Rd 13 toward Lamar.
The Big Tree
Birding Site1622 12th St, Rockport, TX 78382
1622 Twelfth St. — The Goose Island Live Oak. Over 1,000 years old, 35 feet in circumference. The Karankawa people held ceremonies here. Warblers and buntings in spring.
Stella Maris Chapel
Historical MarkerStella Maris Chapel — the oldest structure in Aransas County, built 1854 with hand-mixed oyster-shell cement (shellcrete). Mass is still held here today.
Lamar Cemetery
Historical MarkerHagy Drive
Lamar Cemetery (Hagy Drive) — established 1854. The Heldenfels family essay from 1978 describes Samuel Colt living here while perfecting the Colt Walker revolver. Patrick O'Connor, a bookkeeper buried here, was a direct descendant of the last High King of Ireland.
John Fagan
Historical MarkerJohn Fagan marker within Lamar Cemetery — soldier in the Texas Revolution at Goliad, 1835–1836.
Site of the Town of Lamar
Historical MarkerBois D'Arc Road
Site of the Town of Lamar (Bois D'Arc Road) — this thriving seaport was a customs port of entry in 1839 and a rival to Rockport. By 1915 it was a ghost town. The hurricanes of 1869 and 1885 changed the waterways and erased the port business.
Lamar Burton Wetlands Sanctuary
Birding SiteE Main Ave access, Lamar, TX 78382
End at Lamar Burton Wetlands Sanctuary — 105 acres donated to conservation. In winter (Nov–Mar), Whooping Cranes use these wetlands. ADA-accessible parking.
Historical Glimpses
The Big Tree today — the 1,000+ year old Coastal Live Oak at Goose Island State Park spans an enormous canopy. The Karankawa people held ceremonies here long before European settlement.
The Big Tree interpretive sign at Goose Island — a Texas State Champion Live Oak since 1969, with a circumference of approximately 44 feet.
The old Copano Bay Causeway drawbridge (top) and the new causeway (bottom), circa 1960s. The original 1930-31 causeway replaced the ferry to the Lamar Peninsula and was a major event for the isolated community.
The Big Tree in a historical photograph — "Listed in Ripley's Believe It or Not." The tree measures more than 33 feet in circumference, is 75 feet tall, and has a crown spread of 89 feet.
Tour Details
- Type
- historical
- Transport
- Driving Tour
- Duration
- 2h 30min
- Distance
- 22 miles
- Difficulty
- easy
- Cost
- Free
Make a Weekend of It
Rockport has all four tours plus guided boat tours and 35 birding sites. Stay a few days and explore it all.
