South Padre Island, Texas Apr 27, 2023

South Padre Island, Texas

Located a few miles offshore on the Texas Gulf Coast, Padre Island is the largest of the state"s string of barrier islands. At 113 miles in length, it is also the longest barrier island in the world. Barrier islands usually run parallel to the coast and, as the name suggests, serve as the mainland"s first line of defense against storms.

© Jeff R Clow/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Apr 27, 2018National Park Week: Yosemite National Park, California
Apr 27, 2019Aloe in bloom
Apr 27, 2020That s quite a schnoz, baby tapir
Apr 27, 2021Design for Each and All
Apr 27, 2022Midnight sun
Apr 27, 2024National Go Birding Day
Apr 27, 2025Halemaumau Crater, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jun 16, 2020In the footsteps of Leopold Bloom
Oct 11, 2021Indigenous living
Jan 10, 2023Lake Peipus, Estonia
Jun 11, 2022Misool Island, Indonesia
Dec 27, 2021Snow buntings take flight
Jul 30, 2025International Day of Friendship
Oct 15, 2024Great wildebeest migration at Mara River, Kenya
Mar 28, 2020The meeting point of the winds
Apr 4, 2018Mexican giant cardon cactus
Aug 15, 2023Piazza IX Aprile, Taormina, Sicily, Italy
Oct 4, 2023World Space Week
Jul 23, 2021Let the games (finally) begin!
Jun 11, 2023Goliath heron in Kruger National Park, South Africa
Sep 7, 2020Take a break! It s Labor Day!
Jun 23, 2025The Elbe in Dresden, Germany
Jul 26, 2018Exploring the wilder side of New York
Jun 15, 2019Pasadena Chalk Festival supports local arts education
Jul 3, 2018To the 155th on the 155th
Nov 24, 2018The tortoise and the finch
Mar 30, 2018The Vestibule at Diocletian s Palace, Split, Croatia
Jan 7, 2019An avian predator built for the snow
Oct 12, 2018Venture into a prehistoric gallery of art
Dec 26, 2018Boxing Day—a shopper’s delight
May 1, 2025Lei Day in Hawaii
Oct 7, 2022Berlin Festival of Lights
Oct 9, 2022Earth Science Week
Jan 31, 2026International Zebra Day
Feb 19, 2024Presidents Day
Sep 17, 2025A young bull moose in Denali National Park, Alaska
Jul 27, 2021Maybe we should be looking up