High Island Texas

High Island is a small community located on the southern coast of the state of Texas. High Island is considered a part of Galveston County, and is situated along the Bolivar Peninsula. High Island contains a total population of about five hundred permanent residents, along with a sizable number of seasonal visitors. High Island is an unincorporated village, although it is just a short distance away from Chambers County and Jefferson County. High Island covers a total area of about seventeen square miles, with an average elevation of approximately forty feet. Interestingly, this small bump, which is actually a salt dome, is the most highly elevated point for hundreds of miles along the Gulf Coast. High Island is situated on Galveston Bay, a few miles away from the larger Gulf of Mexico. High Island is not actually an island, and the term island instead refers to the higher elevation of the community, which makes it more difficult for hurricanes to damage the buildings of the village.

Educational opportunities on High Island are offered by the High Island Independent School District, which is comprised of High Island Elementary, Middle, and High Schools. The community is famous for its bird watching tourist industry, which focuses on four major bird sanctuaries. These sanctuaries are S.E. Gast Red Bay Sanctuary, Boy Scouts Woods, Smith Oaks, and Eubanks Woods. These sites, headlined by Smith Oaks and Boy Scout Woods, are home to a number of different bird species that live in the woods in the community. High Island’s bird watching opportunities are best during various types of migrations, including southern and spring migrations as well as during storms.