Roberts Point Park, civic center of recreation for Mustang Island guests and residents of Port Aransas, features a municipal harbor with 250 boat slips, a large pavilion for fishing tournament weigh-ins, granite jetties, a lighted fishing pier, and a one-mile bulkhead that surrounds the park. However, in 1931 it was a mere spit of sand and occupied by a single abandoned driftwood shack built by local fishing guide George E. “Florida” Roberts. Roberts had constructed the one-room shack for a man who had arrived on the island with the hope that salt water and sunshine would help heal severe burn scars he had suffered in an explosion. Roberts, according to his wife Elda May, felt sorry for the man, almost destitute by the time Roberts met him, and thought a place to live might help. The Roberts occupied “Driftwood” and Roberts Point, as the shack and location came to be known, after the injured man left the island and returned to the hospital, adding rooms over the years to accommodate their children.

In 1991, the construction of the park and facilities were completed and officials honored the contributions made by the Roberts family to the island’s heritage by naming the park after them. Today, Roberts Point Park provides opportunities for cycling, jogging, strolling, and picnicking in addition to fishing. The park’s observation tower provides a view of the ship channel and the many dolphins breeching the bow waves of tankers traveling the channel.