Niteowl, a quick look at google maps, shows that multiple of the Galveston area beaches are, in fact, administered by the state. Hence "state park". Yet as you can see earlier in this thread: Local hunters there are saying "no problem".
It might be the same issue we see going on in CA : There has sometimes been isolated fluke bootings/scrams of hunters on the inland state parks. Mostly always in cases of someone snooping around obvious historic sensitive spots. And when push comes to shove, the regulation to bolster such a booting or scram (and in one case, a ticket) is NOT anything that specifically says "no md'ing". Instead, it will rely on cultural heritage wording.
Ok, that's fine. We can all agree that md'rs should not be snooping around obvious sensitive monuments, eh ? BUT HERE'S WHERE THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS : There is no reason why that very same verbiage wouldn't also apply to all state park land. And since the state park beaches here are administered by the exact same park's dept, then *technically* it should not be allowed on the state park beaches here . Because .... heaven forbid you find a 51+ yr. old coin, eh ?
YET REALITY IS FAR DIFFERENT. It seems to only ever be applied at fru-fru high brow "preserves" or historic monuments, etc... And you can hunt state of park beaches here till your arms fall off, and no one cares. Is that to say there's not a few isolated fluke cases , along the CA coast, where some ranger thought otherwise ? SURE. But they turn out to be isolated cases. Or only apply (in actual application) to JUST that one beach (or JUST that one ranger, etc...).
No one has gone "seeking clarification" (thank goodness).
So too might the same thing be at play in Texas, and Galveston. So if other md'rs have been historically doing it since the 1960s there, then ... consider that your "warning" might not apply to "all state park beaches" in Texas (in practical application anyhow). Otherwise, how are others going, with no issues, on the state beaches there ?