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Gulf Islands National Seashore, Ocean Springs, MS
Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureFreeFamily Favorite

Gulf Islands National Seashore

3500 Park Rd (Davis Bayou Area) · Ocean Springs, MS

Why you should go…

Gulf Islands National Seashore protects barrier islands and coast in Mississippi and Florida. Davis Bayou in Ocean Springs is the only part of the Mississippi side you can reach by car, with a campground, hiking trails, a fishing pier, a boat launch and boardwalk overlooks for wildlife watching. The William M. Colmer Visitor Center has exhibits, a park film and an observation deck. Offshore, parts of Horn and Petit Bois islands are protected wilderness, and Fort Massachusetts stands on West Ship Island.

  • #national seashore
  • #barrier islands
  • #camping
  • #fishing pier
  • #hiking trails

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Gulf Islands National Seashore, ordered by straight-line distance.

  • Museums
    Rainy-Day Pick

    Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art

    Under $25

    View George Ohr's pottery and changing art exhibitions on a Frank Gehry-designed campus set among live oaks.

    4.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Stay
    Date Night

    Beau Rivage

    Free

    Stay, dine and play at a waterfront casino resort on the Biloxi beachfront, the tallest building in Mississippi.

    6.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Stay

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Biloxi Lighthouse

    Under $25

    See an 1848 cast-iron lighthouse standing in the median of Beach Boulevard, with guided tours offered each morning.

    6.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Beauvoir

    Under $25

    Tour Jefferson Davis's restored 1852 beachfront home, his presidential library and a Confederate cemetery on Gulf Coast grounds.

    11 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Mississippi Aquarium

    $25–$50

    See dolphins, otters, alligators, sharks and rays in indoor and outdoor habitats, and walk through an underwater tunnel.

    18 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Nightlife
    Date Night

    Island View Casino Resort

    Free

    A beachfront casino resort on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with a hotel, golf course, and dozens of dining options.

    19 mi awaySwitch it up: Nightlife