Gulf Islands National Seashore

3500 Park Rd, Ocean Springs, MS 39564, USA

Address:	3500 Park Rd, Ocean Springs, MS 39564, USA
Phone:	+1 228-875-9057
Site:	nps.gov
Rating:	4.8
Working:	8AM–9PM 8AM–9PM 8AM–9PM 8AM–9PM 8AM–9PM 8AM–9PM 8AM–9PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 12

Steve Markos

I am a writer and photographer for National Park Planner and I visited the Mississippi Unit of Gulf Islands National Seashore in April 2015. The Mississippi unit consists of six barrier islands and one mainland section at Ocean Springs, Mississippi. The islands range anywhere from 8 to 12 miles offshore and only West Ship Island has public ferry service. You must have your own boat to reach the rest of the islands. Because of this, West Ship Island is where the majority of people end up when visiting the park. West Ship Island is a wonderful day trip. The sand on the beach is some of the softest you will ever come across, plus there is a covered picnic pavilion, restrooms with showers, and a snack bar. It’s like getting all of the conveniences of a crowded beach lined with high rise hotels, but on a beach that remains as pristine as it was a thousand years ago. For history buffs, Fort Massachusetts, a mid-1800s military fort, is open for exploration. Ferry service runs from March through October. During the spring and fall, trips are on Wednesdays through Sundays, but come summer the ferry runs daily. On the mainland you will find the William M. Colmer Visitor Center and a few miles of trails that run through the bayous. Be on the lookout for alligators, turtles, crabs, snakes, and exotic birds. There are also quite a few picnic areas, most large enough to accommodate events such as a family reunion or a corporate picnic. Unlike the Florida Unit of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, there are no beaches at the mainland unit of the park in Mississippi. All beaches are on the islands. For complete information about visiting Gulf Islands National Seashore see the National Park Planner web site (npplan)

Michael S

Beautiful landscape, if you like the natural undeveloped seascape with large sand dunes, sea oats, and dolphins playing in the clear emerald green waters its great. We have enjoyed the beaches at Fort Pickens this week. We made the drive to Fort Barrancas which is well preserved with the only remaining Spanish water battery in the USA if you are interested in history or just like cool architecture its worth the drive. Didnt go through the lighthouse but stopped to look at the exterior, advertised as the tallest remaining lighthouse on the Gulf very nice. Drove to Navarre Beach and it has some huge dunes and nice shells on the beach but the water was fouled with bright green mossy looking algae (or maybe its a type of seaweed) it smelled like sewage however some people were playing in the water and there was a green flag up. A few years ago we also took the ferry to ship island which was beautiful as well as Perdido Key area so we have seen most of the park available by car plus Ship Island over two trips and would gladly pay to see them again. Tourist attractions are available anywhere but here you can see the beach in the natural world with few man made interventions.

Reagan Barr

I enjoyed this place so much, I didnt take as many pics as I wanted to (I also had low battery on my phone). The park was so big, I wasnt able to explore it all, yet. They have wooden walkways, a pier, a museum, campgrounds, & a bunch of trails. Theres also a boat tour, but I didnt partake in that. There might be a playground, I dont remember. I biked to here from Long Beach (took the bus for a good portion of the way) after eating at Government Street Grocery. I had a portable charger with me, but my cable was being difficult with me & a lot of its juice was gone. I could only be there for a short amount of time. But while there, I explored the museum, relaxed at part of their wooden walkways overlooking the bayou, & hammocked at their quiet & spacious pier. When I left, my phone was at around 30%. Here are the pics I managed to take:

Kailey Redding

Gulf Islands National Seashore is a beautiful park along the MS Gulf Coast. It is nestled away in Ocean Springs, MS (which alone is a great community) and provides a wonderful location to connect with the beauty of nature. The beaches and outdoor areas are clean and offer a breath taking raw view of the Gulf of Mexico. It is a good spot for a day trip, but I find myself wanting to spend days and days! This area is a great resource for historic and natural histories of the area, Gulf of Mexico, the barrier islands, and Mississippi! Worth the stop!

Liana Boraas-Atwi

This particular location is one small component of the Gulf Islands National Seashore which includes all the islands off the coast. This location houses the visitors center which provides information about the entire Gulf Islands. The islands need to be accessed by boat but there are some walking trails, camp sites, and picnic areas here. It has a pleasant and calming atmosphere which is a nice break from the cities and casinos nearby. We didnt get a chance to visit the islands but they looked interesting.

Ti Jolly

Very clean, white sand beach. They also provide beach bags to keep it clean. On the decks, there are rinse stations, bathrooms, water fountains and wheelchair accessible ramps. The swimming conditions were moderate, cool water, clearer as you go further down. Pack a cooler, a few games, bring your portable speakers and youll have the ingredients to make a fabulous day at the beach. Be sure to "only leave behind your footprints"....

Ary Thephravong

Beautiful place to visit with white sand beach. We were there two weeks ago and the water was too cold for us to swim but lot of people still swim and play with the water. The only thing we didnt like is that hotels are either sold out or too expensive to stay in even trying to book one in two weeks in advance. We parked at Wal-Mart and slept in the car. Apparently, we was not the only one, some others cars too.

Damon Henke

RV Camped for one night. Late arrival wasnt a problem. We selected site #14 which was located in a fantastic corner of the campground. Sites were relatively spacious and private. Flat pads and easy connections with full hook up. It was super quiet, even thought it was right outside of Ocean Springs. Super affordable too! I believe it was around $25 for the night.

Kelly Cunningham

Wonderful park to visit. We live nearby and go often. The park has a campground (I think mostly RVs but I have also seen two small cabins near the boat ramp), covered pavilions, over looks to search for alligators, a couple miles of trails, and a great place to do some bird watching. The park is also visited by cyclists, you can get several miles in on nice roads.

Miriam Sims Mitchell

Beautiful emerald green water and sugary white beaches abound at Fort Walton Beach. It is very much a tourist destination, so the traffic is slow going, rooms fill fast and people are everywhere. Most hotels and condos do not have a.c. cooled elevators (which was a little surprising and offputting) but if you can endure these things, the beach is amazing.

Angela Stephenson

Nice to get away from the commercial touristy beaches...very quiet, secluded, native beaches where you can actually drive by and see the beautiful emerald waters. Also, we appreciated areas with a short walk through the sand to the ocean...not everyone is able to make the long trek across what seems like desert sands in July to get close to the ocean.

Jill Cochran

There are some good boardwalks and signs to help you navigate and appreciate the area as well as a nice little visitors center. My kids favorite part was the junior rangers program which kept them far more engaged than I thought they would be with scavenger hunts, word finds, and more. I really think they learn a lot, even the four year old.