Gulfport Beach

Gulfport Beach lies along the northern shore of Mississippi Sound, directly adjacent to the city of Gulfport — Harrison County seat and the second-largest city in Mississippi. Gulfport's beach functions somewhat differently from Biloxi's casino-fronted strip a few miles east: it has a quieter, more local character, with the beach serving primarily as a community amenity and a staging area for the Ship Island ferry operations that depart from Gulfport Harbor. The city's beach is generally less crowded than Biloxi and appeals to visitors seeking a more relaxed Gulf Coast experience.

The Ship Island ferry departing Gulfport Harbor is a highlight of any Gulf Coast trip from either Mississippi or as a side trip from New Orleans. West Ship Island (connected to East Ship Island only after Hurricane Camille of 1969 cut through) is the primary ferry destination — the beach on the Gulf side of the island is pristine white quartz sand with clear blue-green Gulf water, a dramatic contrast to the mainland Mississippi Sound conditions. Fort Massachusetts, a massive masonry fort begun in 1859, stands on the island's west end and was used as a Union prison camp during the Civil War — NPS rangers offer tours.

Gulfport's local seafood scene is excellent and somewhat more authentic than the casino resort dining of Biloxi. Harbor-front restaurants serve fresh-off-the-boat Gulf shrimp, oysters from Mississippi Sound oyster beds (some of the finest in the country when conditions allow), and speckled trout — the quintessential Mississippi Gulf Coast fish. The Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, operated by the University of Southern Mississippi in adjacent Ocean Springs, also welcomes educational visitors interested in the region's extraordinary marine biodiversity.