Mississippi Coast: Hidden gem or overcrowded? (live in, beach, vacation)

[Madnolia]

Do the beaches in Mississippi get really busy? If so, is it the whole coast or just a couple spots? Also what spots have the cleanest water?

[Mississippi Alabama Line]

You looking for vacation or what? Most people on the Coast have boats and go to bays and further out. I mean a good many people do get in the beach water but it's not exactly what you think of when you say 'beach'.

[An Einnseanair]

No, they do not get busy. The beaches on the mainland are behind barrier islands and "dirty". The barrier islands are beautiful, but require a boat to get to and are never busy.

If you want "clean" water the closest island would be Dauphin Island in Alabama, or most people go on over to Gulf Shores. The water gets "cleaner" the farther east you go, up to about Panama City, FL or so. Then after you turn the corner at Cape San Blas the Apalachicola area gets dirty again.

[Brucifer]

"The Secrete Coast".

Avoid going in the water with an open wound.

[b29510]

the beaches are two miles off shore

[Lizap]

The Mississippi Gulf Coast is not known for beautiful beaches. As another poster noted, to get these, you’ll need to travel furthur east toward Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, AL.

[brickpatio2018]

Mississippi's gulf beaches are stunning. It's all a national park across several islands. If you have access to a boat to access them, it's literally paradise.

The beaches along the main shoreline, the Mississippi Sound, are great if you're there primarily to visit the coastal towns and want to take a run by the beach or go enjoy the sunset with family members or have a bonfire at night. You just park along the road and enjoy. As a lifestyle, it's hard to do better.

[viverlibre]

Originally Posted by Madnolia

Do the beaches in Mississippi get really busy? If so, is it the whole coast or just a couple spots? Also what spots have the cleanest water?

For most Mississippians, going to the "beach" means going to LA (Lower Alabama - Dauphin Island to P'cola). The best beach in MS that most can get to is Ship Island, it's about 10 miles offshore (one hour each way) and a charter makes two round trips per day in season. The surf out there is usually rougher than what you'll find in LA though, therefore most folks don't get too far out in the water. There are some other barrier islands with beaches but as far as I know, Ship is the only one with charter service and there is an old Civil War fort out there to explore. There is a snack bar and restrooms but hit or miss on whether they will be open.

[Lizap]

Originally Posted by brickpatio2018

Mississippi's gulf beaches are stunning. It's all a national park across several islands. If you have access to a boat to access them, it's literally paradise.

The beaches along the main shoreline, the Mississippi Sound, are great if you're there primarily to visit the coastal towns and want to take a run by the beach or go enjoy the sunset with family members or have a bonfire at night. You just park along the road and enjoy. As a lifestyle, it's hard to do better.

I would not use the word ‘stunning’ to describe them. St. John, VI beaches are ‘stunning’.

[brickpatio2018]

I've been to both Cat Island and Ship Island, in 80 degree, breezy weather with blue skies.

Standing on the tip of the island, surrounded by rolling sand dunes and sea oats, with a view of neighboring islands and the gulf, and a fleet of small boats anchored just off the beach, it was to me nothing short of stunning. In both cases I kept muttering to myself that this was literally paradise - and yet relatively undiscovered.


I'll say this... for people with their own boats who live in the area and can visit whenever they want, it most certainly is paradise.