Explore · Bay St. Louis · Exploration
Getting outside in Bay St. Louis — and what’s a short drive away.
The water is the whole reason the Bay feels the way it does — a beach a block from Old Town, miles of flat shoreline trail, and a bridge made for walking. Here’s where to get into it, plus the day trips that make the Bay a great base for the west end of the Coast.
On the water & along the shore
In-town nature, in order of how easy it is to get to.
The beach & Beach Boulevard
The Bay’s beach runs right along Beach Boulevard, a block from Old Town. This is the Mississippi Sound, not the open Gulf, so the water is calm and murkier by design — perfect for wading, a picnic, and watching the sunset rather than Panama City surf. Hard to beat being able to walk from a gallery to the sand.
Bay-Waveland Beach Trail
A flat paved path that runs from the Washington Street pier in the Bay, through Buccaneer State Park, to beyond the Waveland pier — roughly 4.5 miles of car-free walking and biking parallel to the beach, with eateries and stops along the way. The best way to see the shoreline.
Walk or bike the bridge
The 2-mile bridge to Pass Christian has a dedicated 12-foot path on the Gulf side, lined with public art and big open views across the bay. Parking sits near the Bay end. Free, breezy, and a local favorite for a sunset walk.
Buccaneer State Park
A Mississippi state park just west in Waveland, with the Pirate’s Alley nature trail through coastal oaks and marsh, camping, and the Buccaneer Bay waterpark in season. An easy outdoors add-on if you’ve got kids or a half day. Confirm waterpark season and hours before you go.
Sunset over the bay
The Bay faces its namesake water to the west, so golden hour is the everyday show. The beachfront and the municipal harbor are the easy picks; the bridge at blue hour is the photographer’s pick.
Day trips from Bay St. Louis
One of the best things about basing here: New Orleans and the rest of the Coast are both a short drive.
New Orleans
You know what’s there. Easy day trip or overnight straight down I-10 — closer from the Bay than from anywhere else on the Coast.
Gulfport & Biloxi
Casinos, the Biloxi Lighthouse, the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum, beaches, and more — the busier, big-resort end of the Coast.
Pass Christian
A quieter neighbor right over the water — a small harbor, oak-lined streets, and its own scenic stretch of beach. An easy pairing with a Bay trip.
Stennis & Infinity Science Center
NASA’s rocket-testing center in Hancock County, with the Infinity Science Center as its public welcome center — exhibits and, at times, bus tours of the facility. A solid rainy-day or kid-friendly option.
A perfect outdoor day
Coffee in Old Town, an early ride down the Bay-Waveland Beach Trail before it heats up, lunch on a harbor-front patio, an afternoon on the beach a block from the shops, and a sunset walk out onto the bridge. That’s a Bay St. Louis day that costs almost nothing and beats most paid attractions. When you’re ready to eat, the food guide has the rest.
Exploring the whole Coast?
I cover the outdoors, the water, and the events across all three counties in The Seawall, my twice-weekly newsletter. More town Exploration guides going up here as I write them.
Rob Recio lives in Ocean Springs and is in real-estate-licensure training in Mississippi. This is informational visitor content, not real-estate advice or a solicitation.