Explore · Gulfport · Exploration
Getting outside in Gulfport — and what’s a short drive away.
Gulfport’s best outdoor draw isn’t on the mainland at all — it’s the ferry out to a barrier island and a historic fort. Add the harbor and the beach, and the city makes a great base for the wider Coast. Here’s where to get into the water and the day trips that put the rest of the Coast within easy reach.
On the water
From the marquee island trip to the easy in-town waterfront.
Ship Island ferry — West Ship Island
The signature Gulfport day trip. Ship Island Excursions runs the only public ferry from the Jones Park harbor out to West Ship Island, part of Gulf Islands National Seashore. It’s about an hour each way and you’ll often spot dolphins on the ride. The schedule is seasonal (roughly spring through fall) — check msshipisland.com and book ahead.
Fort Massachusetts
A 19th-century brick coastal fort on the island, free to walk on your own or on a ranger-led tour after the ferry docks. Pair it with the island’s Gulf-side beach — this is the open Gulf, with clearer water than the mainland sound. Bring sunscreen, water, and whatever you want for the day; facilities are limited.
The beach & harbor on Highway 90
The mainland beach is the Mississippi Sound — gentle, shallow, and made for wading and walking rather than surf. The small-craft harbor at Jones Park is a good stroll, and the whole waterfront faces south for easy water views. Free and right in the middle of town.
Sunset on the water
Golden hour on the waterfront is the everyday show. The harbor promenade and the Jones Park area are the easy picks; anywhere along the Highway 90 beach works for a quiet end to the day.
Day trips from Gulfport
One of the best things about basing here: it’s the middle of the Coast, so everywhere else is a short drive.
Biloxi
Casinos, the Biloxi Lighthouse, the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum (great for understanding shrimping), and more beach access.
Pass Christian & Bay St. Louis
Quieter Hancock and west-Harrison towns — a walkable Old Town in Bay St. Louis, art and antique shops, and a slower-paced beach drive.
Ocean Springs
A walkable art town across Biloxi Bay — galleries, the Walter Anderson Museum, and a tight downtown. See the full Ocean Springs guides here too.
New Orleans
You know what’s there. Easy day trip or overnight straight down I-10.
A perfect outdoor day
Catch the morning ferry from the harbor out to West Ship Island, walk Fort Massachusetts and the Gulf-side beach, ride back in the afternoon (watch for dolphins), then clean up and grab seafood on the Highway 90 beach for sunset. That’s a Gulfport day built around the one thing you can’t do anywhere else on the Coast. 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.