Davis Bayou Campground - Gulf Islands National Seashore

 The Davis Bayou Campground is located on the Mississippi part of Gulf Islands National Seashore near Ocean Springs and Biloxi.

This is a quiet campground and is surrounded by a beautiful wooded coastal forest area filled with live oaks and pine trees.

Davis Bayou Campground -  Gulf Islands National Seashore

I loved stopping in  Ocean Springs on our way into the park!

This is a cute little coastal town in Mississippi has incredible restaurants like the Shed with EPIC BBQ and Blue Dog Bistro.

Don't forget to stop at the TatoNut Shop for some freshly made potato donuts. My wife looked inside a few shops before we were on our way to the park.

The Davis Bayou Campground has clean restrooms, all the amenities you would expect from a front country campground, and provides easy access to all of the park's recreational activities.

You will be close to the park visitor center, nature trails, fishing pier, and the park's boat launch where you can take your own boat or kayak out into the Bayou.

 

Gulf Islands National Seashore Entrance Fee

You will need to pay an entrance fee to camp at Fort Pickens Campground on the Florida side of Gulf Islands National Seashore, however you do not need to pay an entrance fee at the Davis Bayou Campground in the Mississippi portion of Gulf Islands National Seashore.

You must first pay to enter portions of the Gulf Islands National Seashore including the Fort Pickens Area, Opal Beach Complex Area, and Johnson Beach Area in Florida.

It does not matter if you have a campground reservation, you still have to pay the entrance fee to get into the park. Here is the cost to enter Gulf Islands National Seashore:

Private Vehicle: $25

Motorcycle: $20

Per Person: $15

Planning a National Park vacation? The National Park System has an America the Beautiful/National Park Pass which covers entrance fees for an entire year to all US National Park Sites and over 2,000 Federal Recreation Fee Sites.

The park pass covers everyone in the car for per-vehicle sites and up to 4 adults for per-person sites. The cost is $80 for the pass.

Buy on REI.com and REI will donate 10% of pass proceeds to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation, and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities.

Free Entrance Days  -Mark your calendars with the five free entrance days the National Park Service offers annually.

Davis Bayou Campground Camping Fees

Campsite Cost:

Davis Bayou Campground Site - $22.00

Davis Bayou Campground Group Camping (10-25 campers) - $20.00

Davis Bayou Campground Group Camping (26-40 campers) - $30.00

 Senior/Access Camping Fee:

Senior pass holders are eligible for a 50% discount on nightly fees.

Campground Reservations

Are Campground Reservations Available? Yes,

Phone Number? 1-877-444-6777

Online? recreation.gov

How Far Ahead can you make a reservation?

Group sites at this campground operate on a 12-month rolling basis

Individual sites at this campground operate on a 6-month rolling basis

Campground Information

Season: The Davis Bayou Campground is open year-round

Number of Sites: 52

Location in the park: Located in a wooded area next to Davis Bayou

Campground Address: 3500 Park Road

Ocean Springs, MS 39564

Latitude/Longitude: 30° 23' 52.1599" N 88° 47' 43.8698" W

Accessible Sites: Sites 26 and 31 are ADA-designated sites

Pets Allowed: Pets are allowed and must be on a leash, not to exceed 6 feet at all times.

Campground Amenities

Flush Toilets: Yes

Showers: Yes, hot showers are available

Payphone:

Is wifi available? No

Free visitor WIFI is available at the William M. Colmer Visitor Center.

Is Cellular Phone Service Available? Yes

Is the camp host available on-site?  Yes, Seasonal

Is firewood available for purchase? No

Gathering of down, dead wood is permitted only in the campground, not along trails or in the forest. Do not bring out-of-state firewood. You may purchase firewood outside the park in Ocean Springs.

Amenities at Each Campsite

Fire ring/ fire pit in the site? Yes

In developed campgrounds fires may be built in permanent grills (charcoal only) or fire rings at designated sites. Exception: Portable grills may be used at designated campsites by registered campers. Portable grills are not allowed on the beaches unless in an area where authorized beach fires are allowed.

Picnic Table in the site? Yes

Potable Water? Yes

Bear Boxes: No

RV Camping at Davis Bayou Campground

RV Length: 60 ft max

Are hookups available?

52 sites with standard electric hook-ups with 50amp service

Water hookups are also available

There are no sewer hook-ups but there is a trailer dump station available.

Generators:  Generators are not permitted at any time in the campground.

Dump Station: Yes, Year-Round

How to get to Campground

 From Interstate 10: Take Exit 50 or 57 toward Ocean Springs. The area entrance is located at the intersection of U.S. 90 and Park Road, three miles east of downtown Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

From New Orleans, Slidell, Diamondhead, or other points west on I-10: Travel east to Exit 50 MS 609/Ocean Springs. Keep right (South) on Washington Ave. toward Ocean Springs. In 2.5 miles turn left at the Red Light onto Bienville Blvd/Hwy 90 East. Turn right on Park Road entering Gulf Islands National Seashore Parkway. Follow signs to Davis Bayou Campground and Registration Office.

From Pensacola or Mobile, or other points east on I-10: Travel west to Exit 57, Gautier/Ocean Springs. Turn left (South) onto MS Hwy 57. Travel ½ mile and take a right at the red light (Hwy 90). Look for a brown sign on the right, and Park Road on the left. Stay straight to enter Gulf Islands National Seashore, Davis Bayou. Follow signs to Davis Bayou Campground and Registration Office.

Campground Regulations

The maximum number of people in a campsite:

Individual Sites-  max of 8 people

Group site- max of 40 people

The number of cars per campsite: 2 vehicles per site

Check-in time: 2:00 PM

Checkout time: 11:00 AM

Late departure is subject to an additional night's fee.

Quiet Hours: 10 PM to 6 AM

Length of stay: Campers are allowed to stay up to 14 consecutive days and a total of 42 days annually. During the campground's peak busy season of January 1-March 31, campers are allowed a maximum of 14 days.

Davis Bayou Activities

William F. Comer Visitor Center -  The visitor center has numerous interpretative panels that talk about the park, the barrier islands and trails.

Fishing Pier - Here you can go fishing, take a scenic walk with incredible views of the Gulf Coast, go bird watching, and look for dolphins.

Go hiking - There are several short hiking trails in the Davis Bayou Area. There are a couple of short trails around the visitor center, the CCC Spur Trail, Davis Bayou Trail,  and the Nature's Way Loop Trail. Make sure to check with the visitor center first to see which trails to take as recent hurricanes like Hurricane Katrina have caused substantial damage to trail boardwalks.

Have a Picnic - The Davis Bayou has a huge day use/picnic area along with several picnic shelters!

Take the Ferry to Ship Island - Ship Island is one of the park's barrier reefs and is full of recreational opportunities!  There is a private charter service that runs between March 16 and October 27 each year from the Gulfport, Mississippi pier.

Once at the Island, you can tour Fort Massachusetts, enjoy the beach, go swimming, beach combing,  and backcountry camping with a permit. Get your ferry tickets before heading out as this is very popular. Also, make sure to book your tickets for a sunset cruise or cemetery tours out of Gulfport.

Gulf Islands National Seashore Resources

Gulf Islands National Seashore - Your complete guide to visiting Gulf Islands National Seashore

Fort Pickens Campground - Everything you need to know about planning a camping trip to Gulf Islands National Seashore at Fort Pickens Campground in Florida.

For a fun adventure, check out Escape Campervans. These campervans have built-in beds, kitchen area with refrigerators, and more. You can have them fully set up with kitchen supplies, bedding, and other fun extras. They are painted with epic designs you can't miss!

Escape Campervans has offices in Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver, Chicago, New York, and Orlando

Where to stay when visiting the Davis Bayou portion of Gulf Islands National Seashore

There are no lodges on Gulf Islands National Seashore and the only camping is at Davis Bayou Campground. Here is a list and map of places to stay in the nearby towns of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and Biloxi, Mississippi.

National Park Sites near Davis Bayou portion of Gulf Islands National Seashore

Natchez National Historical Park - Guide to planning and exploring Natchez National Historical Park in Mississippi. Includes history, park information, places to visit, and more.

Natchez Trace Parkway

Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail

Vicksburg National Military Park - Complete guide to exploring Vicksburg

Poverty Point National Monument - Complete Guide to Exploring Poverty Point National Monument

Cane River Creole National Historical Park - Complete guide to plan a perfect trip to Cane River Creole National Historical Park

Big Thicket National Preserve - Your complete guide to exploring Big Thicket National Preserve

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site -  Complete guide to plan your trip to Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Park plus history!

Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site - Complete guide to plan your trip to Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site plus history!

Check out all of the National Parks in Mississippi along with neighboring Florida National Parks,  Georgia National Parks, Louisiana National Parks, Texas National Parks, and Alabama National Parks.

 

Photos of Davis Bayou Campground