Coastal

Coastal Mississippi covers the southern third of the state, running from the Louisiana line east to Alabama and from the inland Pine Belt south to the Gulf of Mexico. The terrain shifts from rolling pine flatwoods in the northern counties through the longleaf pine plantations and Pascagoula River swamps of the central tier to the white-sand beaches and barrier islands of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The 26-mile man-made beach between Biloxi and Pass Christian is the longest of its kind in the world. Fourteen counties cover the region. Harrison holds Biloxi, Gulfport, and most of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Casino corridor; Jackson holds Pascagoula and Ocean Springs; Hancock holds Bay St. Louis and Waveland; Forrest holds Hattiesburg and the University of Southern Mississippi; Jones holds Laurel. Gulf Islands National Seashore (with Ship Island and Horn Island), the Pascagoula River Audubon Center, and De Soto National Forest cover the major public lands. Most trips here split between casino-coast and small-town threads. The Biloxi-Gulfport casino strip handles the largest single visitor stream; Ocean Springs and Bay St. Louis run the small-town arts-and-restaurants itinerary; Hattiesburg’s downtown and HUB City breweries fill college-town visits; the Gulf Coast Mardi Gras (the second-oldest in the U.S.) anchors February.