Established Camping
Davis Bayou Campground — Gulf Islands National Seashore
About
National Park Service
Gulf Islands National Seashore
Overview
Davis Bayou Campground is located east of downtown Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and is a part of Gulf Islands National Seashore. Visitors enjoy the campground for its easy access to boating, fishing, biking and hiking trails.
Recreation
Davis Bayou offers many recreational opportunities for visitors year-round such as fishing, boating, biking, bird watching, picnicking and attending ranger-led programs. Visitors may also enjoy hiking along the Davis Bayou Trail, which takes visitors through a coastal forest and over two local bayous, with an opportunity to see alligators and other reptiles. The campground offers easy access, a 1/2 mile, to the park's boat launch, as well as the scenic Davis Bayou Trail. The fishing pier, located near the Visitor Center, may be used by visitors who possess a Mississippi State Saltwater Fishing License.
Facilities
This small, yet quaint, campground is open for reservations year-round. It contains 52 sites with electric and water hookups. Sites can accommodate tents and RVs, big or small. The majority of the sites are 40+ feet in length. A group site, with water hookup, is also available to parties with a minimum of 10 individuals and a maximum of 40.__ Amenities include flush toilets, showers, drinking water and a dump station.
Natural Features
The campground is nestled among live oaks and pine trees and is adjacent to a saltwater marsh. Most campsites offer some shade throughout the day and all offer a tranquil setting for migratory bird watching and picnicking.
Nearby Attractions
Davis Bayou is home to many of the park's highly visited barrier islands, such as Horn, Petit Bois, East Ship and West Ship islands. Private boaters may enjoy fishing and swimming, as well as beach combing and bird watching. Private boaters may also enjoy island camping on all islands except West Ship Island, which is only open to visitors from sunrise to sunset. The barrier islands are accessible by boat only, therefore you may visit with your own boat or by private charter. Visitors may call 228-875-9057, ext. 114, for a list of park-approved licensed boat operators. Ferries run to West Ship Island from Gulfport, MS during the months March through October. For more information about the ferry service, please call Ship Island Excursions at 228-864-1014.
Location
Davis Bayou Campground — Gulf Islands National Seashore is located in Mississippi
Directions
NORMAL DIRECTIONS 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 1/2 mile and take a right at the red light (Hwy 90). Look for brown sign on right, Park road on left. Stay straight to enter Gulf Islands National Seashore, Davis Bayou. Follow signs to Davis Bayou Campground and Registration Office.__
Coordinates
30.3978222 N
88.7955194 W
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Boat-InSites accessible by watercraft.
Stay Connected
- WiFiGood
- VerizonGood
- AT&TAvailable
- T-MobileGood
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Group
- Cabins
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Phone Service
- WiFi
- Drinking Water
- Electric Hookups
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Sanitary Dump
- Water Hookups
- Big Rig Friendly
Peaceful Spot
I enjoyed walking around by the water. This is by ocean springs a little town with awesome art!
- (13) View All
A real gem
This is a great site at a great location. We arrived in the dark but luckily we had the gate code in the email to move in set up our spot. The next morning we were amazed by the beautiful location of it. Highly recommend will definitely come back here
Great campground
Stopped here for 1 night between Lake Charles and Tallahassee. Great half way stop. Federal National Seashore campground. Make reservations on recreation.gov. Very nice campground hosts pulled up in their golf cart while they were making rounds around the campground and checked us in. Clean, level parking. I was in spot 1 which was well shaded. Stores within 5-10 minute drive. Will definitely stay here again.
Excellent location
This was a really great campground! The location to Ocean Springs and Biloxi is perfect. You get real campsites instead of an RV parking lot.
The campground has recently been repaved: the sites are nice and level. The bathhouse was clean. Showers are separate from the toilets. They had multiple Ranger led evens scheduled every day! The visitors center is nice as well. The rangers really seemed to enjoy talking with us and answering our questions about local wildlife. Sadly, we didn’t see any gators while we were visiting.
Also, the boardwalk trail is still damaged and closed. I hope they get the funding to be able to get this back open again soon.
Overall, we had a great experience and plan to return again in the fall.
- (19) View All
Ok but nothing special
The park itself is nice, organized in loops. The rangers were friendly. The bathroom‘s AC was way too cold. The showers were a bit odd.
First stay in new camper
Stopped on our way back from LA to FL with our new camper for a shakedown weekend. Site #2 was nice. Plenty of room for 36’ fifth wheel. Ranger was super helpful. Town of Ocean Springs nearby is great to go walk through.
Best place to stay for relaxation and exploration
This is a great base camp for exploring the national park and nearby Ocean Springs. I loved walking the area and it’s fun to bike to nearby Ocean Springs. If you enjoy biking then you will have to stop by TriHard sports in Ocean Springs. I found them to be so nice and helpful. There are several locally owned restaurants to enjoy also. Sites are close together but not on top of each other and fairly level.
- (14) View All
Inexpensive and good first stop
This was our first stop on a 3+ month winter escape We were here 1/23/22 - 1/27/22. Great rate of $11/ night with the senior pass and included water and electric Very clean restrooms and individual shower rooms with locking doors. Good heat and pressure. A bit noisy here with neighborhood barking dogs, and trains and basically inside a residential area
Another reason for 4 stars and not 5 is the lack of recycling
Check out Biloxi and Ocean Springs beaches and the Craft Advisory brewery
Cute downtown. Can’t remember how our cell service was at this location
Best site would be #38 IMO
We made reservations here in 10/21 for this time and campground was full with people constantly coming and going
Gem on the Mississippi Gulf Coast
We really enjoyed our stay at Davis Bayou. The campground seems to be a bit dated, but we kinda enjoyed the nostalgic element this added to the vibe.
The sites vary in size, we noticed most big rigs had to park their tow vehicles or toads in the auxiliary parking. If this is a problem you may want to look at other options, as the park staff is very diligent about keeping folks off the grass.
The park staff did regular patrols though out the park. They were very friendly.
We enjoyed riding our bikes around the park and to the historic arts district in Ocean Springs. There are several restaurants and bars with live music which was fun. There are also alot of art studios to check out.
We also took our canoe all though out Davis Bayou and to the beach, which was a ton of fun. The tides are in play here, so make sure you study up as conditions can and do change rapidly.
The visitors center is definitely worth checking out and while your there make sure to check out the fishing pier.
Each site has a picnic table, fire ring, power and water.
The cost is $22 a night per site.
The bathhouses were cleaned regular and had great water pressure. The water has a bit of a smell to it.
Verizon cell service worked okay.
Bring bug spray.
Lucky to get a last minute reservation
I was in the area and was lucky enough to get a same day reservation because someone else had canceled. Ranger Patti was so kind and helpful. My site was nice and level and very quiet. We walked over to the visitor’s center and around the campground. Several of the trails were closed due to hurricane damage but there was still plenty of places to walk in the park. My only regret is I wish we could have stayed longer.
- (10) View All
Great place to stay
Check in was easy. Ranger Patti was nice and helpful. She was standing at the gate when I arrived. Great location for sightseeing in nearby Ocean Springs. Great place to ride bikes or walk. Campground is peaceful and quiet. I didn’t use the bathhouse so I can’t comment on that other than to say there’s just one for the entire campground and there are dumpsters for your trash I only saw one dump station near the bathhouse but thankfully I dumped my tanks this morning and am only staying one night. I hope to return here when I can stay longer than just one night. Highly recommend. 👍🏻👍🏻
- (9) View All
Beautiful and peaceful campground
I was fortunate enough to get a last minute reservation. I wish this was available another night I enjoy this campground so much. It’s a beautiful and peaceful location. Biking is good. It seems from my walk today that many of the trails are closed due to storm damage but there’s still plenty of walking you can do on the park roads. I wasn’t able to visit the visitors center today since it was already closed but there’s a nice deck out back and I enjoyed it.
- (9) View All
Good for the Price
We paid $22 for a site with power and water here. There is a dump station but it's right in the middle of the campground near the bathhouse, kind of an awkward location.
This was a quick overnight for us, and we didn't spend much time outside because it was pretty muggy and buggy when we stayed here at the end of February. Also, sites are paved, but ours anyway had a pretty steep dropoff to the picnic table and fire pit so the site was just an awkward feeling spot.
Sites are kind of run down but for the price we were happy.
Free hot showers. No laundry machines.
Overall a good place if you need to dump/fill/shower, but not a place I'd come to as a destination.
- (9) View All
Nice little campground for a few nights.
We hit this place up as we were travelling the gulf coast. Nice spot for a couple day layover. If you like casinos then maybe you'd enjoy a longer stay. Well maintained, though some of the hiking trails hadn't been repaired from storm damage yet. Close to Biloxi, and convenient stores, laundry and fuel nearby.
Nice State Park
Nice State Park. Clean and nice camp host.
Close to the very nice town of Ocean Springs Ms and its cool, walkable downtown.
We were originally in site 23 but asked to move to site 44 because 23 was right across from the Rv dump and all its smells as rv dumped.
The inner sites are longer and more level than the sites on the outside of the loop.
Quiet Swamp
Very clean bathrooms and showers. Campground is within a few miles of main road but seemed very quiet. Surrounding environment was very cool and visitor center had tons of displays. But many of the boardwalks were damaged and closed at the time of our visit.
- (4) View All
Pretty, social
Again, last-minute choice for an overnight that was a pleasant surprise. The campground itself isn’t that big, and the main loop is wide open with pads not far apart. If you want to hang out with other campers, this would be the place. We picked a site on the far, little loop which was much more private. Not much to do in the campground itself, but the park looks great. I’d come back and kayak the bayous. Not to mention hike. Very pretty place, looks well maintained.
- (4) View All
Quiet and close to town
There is not a lot to do in the campground, but it is close to a lot of things. We had nice shade for our tent. The park was full but really quiet. There were mostly older people there when we went. It was a nice place to relax. Not far from the beach and entertainment.
Pleasant stay in well kept park
Easy access from town and nearby aquarium and art museums. Great drive on 90 along the beach to get there. Check out the small but interesting William Anderson art museum close by the campground. Park was full but sites are well spaced. Clean bathroom with separate shower rooms. Easy walk to the shoreline for bird watching. Some hikes in the campground closed (due to overdue maintenance IMHO).Very friendly ranger checked us in.
Crammed
Apríl 2, 2021
Van Camper
Clean facility. Well maintained grounds. Huge picnic park
Friendly staff.
My site #35 is on the outside of the loop and on two levels. I can see the bayou through dense brush and trees. Little to no privacy anywhere in campground. Lots of car traffic, bicycles, dog walkers constantly passing by. Sites literally on top of each other.
Walked with dogs to Nature Trail but found it to be closed due to hurricane damage.
Lots of activity at the Boat Launch.
- (5) View All
Sucks
No parking, no getting on the grass, no sewer, no golf carts. And you need to be at least 100 to camp here.
Great place on the coast
Oct 2-4, 2020. Little late with this review. Nice quiet little place on the coast. Right on Davis Bayou. They’re is a nice public boat ramp in the park. The pads are asphalt. Most spots are shaded some part of the day. The sites have electric and water and there is a dump station next to bath house. The bath house is nice and clean. The staff is friendly and helpful. There are lots of activities nearby. We spent a day on kayaks exploring the smaller bayous. Beautiful place that we will return to.
- (17) View All
Lesson learned
Arrived in Biloxi only to discover the state park we selected to camp did not exist anymore. We were directed to Davis Bayou by a very nice police officer. We arrived at dark but were unaware this is a national park that requires reservations. With no internet signal we could not complete our registration that night but the camp host let us stay. In the morning all went well and we now know to always make reservations at a state or federal campground in advance. Other than that the site #13 was great. All concrete. Picnic tables and fire pits. Lots of free firewood for the taking because of the hurricane damage. 22.00 per night
Great park!
This was a super pleasant stop! We enjoyed exploring the trails and seeing the wildlife right around our campground. We had great internet for working and were close to an amazing BBQ restaurant featured on Guy Fieri’s show! We liked this park and would definitely stay again!
- (10) View All
Hidden Gem
One of south Mississippi's best kept secrets. This is a small campground located in the National Seashore within the city limits of Ocean Springs. The diverse ecosystem of the Bayou is fascinating and chances are very high you'll be able to see at least one large gator while you tour this park. (No worries, they're not near the campsites). The campground itself has 50 reservable sites, all with 30/50 amp electric and water. Fire rings and picnic tables are at each site also. Most are well shaded and far enough apart to be comfortable. Terrific bath house and convenient dump station. Ranger programs are offered through the visitors center which is a must see. The 20 minute video about the park's history and importance is well worth your time. Make sure to save time to tour the downtown area of Ocean Springs. It's one of the USA's top rated seaside communities.
Loved it
Awesome place clean bathroom
Close enough to civilization, but far enough to feel secluded
I've spent much of my life here. There's plenty of walking trails, and you can check out the gator alley area where you'll typically see at least one gator. There are plenty of pavilions around that you can rent for larger events, but it's generally pretty quiet here. It's far enough in the woods to where you don't hear much of the city traffic, but close enough to where emergency vehicles could reach you very quickly in case something happened. Safe area for kids, adults, and pets. You're guaranteed to see some pretty cool wildlife and sunsets!
Right in the heart of Ocean Springs
Located directly off Highway 90 in Ocean Springs, this campground has water and electric hookups, along with clean bathrooms. Lots of nature trails and outdoor exploring inside the campground.
Close to Ocean Springs, Ms.
This is a popular park during the winter months as it is a National Park. Reserve early. No wifi, no laundry but clean bathrooms and shower. Electric and water at the campsites and a dump station is available. Close to town and all the good eats. Nice clean park.
casino close
stayed here 1 night, part of national park system can use access pass, ac in bathrooms, electric, water, no sewers, has dump station, short drive to great restaurants and casinos!