Pascagoula Beach Park - Mississippi

Address:Pascagoula, Mississippi

Like most of the beaches on Mississippi's Gulf Coast, Pascagoula Beach was nearly wiped out by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Beach Park pier was partly destroyed, later demolished and rebuilt. The mansions that lined the Pascagoula beachfront have not reached their pre-Katrina levels and may never do so. The beach pretty much washed away, but the US Army Corps of Engineers is working hard to restore the sand from Pascagoula River sediment. With the work almost complete, BP exploded their rig and spilled oil all over the Gulf, dumping tar balls all over Pascagoula's all-new beach. Even with all this happening, a visit to Pascagoula Beach is something that should not be missed on a trip to Mississippi's Gulf Coast. During the summer months, if you are lucky, you may get to hear a concert on the beach. And see the determination of the locals to restore the beauty of the white sand Gulf Coast beaches.

If you are looking for a white sand beach that fared much better in recent years, head east to Dauphin Island, Alabama, about a one hour drive through the bayou's or the Gulf Coast. If you are interested in a more primitive experience, head to Ship Island, off the Mississippi Coast. The pristine white sand beaches together with a visit to historic Fort Massachusetts makes a visit to Ship Island a unique beach experience. You will not find condos or even shops or restaurants, here. Ship Island is a part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore and is preserved as one of the last barrier islands in the area still in its undeveloped state (except for the fort, of course).