The 5 Best Places to Camp in Mississippi this Summer

For some of the bet camping in Mississippi it is going to be hard to choose between a coastal campground along the beach, a lake side retreat with excellent fishing or a site right on the Mississippi River. With campgrounds that are rustic and remote to resort-style campgrounds with water parks, Mississippi has a little bit of everything. Here are the 5 best places to camp in Mississippi this summer.

Gulf Islands National Seashore: Davis Bayou Campground

Located along the southern coast of Mississippi is the Gulf Islands National Seashore. In and around the seashore you will find a variety of wildlife including bottlenose dolphins, river otters, raccoons and armadillo. You can take a boat or charter one out to one of the four coastal islands of Cat, Horn, Petit Bois and East Ship where you can experience island camping at its best. On the mainland there is a 51-site campground, Davis Bayou Campground which is far from rustic with electric and water at each site and restrooms/showers in the campground. There is also a visitor center, boat launch and fishing pier.

Buccaneer State Park

Buccaneer State Park is located in the SE corner of Mississippi on the Gulf of Mexico. A little bit of history, the entire park was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina back in August of 2005. The waterpark, park’s structures and facilities were all wiped out. But after many years of restoration it has been brought back to be one of the best places to camp in Mississippi. The waterpark is definitely one of the huge draws but there is also the Pirate’s Alley Nature Trail where you can see Brown Pelicans, Egrets and Blue Crabs. The campground has 206 RV/Tent sites with full hookups and 70 sites situated up on a grassy hill that overlooks the Gulf of Mexico. There are also 25 primitive sites tucked back in the back of the park.

McLeod Park Campground

The McLeod Park Campground is a friendly, smaller campground right on the banks of the Jourdan River. Near Kiln, Mississippi you will be close to town but have the unique nature experience as well. Each modern site has water electric and sewer. The campground has a camp store, playground, splashpad, basketball court and disc golf. To enjoy the river and nearby Jimmie Lake you can rent a canoe or bring your own boat for some fishing, swimming or just enjoying the wildlife. As a coastal river you may be lucky to catch largemouth bass, spotted bass, red ear sunfish and bluegills. Haul your catches back to your campsite for a Friday night fish fry.

LeFleur’s Bluff State Park, Jackson

For another one of the best places to camp in Mississippi this summer stay right near all the action. To enjoy all the sites of Jackson with a home base at a campground, LeFleur’s Bluff State Park is right in the heart of everything. Just east of the downtown area situated on Lake Mayes and the Pearl River this 305-acre park offers hiking trails, boating, fishing and a 9-hole golf course. The fishing is fine on Lake Mayes for crappie, bream, bass and catfish. The park is literally 3 miles to the downtown area where you can visit the Mississippi  Museum of Natural History, Children’s Museum, Museum of Art or any of the delicious restaurants and intriguing shops. Such a convenient and easily access location that offers the best of both worlds.

Red Bluff, Mimosa Landing Campground

Red Bluff is the “Little Grand Canyon” of Mississippi. The canyon of carved red rock is carved by the Pearl River, and is still eroding its way through the rocks. It has even worked its way through one of the roads twice with its rapid expansion. This is definitely not a leisurely walk on a paved trail, in fact there are few trails if any. But you can explore on your own and hike down to the bottom of the canyon. You might even see a red-tailed hawk circling above the canyon as you hike. There you can follow the stream, through a forest and end up at the Pearl River.

There is not any camping at Red Bluff but in nearby Columbia there is a campground right on the Pearl River. The Mimosa Landing Campground has RV sites, Tent sites and cabins to rent with some right along the river. There are restrooms, hot showers, a swimming pool, basketball court, and fishing pond stocked for catch and release. Look for osprey and herons along the river and relax after a long day of hiking at the Bluffs.

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