Ship Island Ferry in Gulfport, Mississippi

Ship Island Excursions, an authorized concessionaire for the Mississippi Unit of Gulf Islands National Seashore, runs a public ferry to Ship Island from mid-March through the end of October. The ferry does not leave out of Ocean Springs where the National Park Service’s Davis Bayou area is located, but from Gulfport. The drive from Ocean Springs to Gulfport is about 25 miles.

In the spring (mid-March through mid-May) and fall (mid-August through October 31st) departures during the week are on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 9 AM with the return trip from Ship Island leaving at 2:30 PM. It’s a hour ride, so you have from about 10 AM until 2 PM to enjoy yourself. On the weekends there are two departures (9 AM and 12 PM) and two return trips (2:30 PM and 5 PM). You can return home on either boat, but for most people four hours on the beach with no real escape from the sun is enough, and everyone tends to head out on the corresponding return ferry (early-early or late-late). You choose a departure time when purchasing your ticket, but in truth, nobody checks to see what ferry you booked for the return trip, so it is possible to change your mind.

From mid-May through mid-August (about the time school starts back in the south) the ferry operates seven days a week. There is a 9 AM and 12 PM ferry departure from Gulfport and a 2:30 PM and 5 PM return to Gulfport.

The ferry dock in Gulfport is really easy to find, and there is a large, free parking lot. If you are camping at Davis Bayou Campground as I was, I suggest leaving at least an hour before departure for weekend and afternoon excursions, and even earlier for the weekday morning ferry due to potential rush-hour traffic. Map programs tell you that it is about a 40-minute drive, but the quickest route is Highway 90, and you hit a lot of lights. There is no boarding cut-off time, so as long as you can hop aboard before they shut the gate, which is just before pulling out, you can ride. Reservations are accepted, but even if you have an “internet ticket,” you must still go to the booth and turn it in for a real ticket. Thus, factor in potentially standing in line when deciding when to leave.

My daughter and I came on the 9 AM ferry, and we were planning to leave at 2:30 PM until she meet somebody arriving on the noon ferry. Being an only child, whenever she can find somebody to play with I don’t deny her the chance, so we stayed until 5 PM. Luckily it was overcast that day, so another three hours on the beach wasn’t too bad for me. Of course for kids, they don’t ever want it to end.