Gulf Islands National Seashore: Davis Bayou Trail (Blog Hike #668)

Trail: Davis Bayou Trail

Hike Location: Gulf Islands National Seashore

Geographic Location: east side of Ocean Springs, MS (30.39135, -88.79050)

Length: 2.3 miles

Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)

Date Hiked: December 2017

Overview: A mostly roadside walk with nice views of Davis Bayou.

Seashore Information: https://www.nps.gov/guis/index.htm

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=733776
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: In extreme southern Mississippi, take I-10 to SR 609 (exit 50).  Exit and go south on SR 609.  Drive SR 609 south 2.8 miles to US 90 and turn left on US 90.  Drive US 90 east 2.9 miles to the signed entrance for Gulf Islands National Seashore on the right; there is a traffic light at this intersection.  Turn right and drive the park road to its end at the Visitor Center where this hike begins.

The hike: Stretching for 160 miles along the Gulf of Mexico’s northern coast, Gulf Islands National Seashore is the largest national seashore in the United States.  The national seashore was established in 1971 to protect the area surrounding the chain of barrier islands off the coast of Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi.  The sandy barrier islands are constantly being molded and shifted by wind and waves, and they provide an important layer of protection for the mainland during major storms.

            While the barrier islands off the coast of Florida can be reached by automobile, the barrier islands off the coast of Mississippi are accessible only by boat.  Fortunately for those of us without a watercraft, the national seashore also protects the area around Davis Bayou on the Mississippi mainland, which in turn features a nice Visitor Center, several fishing piers, and some short nature trails.  Some paths built along the national seashore’s roads allow you to combine Davis Bayou’s three short nature trails to form the slightly longer 2.3 mile hike described here.

Trailhead: Davis Bayou Trail

            After viewing the film and exhibits in the Visitor Center, walk to the left (east) across the parking lot to find the signed start of the Davis Bayou Trail.  The somewhat narrow sandy-dirt trail heads first north and then east through dense forest.  The forest along Davis Bayou consists mostly of mockernut hickory, southern magnolia, sweet gum, and loblolly pine with some saw palmetto in the understory.

            At 0.2 miles, you reach the park road, where you need to turn left to get to the next nature trail.  The seasonal pond located across the road contained several types of turtles on my visit.  A gravel path built on the shoulder of the road gives you refuge from vehicle traffic.

Roadside "boardwalk"

            Soon you reach the first of two roadside boardwalks that carry you over inlets of Davis Bayou.  These “boardwalks” are actually made of recycled plastic, and they provide excellent views of the wide and grassy bayou.  The expansive view makes for good wildlife viewing; I walked past a heron perched in a pine tree on the edge of the bayou.

Heron on pine tree

            After crossing the bayou inlet, you reach the signed spur trail to the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) overlook on the left.  To get away from the road, take this out-and-back spur trail as it leads out a narrow peninsula.  The trail ends in 0.2 miles at the site of a CCC camp that existed here from 1938 to 1941.  Only the concrete block foundation of the camp’s dining hall remains, and trees have grown up to block any view that may have been had here.  Thus, history rather than scenery is the main attraction for this side trip.

CCC dining hall foundation

            Back on the roadside trail, continuing north along the shoulder of Robert McGee Road leads to the last short nature trail excursion, the Nature’s Way Loop Trail on the left.  This point is also signed but not with the trail’s name.  Turn left to leave the road again, and quickly reach the intersection that forms this trail’s loop.  I chose to turn left and hike the loop clockwise.  Numbered posts indicate the existence of an interpretive guide for this trail, but none were available at the Visitor Center when I inquired about one.

Hiking on Nature's Way

            At 1.1 miles, the somewhat narrow trail reaches a wooden observation platform that overlooks Davis Bayou to the south.  While I could hear a lot of wildlife in the bayou, the dense tall grass allowed me to see only a couple of egrets.  Continuing around Nature’s Way takes you up and over a sandy ridge to reach a second Davis Bayou overlook, this one offering a similar view to the first one but toward the west.

            Just past the second overlook, you reach a short boardwalk and the Nature’s Way’s second entrance trail.  We will eventually turn right here to finish the Nature’s Way loop, but first walk out to the road where two points of interest await.  Directly across the road lies an alligator pond, which featured two turtles and a large alligator on my visit.  To the left lies the second roadside recycled plastic “boardwalk,” which yields a view directly down the length of Davis Bayou toward the Gulf of Mexico.  The national seashore’s campground and picnic area lie at the other end of the roadside boardwalk, so you can decide whether you want to turn around in the middle of the boardwalk or explore these areas.

Looking down Davis Bayou

            Back on the Nature’s Way, the balance of the short loop stays near the park road.  When you close the loop, continue straight to begin retracing your steps back to the Visitor Center and complete the hike.  Keep your eyes open on the walk back: you might spot birds and other wildlife that you missed on the walk out.