by Harry Rucker

Created on: February 14, 2009   Last Updated: April 18, 2011

The Gulf Shores National Seashore is a National Park that was established in 1971 by the Department of the Interior to conserve a group of barrier islands and protect the natural shoreline along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in the southern United States. The national seashore boundaries are located near the cities of Gulfport and Biloxi in southern Mississippi, and the city of Pensacola in northwestern Florida. The park includes a significant dry land portion, and some four-fifths of the national seashore is underwater in the Gulf of Mexico. The national seashore stretches some 160 miles (260 km) from Cat Island in Mississippi (west) to Santa Rosa Island in Florida (east) and is divided by the state of Alabama. The total area of 215 square miles (556 square km) is nearly equally apportioned between Florida and Mississippi (Britannica Online, 2009).

As a main site of the Gulf Shores National Seashore the Davis Bayou Area section is located in Ocean Springs, Mississippi with the entrance to the section just off the eastbound rout of U.S. Highway 90. The Davis Bayou Area offers visitors a wide range of activities and experiences from camping and fishing to ranger-led programs and special events. Visitors can also take advantage of the many park features such as the visitor center, the boat ramp, the pavilions, and the camp grounds. There are also many marked trails of various lengths throughout the park that offer a variety of hiking experiences (National Park Service, 2009).
The Davis Bayou Area encourages groups like the Boy Scouts of America and the 4-H Club to use its facilities for various functions. Local Schools frequently go on field trips during the week days as well. On April 22, Earth Day, every year the Davis Bayou Area hosts a popular public event for environmental awareness. The park's fishing pier is open to all visitors that have a Mississippi State Saltwater Fishing License. Any boater may launch a boat from the easily assessable launch slip as long as the cost of using the boat ramp, being $3.00 ($1.50 for Interagency Senior Pass and Access pass holders), is paid. However, visitors can purchase an annual boat launch pass for $20 for one year; or $10 per year for Senior or Access pass holders. The Davis Bayou Campground is also open to the public. There is a large group camping area and it is available for reservations by organized groups of 10 or more people. The grounds around the visitor center are open from 8:00 a.m. until sunset with the

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