This Quiet Mississippi City Is An Underrated Gem For Nature Lovers

If you were to suggest Biloxi as a travel destination for a nature lover, you might receive some raised eyebrows in response. While the city is known for its setting on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, it is even more known for its casino culture and flashy resorts. In 2024, USA Today listed two Biloxi casinos as the top ten most popular casinos in the nation. This includes the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, which also made USA Today's 2024 list of "Best Casinos Outside Las Vegas." While this overshadowing reputation might cause the city’s natural attractions to be overlooked, it does not make them any less spectacular.

As with most underrated attractions, Biloxi’s shores, maritime landmarks, and coastal excursions are just waiting to be discovered. By looking past its towering casinos, this Mississippi city may just surprise you with how much natural splendor it has to offer.

Why Is Biloxi Underrated?

Biloxi may be perched on the beautiful Gulf Coast, but statistically, most come here for its world-class casinos. For over thirty years, legalized gambling has lured a vibrant crowd to the city, even back when casinos were still barred from land. In 1992, the legalization of riverboat gambling became a popular loophole, causing thousands to flock to the city’s floating casinos.

As of 2025, Biloxi now has eight coastal casinos to choose from, following current Mississippi laws that state gambling houses can only be built along the Gulf Coast and Mississippi River. Between 13 and 15 million people visit these casinos every year, earning Biloxi its reputation as a renowned gambling destination. As a result, the city’s natural attractions can feel like an afterthought.

However, despite often being overshadowed by Biloxi’s more glamorous attractions, the city’s natural charms are just as worthwhile. While Biloxi may not be on every nature lover’s radar, its maritime heritage and stunning coastal scenes are extremely underrated. Even if you find yourself in Biloxi for its nightlife and gaming, consider giving the city’s natural attractions a shot during the day. Biloxi’s sandy shores, offshore island, and intoxicating ocean views will showcase a different side to the gambling city, unveiling the other half of its identity: a breathtaking nature retreat.

The Best Outdoor Attractions In Biloxi

Swim And Lounge At Biloxi Beach

Biloxi Beach is the first place most go when seeking a day outdoors in the Mississippi city. For gamers, the beach is a relaxing refuge from slot machines and card tables, especially since it is close to several of the city’s major casinos like the Hard Rock Casino and Beau Rivage Resort & Casino. However, the public shore shines in countless ways beyond its connecting attractions. For instance, Gulf barrier islands help shelter the beach, keeping its waters mellow for swimming. Visiting the beach is also free of charge, making it a great cost-effective activity in Biloxi. For some, this means putting more money toward extra activities like Biloxi Beach Jet Ski Rentals, while others may prefer a more laid-back day in the sand.

Discover History and Nature at Lighthouse Park

Lighthouse Park is the perfect follow-up to a day at the beach, just steps from the sandy shore. While the park is fairly new, having opened in 2015, it houses one of Biloxi’s oldest landmarks. The historic lighthouse serves as the park’s centerpiece, blending history and nature in a fabulous way. The beacon was built in 1848, making history as one of the first southern lighthouses constructed using cast iron. In the years that followed, it was tended by notable figures like Maria and Miranda Younghans. The mother-daughter lightkeepers operated the beacon for 63 years, making it the longest female-operated beacon in the United States.

Throughout the years, the 64-foot landmark has braved various storms. It suffered damages from Hurricane Katrina before reopening after renovations in 2010, serving as a reminder of Biloxi’s resilience. As of 2025, visitors can take a guided lighthouse tour, offered daily from 9 to 10 a.m., or admire the iconic beacon from the park while also appreciating its natural surroundings. The park features an elevated nature trail highlighting Biloxi’s native flora along a ravine that was once a bayhead swamp.

Take a Biloxi Boat Tour to the Deer Island Coastal Preserve

About a half-mile south of Biloxi, Deer Island is a “Tiny Treasure” offering a more secluded and natural view of the coast. Known for its rich ecology and ten types of endangered species, this quiet Coastal Preserve showcases Biloxi’s “wild side.” With no facilities or buildings in sight, visitors can boat, paddle, and explore the Preserve’s sandy shores without interruption. While deer no longer inhabit the marshy island, wildlife viewing is also one of its biggest draws, so keep your eyes peeled for ospreys, loggerhead turtles, and even American alligators.

Biloxi Boat Tours offers countless ways to adventure to the Preserve. Departing from Biloxi’s Point Cadet Marina, visitors can take the Deer Island Ferry for 90 minutes of island time or the Deer Island Sunset Cruise for 30 minutes of island time with watercolor skies. To see more of Biloxi’s coast, the Biloxi Boat Ride shortens your time on the island, focusing more on the beauty of the Mississippi Sound. This tour is also popular with those looking to spot dolphins along the way.

Book an Educational Biloxi Shrimping Trip

While Biloxi no longer considers itself the “Seafood Capital of the World,” the city’s fishing and shrimping culture is alive and well. While there are tons of amazing seafood restaurants in Biloxi, one of the best ways to experience the city’s maritime heritage is aboard a Biloxi Shrimping Trip. Entertaining tourists since 1954, the Biloxi Cruise Company is renowned for its Living Marine Adventure Cruise. The 70-minute excursion takes guests between Deer Island and the Biloxi shoreline, showcasing ocean views with an educational twist. While aboard, guests are exposed to a real shrimping expedition, learning about the process through hands-on interactions and guided explanations. This excursion is a great way for kids to learn more about the area’s marine life, but it is also a fun outdoor adventure for people of all ages.

Biloxi Beyond Its Casinos: A Legacy Of Conservation

Biloxi’s reputation as a casino destination may be its main claim to fame, but the city also has a spirited history of conservation. As one of Mississippi’s first cities to hire an arborist and establish an ordinance protecting the area’s trees, Biloxi has a history of paving the way for conservation efforts. Deer Island serves as another example. Between 1999 and 2002, Biloxi annexed and purchased the island from private owners to make it a part of the Mississippi Coastal Preserves System. This allowed the city to restore and preserve the island’s ecological integrity, which it maintains to this day. Through ecotourism, Biloxi is also able to exhibit the area’s natural beauty while increasing support for its ongoing conservation efforts, which is even more reason to explore the city’s natural side.

The Takeaway

Biloxi will likely always shine brightest as a casino destination, but its natural attractions and maritime heritage will capture the heart of any nature lover. Whether visiting its sandy shores as a break from the card tables or devoting an entire trip to the Deer Island Coastal Preserve, your time in outdoor Biloxi will leave you with a different perspective of the city. Past its flashing lights, high-rise buildings, and glitzy entertainment districts, this coastal community is a natural oasis waiting to be explored.