Long Beach Harbor — The Working Waterfront

The shrimp boats tie up alongside charter rigs and weekend sailboats. It's a working harbor, the most low-key waterfront access between Gulfport and Pass Christian, and it still functions the way it was designed to — boats come in, boats go out, captains run charters into the Mississippi Sound for redfish, speckled trout, and flounder. The Mississippi Gulf Coast gained prominence in the early 1900s as a gambling and tourist mecca. Gaming became legal in Harrison and Hancock counties during the early '90s, and Vegas-style casinos arrived. Long Beach Harbor didn't pivot. It kept being a harbor. Hurricane Camille hit in 1969. Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. The harbor survived Katrina. Harbors are designed for water. The western exposure faces St. Louis Bay. It's one of the best sunset views on the coast. Go at dusk.