Forget Florida, Visit Mississippi's 'Gateway To The Gulf Coast' With A Water Park, Local Shops, And Lake Camping

Move over, Florida; the Sunshine State isn't the only Gulf state with southern charm, natural beauty, and scores of recreational opportunities. Tourism is surging in Mississippi, with 43.7 million visitors in 2023 and 44.2 million in 2024, up from 23.95 million in 2022, according to Visit Mississippi. Urban destinations like Gulfport, Mississippi's second-largest city, are certainly a draw for visitors. But some of the biggest winners in Mississippi's economic boom have been small towns like Wiggins, home to just 4,300 full-time residents. 

Dubbed the "Gateway to the Gulf Coast," Wiggins sits about 35 miles directly north of the Gulf of Mexico. The first settlers arrived here in the 1830s, clearing a space for their town in the virgin yellow pine forest. Early ventures focused on milling and selling timber, which eventually became depleted. At that point, residents turned to canning pickles, eventually establishing the business that grew into the American Pickle and Canning Company, which flourished for over half a century in Wiggins before relocating to Texas. 

The town's next boom could be tourism. Wiggins raked in $13 million in tourism in 2024, suggesting that visitors are not just passing through on their way to Gulf beaches. They're sticking around for a while, soaking up Wiggins' southern charm, playing in the Flint Creek Water Park, and camping near the Flint Creek Reservoir, immersed in beautiful nature. 

Southern charm thrives in Mississippi's underrated smaller towns like Tupelo, and Wiggins is no exception to the rule. It may be tiny, but Wiggins offers both residents and visitors most of the amenities they need. "Even though we are small, we really don't have to travel to other cities to eat anymore, to dine out, to just about do anything," Wiggins Mayor Darrell Berry told WXXV News 25. "Anything you can find at the bigger cities, you can find it here."

Shops and restaurants are scattered around downtown Wiggins, mostly on North Magnolia Drive. Visitors will find clothing boutiques and consignment retailers, antique and home decor stores, and places selling fishing supplies, along with tools and home repair items. The restaurants around town are also surprisingly diverse. There are the expected seafood restaurants, steakhouses, and Southern BBQ joints, but also Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and Mexican eateries, often with more than one in a given ethnic category.

Visiting these establishments is about more than eating the food or surveying the goods. It's a chance to mingle with locals and see what life here is really like. One cafe-shop combination that reviewers recommend is Southern Turnings, which sells local art, home decor items, and coffee. "This coffee shop is probably the best thing that ever happened to our county, hands down," wrote a Google reviewer. "If you are traveling through our community, this place is a must-stop. Come by and enjoy the best coffee you've ever had and support our local artists."

Wiggins residents and visitors need not look far to find outdoor fun, either. Only 1.5 miles northeast of downtown is the Flint Creek Water Park, a lovely recreation area on the 650-acre Flint Creek Reservoir. The 1,900-acre park offers both land-based and water-based activities. Hikers can meander down the 2.2-mile Flint Creek Water Park Nature Trail, a moderately difficult trail with a few hills that meanders through the forest on an inner peninsula of the reservoir, with opportunities to spot deer and other wildlife. There's also a disc golf course for those who want to give this fun sport a whirl. 

Water lovers can swim at reservoir beaches or play in the onsite family-friendly water park, which features a pool, waterslides, and a relaxation area with umbrellas near the shoreline. "The waterpark is large enough to keep everyone busy all day, but small enough that you can easily keep your eyes on your kids ... The lifeguards are very attentive, and they walk around with water and popsicles for them all throughout the day," penned a satisfied Google reviewer. Visitors can also rent a kayak or canoe to explore the reservoir's 13 miles of shoreline or spend the day angling for bass, catfish, and other species.

Cabins and a campground accommodate overnight guests throughout the year. The campground has primitive sites for tents as well as RV sites with hookups. Some sites are near the water, while others are surrounded by forest. The campground's amenities include picnic tables, grills, and bathhouses with showers. For more splash-filled adventures, Buccaneer State Park is another of Mississippi's hidden gems, offering camping and a waterpark. It's a little more than an hour's drive southwest of Wiggins, right on the Gulf Coast. Visitors who want a more cosmopolitan experience can also opt to head just 45 minutes south to Gulfport, a chic coastal paradise regarded as the "Riviera of the South."