White sand beaches in this MS city ‘rival’ Florida top spots, Southern Living says
Dreaming of vacationing in a quaint, coastal town this summer? A Mississippi town of about 50,000 has white sand beaches on par with some of the most popular beaches in the South, according to Southern Living.
Biloxi was recently recognized by the magazine for having some of the whitest sand found in the Magnolia State.
“Considered one of the state’s best beach towns, Biloxi is known for its picturesque sand and calm waters that are protected by barrier islands just south of the beach in the Gulf of Mexico,” senior editor Tara Massouleh McCay wrote in the Southern Living article.
What makes the sand at Biloxi Beach white?
Biloxi Beach is part of a sandy, 26-mile stretch of Mississippi making up the world’s largest manmade beach, according to Southern Living and Visit Mississippi.
Its sand is made up of quartz-rich sediments and other minerals — including garnet, magnetite and ilmenite — which make it appear white, according to the National Park Service.
“Coastal Mississippi is constantly surprising us, but one of its most delightful surprises is the fact that some of its beaches have white sand that rivals even Florida’s top spots,” McCay wrote.
Despite its beauty, Biloxi Beach, along with most beaches on the Mississippi Coast, is shrinking. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working to add more than 2 million cubic yards of sand to the stretch, doubling its size, the Sun Herald reported.
Can anyone enter Biloxi Beach?
While many beaches have restricted access, Biloxi Beach is a free beach available to the public, and has several free parking spots.
You can access the beach near the Biloxi Lighthouse, West Biloxi Beach Boardwalk and multiple casino beachfronts.
See beach rules here.
