Park Service plans cleanup of heavy debris on Ship Island beach
The National Park Service is going to clean heavy debris off Ship Island’s south beach on the Gulf of Mexico.
The debris — mostly marsh grass, driftwood and splintered wood — has washed up from Mississippi River flooding and winter storms. It was heavy enough to force Ship Island Excursions for the first time in memory to relocate beach chairs to the barrier island’s north side. The popular ferry service, which dates back to 1926, starts its summer tourist season Saturday.
The park service said about 250 feet of the 400-foot beach designated for swimming on the barrier island will be cleaned up. Ship Island is part of Gulf Islands National Seashore, which runs from Florida through Mississippi. The island’s south side borders the Gulf of Mexico, while the north side is on the Mississippi Sound.
Ship Island Excursions runs its ferry service under a contract with the NPS.
“Gulf Islands National Seashore is aware of the natural, woody debris that has recently washed up on Ship Island,” the NPS said in an emailed response to questions from the Sun Herald. “As the volume of material is appreciable and unlike other events, the National Park Service, working in cooperation with the concessionaire Ship Island Excursions, has organized a shoreline clean-up event . . .”
The cleanup will happen Friday, weather permitting, the park service says. The rest of the island will be left as-is. Ship Island Excursions staff members have been clearing away some of the debris, but larger pieces must be picked up with heavy machinery.
The NPS email added, “Apart from the designated recreational swim beach on Ship Island, all other shoreline areas on islands managed by NPS are not maintained or groomed, but rather natural processes are allowed unimpeded in accordance with the agency’s overarching mission.”
This story was originally published May 15, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
