Best RV Parks & Resorts near De Soto National Forest

I’m not sure where they got the name from, but if El Colon was still living, he would really dig how this RV parking lot is using the name of his beloved Santa Maria! Located due south of Farragut Lake, right off Rt. 10 and just west of the Pascagoula River, you’ll come across Santa Maria RV Resort Marina. 

This spot offers up just about everything you would expect – full RV hook ups including water, sewer and electricity (30 / 50 amp), level gravel beds where you can just connect, level up and be done with it in under 5 minutes. Unlike most RV parking lots, this place has a ton of space and there’s somewhat good distance between your spot and those on either side of you. And if you’re hauling or driving anything bigger than the standard RV or camper, no worries, this place is spacious enough to accommodate just about any size (and even large group sizes). The campground was both kid and pet friendly. Also, I found the on-site campground management team to be incredibly over-friendly (nice Southern hospitality!) and accommodating. 

From an amenities standpoint, this place is completely full-service (in fact, they’ll escort you right to your campsite!). They’ve got a small, but clean swimming pool, laundr-O-mat, spartan restroom facilities and a propane pump on-site. WiFi is available for free and cable is offered for a small price if you need that. Overall, I found the place to be very well-organized, incredibly clean and exceptionally safe with round-the-clock security. 

With nature in mind, this place is in close proximity to quite a bit – from Gautier, MS who’s moniker is ‘Nature’s Playground,’ there’s tons of wildlife to see, decent outdoor recreation and hiking to be found and bayous all over the place to drop your kayak or canoe into. 

Insider’s tip? Some of the best kayaking was had in and around Mississippi - Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge. Closer to the campground though, you’ll find a splendid little Southern town in the City of Gautier, which has some quiet boutique-type shops, Southern restauarnts (I strongly recommend Belle’s on the Bayou or Country Gentleman), farmers market on the weekends, nice municipal parks and even some art exhibits from time to time. All in all, I strongly recommend Santa Maria RV Resort Marina if you’re looking for a decent stop along your travels. 

Happy Camping!

Despite the appearance of an unglorified RV parking lot with basically zero privacy and not much space in between the individual RV’s, this spot is a decent stopover if you need to pull your mobile living room over for a short spell. Lakeview RV Resort has more than 100 individual parking lanes for residents and I found the community to be inviting and friendly  there’s even some social gatherings poolside (very nice feature) each night around sundown. 

Of course, the gem of this place is the 16 acre lake, which I was able to get my kayak into for a few quick handful of laps early in the morning. If you’re driving an RV or hauling a camper behind your SUV, then this concrete camping parking lot just off of Highway 15 (due north of Interstate 10) near Saucier may just be the perfect spot for you. But if you’re a diehard tent camper like I am, you’ll be out of luck. 

With ample slanted and elongated parking lanes for your parking pleasure, all of the sites come equipped with the typical 30 / 50 amp electrical hook-ups, waste disposal and water connections, picnic tables, garbage receptacles and even a community BBQ. Additionally, they’ve got a small boat launch, cement / asphalt pads, internet, laundr-O-mat, pavilion for large group events and propane for sale. The restrooms were pretty decent (but could use a serious power spraying).  You’ll discover that both RV’s as well as even a handful of cabins / cottages comingle here, but basically, this is a site designed for and around RV’s.

Insider’s Tip? Near this RV parking lot, you do have access to all of the nightlife and entertainment you would expect to find in nearby Biloxi, and of course, there’s the world-famous Gulf Shores beachheads that are just a short drive to. I’m a diehard foodie, so after a few days of cooking campside, I like to head into town for a nice local meal. There’s 2 great places I could recommend, right off RT. 10, due south of Lakeview RV Resort– either Puff Belly’s Brewery, Pizza& Grill(great live review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b55Vs2hnJk4&t=7s) or Fried Green Tomato, which lives up to its reputation as the Best Fried Green Tomatoes in the South(https://www.tasteofthesouthmagazine.com/souths-best-fried-green-tomatoes/). 

Overall, for the price, convenience and location, Lakeview RV Resort isn’t a bad spot for a night to take a break. 

Happy Camping!

What a great little RV park Magnolia Sands is!! Bridgett and Gary offer a rural setting in southeast Mississippi. 5 miles from Wiggins, Ms. Park has 20 sites with full hook-ups. $24 for 30 amp and $26 per night for 50 amp. Beautiful park amongst the trees with its own pond. Concrete pads are large enough to handle most “big rigs”. Open year round and monthly rates are available. The park is 40 miles north of Gulf Port and Biloxi so finding some Gulf beaches is easy. On site is a laundry, game room, meeting room and bathrooms with showers. Basketball and volleyball areas provide recreational entertainment. A strong WiFi network is available. The nearby town of Wiggins has everything you’ll need! Restaurants, grocery stores and fuel.

If you are looking for a quite, peaceful, no frills spot to stay… I highly recommend Magnolia Sands RV Park! We have already booked our stay to return in March.

Good RV parking lot with full hookups. Pads are level and get beautiful sun rises from your camper. Great stop while going to Casino or hanging out in Bay St Louis or any activity on the coast. A lil overpriced for what you get.

Arriving in the dark and rain, we were met at the gate and escorted in. He guided me back into the spot and got us settled in. The park is quite and the staff is super. One of the best parks that we have stayed at, ever.

The article blast came while we were here add precautions were made. We were here visiting family and did not participate in the activities that they offered as we were not on property during those times.

We highly recommend this family owned RV Resort!

Family of five went for a week long camping trip. Park is well maintained with full hook up for our 33 ft travel trailer. The lake was great for Kayaking, Canoeing and swimming. Very quiet during the week park. I will definitely recommend this park.

While maybe not a destination site, it’s great for overnighting. We’ve stayed here for an overnight several years in a row on our way to Gulf Shores from Central AR. Concrete pads, full hookups, excellent satellite reception throughout the park. The RV Park is adjacent to a multi purpose facility. Rodeo, barrel racing, concerts, gatherings, etc. In our stops here, the park has never been more than a 1/3 occupied. Plenty of spaces to choose from. Payment is the honor system. $20 on the way out!

No pull throughs....some spots are hard to park campers in...clean and full hook ups in all spots

Sites closest to the water are closed, the rest of the campgrounds are nice & spacious with full hook-ups. They’ve rebuilt extensively and well since Katrina

Very nice and clean park. Close to the beach. Very clean bathhouses. Full hook ups. Water park that’s not included but accessible through the park. Hiking trails and pool.

With less than 50 spaces, this beautiful little park, just 4 miles from beautiful white sand beaches, is tucked away from the roads and surrounded by a wonderful mixed forest of hardwood and pines. Walking trails are meticulously maintained and provide a wide variety of walking choices throughout this park. There is a pond surrounded by the trails filled with lily pads that was starting to bloom as we left a week ago. There is even a“contemplation bench” on the edge of the pond perfect for sitting and just taking in the beauty of the surroundings. 

The RV spaces are of different sizes to accommodate different sized rigs but all are well spaced, extremely level, and very well maintained. Each space has their own fire ring and picnic table. All of the full hookup utilities are in an excellent state of repair and maintenance. Roads are well maintained and ruts or pot holes are quickly filled with gravel and graded when they appear. 

Aesthetics are important to this park. From the moment you drive in, you are greeted by the very attractive office facility which has a small store of RV essentials and a good selection of shirts and hats sporting the parks’ logo. 

Amenities: Where to start- as I said with regards to the facilities, all of the amenities are meticulously maintained. The park has well priced onsite propane refills. You simply drop off your tank and it is returned to you at your site filled promptly. The laundry and bath facilities are spotless and a pleasure to use. The clubhouse with both indoor and outdoor facilities is amazing! The covered outdoor seating area has a great welcoming fireplace and wonderful ambiance that just feels like home to all who enter. The pool is very nice with wonderful deck seating, lots of shade umbrellas and very nicely landscaped. The enclosed dog park is a great place to give your pups their off-leash time as well. It’s well grassed and maintained and provides a safe and secure place to spend time with your dog(s) any time of day. The WiFi is adequate and is constantly being evaluated for improvements. Just this last year, fiber optic internet was brought into the park and the owners plan to upgrade the service even more this next year. I forgot to mention, you can have your mail forwarded here and they deliver it to your site daily! We just can’t say enough about our experience here. 

Experience: Bay Hide Away has the look and feel of a boutique B&B only for RVs. Randy and Lea, the park owners and seasoned RVrs, go above and beyond to make a stay there a true experience. A wide range of activities for nearly all interests are provided from game nights, periodic“steak dinners”, pot lucks, craft sessions, weekly Happy Hours, holiday parties and dinners, and frequent tours of the local area for nearly every taste and interest. 

Signature experiences such as“We meet to eat” at select local restaurants, weekly men’s breakfasts and women’s lunches provide a great way to get to know your neighbors. It’s a rare night that you don’t see several folks gathered around fire pits enjoying this place and sharing with others. Randy and Lea go above and beyond to help guests with any maintenance activities that may be required as well. Randy and Lea are seen daily in their golf cart in the late afternoon and evenings making the rounds to nearly every site sharing news and laughter with the guests that they all know by name. It just doesn’t get any more personal than this. Randy and Lea have made our stay here the standard to which our stay at other RV parks will be held. 

Afterthought: COVID-19 was a sobering experience to all of us. Randy and Lea acted quickly and responsibly to shut down activities, manage access to the shower/laundry facilities and to set a standard for social distancing within the park. All the while still checking up on their guests on a daily basis. They quickly managed reservation changes to accommodate“sheltering in place” for those that needed that support. Thank you again Randy and Lea for this most wonderful experience.

Treasure Cove Loop has beautiful trees. We enjoyed being so close to the beach. Bay St Louis has the cutest little town and shops. Camp ground clean, full hook ups, and several large bathhouses. Staff very helpful and friendly. Trails to beautiful swamp were bike friendly. Large playground for little ones; also pools and slides.

Campground is owned by the Silver Slipper Casino just down the road and does not provide much in the way of amenities other than full hook ups. BUT, If you are looking for a place that puts you on the beach/ocean, then look no further. The property is very well maintained, pads are spacious, concrete and level. And the views are absolutely stunning! I would bet that during the warmer months this place and the beach are packed full so I am glad we visited when we did.

The silver slipper RV lot is nothing more than an RV parking lot across the road from a narrow but long and beautiful beach. Water, electric and sewer hookups. Town is close by, casino right down the road. About $37 a night. No bathroom, no laundry.

Nice state park with full hook up sites with the exception of the sites across from the beach.
Price per night is $30. Each site has a picnic table and charcoal grill (with the exception of Royal Cay Loop). There is a pool, game room, water park and several bath houses, none of which were open due to COVID. The pool and water park both have extra fee's to use. They also have an 18 hole disc golf course and a playground for the kids.

Flint creek has TONS of sites with full hook ups in 30 and/or 50 amp and even a primitive (water only) tent sites. Different sections allow folks to feel like they are away from the crowds.  Price is absolutely reasonable and there is night security by staff and local law enforcement.

The water park has a ton of slides and will keep kids young and old entertained sliding down the hill into the lake.

Several swimming holes and boat ramps lets you enjoy the lake however you want.