Deer Island Coastal Preserve

Just a few hundred yards off the coast of Biloxi, Mississippi, Deer Island stretches across the horizon; wild, undeveloped, and teeming with dolphins, shorebirds, seashells, and crabs. Though it sits just 300 yards from the mainland at its closest point, its maritime forests and pristine beaches feel a world away.

For paddlers and boaters, the island is a destination for fishing, birding, and solitude. For those staying ashore, its forests and dunes define the view from Biloxi Beach. But this peaceful coastal buffer was once at risk. Developers envisioned bridges, casinos, and resorts rather than a natural space that protected the community and connected people to nature. Thanks to a timely intervention by Trust for Public Land, nearly the entire island was protected and added to Mississippi’s Coastal Preserve System.

Today, Deer Island is not just a place of beauty and recreation. It’s a natural barrier protecting Bay communities from storm surge, a sanctuary for wildlife, and a lasting example of how conservation strengthens coastal resilience for generations to come.