the island's pier and boardwalk. These facilities included offices and sleeping quarters for National Park Service staff, public restrooms and showers, and the public concessions building. Fort Massachusetts received minimal damage and was soon reopened to the public. The pier and boardwalk were rebuilt as well. Temporary restrooms and a small concessions trailer were on the island while new facilities were rebuilt. The reproduction of the 1886 lighthouse was reduced to rubble. In 2008, Ship Island was surveyed just 2 weeks after Hurricane Ike. Scientists had a difficult time finding the island. The eastern half of the island had completely disappeared, leaving only parts of the western half. It is unknown whether the island was eroded by Hurricane Ike, or if erosion occurred when Hurricane Gustav hit just 2 weeks earlier. In April 2009, the rebuilding of the island's ranger station, restrooms, visitor center and snack bar washed away by Hurricane Katrina began and was scheduled to be completed in the Fall of 2009. As part of this rehabilitation, parts of Fort Massachusetts damaged by Hurricane Katrina are also being repaired. In June 2010, containment booms encircled the island in an attempt to protect it from oil leaking from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In early 2019, the US Army Corps of Engineers completed the project to rejoin the two islands, eliminating Camille Cut. Activities Today, Ship Island serves as a tourist destination. Activities include fishing, swimming, and tours of Fort Massachusetts. Access Ship Island is accessible through private or chartered boat. It is also accessible by a privately owned ferry boat company, Ship Island Excursions, running from Gulfport, Mississippi 12 miles (19 km) out to the island for a fee. Ship Island Excursions has been running boats to the island since before the National Park Service acquired the island. Today, they are an official Park Service Concession. References External links Ship Island Excursions Gulf Islands National Seashore - Official NPS site Barrier islands of Mississippi History of Louisiana American Civil War sites Protected areas of Harrison County, Mississippi Deepwater Horizon oil spill Gulf Islands National Seashore Landforms of Harrison County, Mississippi