2012 Map of Cat Island

About this map

Cat Island defines this coastal Mississippi landscape, showing its complex system of shifting sands and tidal inlets as they existed in the early 21st century. The northern reaches are anchored by Great Sand Hill and Little Bend, where North Bayou cuts into the interior marshes. To the south, the island’s profile becomes a narrow, elongated chain of spits, including South Spit and the remote Phoenix Spit. This geography highlights the dynamic nature of the Gulf shoreline, where features like Smugglers Cove and Good Scotch Point name the protected waters and landforms shaped by centuries of maritime activity and storms. The map documents the island's morphology from Raccoon Spit in the north to the isolated South East Spit, providing a baseline for studying coastal erosion and the fragile environment of the Mississippi Sound.