Hidden Cove RV Park — Gator Country

The drive from Florida through Alabama and into Mississippi was actually much nicer than expected. I  wasn’t quite sure what to expect once we reached Mississippi, but the journey itself was beautiful.

When we arrived at Hidden Cove, we were assigned a site right alongside the bayou. This also meant we were very close to the office, bathrooms, and showers. The bathrooms and showers were accessed through the laundry room and up a step, which made things a little challenging for Herb, although he managed just fine.

I was able to get us unpacked without any issues, but I had to be mindful of how close I was to the water’s edge. I don’t like being near the edge of anything, whether it’s a cliff, a dock, or a body of water. There were signs warning campers to watch out for snakes and alligators, and fortunately, we never saw any snakes during our stay.

My bed was on the side of the trailer closest to the bayou, and after a day or two, I noticed a baby alligator in the water beside us. What was strange was that from day to day, I kept thinking it looked bigger or smaller than I remembered. Eventually, I realized the reason: there wasn’t just one baby alligator. There were at least three that I saw during our stay.

One of them, the largest of the three, seemed particularly interested in me. Whenever I was outside dealing with hoses, setting up equipment, or doing campsite chores, it would often appear nearby in the water. One day it followed me wherever I went while I was busy outside. By the last day of our stay, while I was packing up to leave, it had come exceptionally close to shore. A little too close for my comfort.

Despite the alligator encounters, staying alongside the bayou was a unique experience. It was peaceful, beautiful, and unlike any campsite we had stayed at before. The wildlife was certainly part of the adventure, even if some of it made me a little nervous.