Savannah

Coastal Refuges

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
The chain of national

wildlife refuges (NWR)

that forms the Savannah

Coastal Refuges complex

extends from Pinckney

Island NWR near Hilton

Head Island, South

Carolina, to Wolf Island

NWR near Darien,

Georgia. Between these

lie Savannah (the largest

unit in the complex),

Wassaw, Tybee, Harris

Neck, and Blackbeard

Island refuges. Together

they span a 100-mile

stretch of coastline and

total 56,949 acres. The

Savannah Coastal

Refuges are administered

from headquarters located

in Savannah, Georgia.
The Lowcountry

Bordered on the west by sandhill

ridges and on the east by the Atlantic

Ocean lies a band of low land

extending from Georgetown, South

Carolina, to St. Mary’s, Georgia,

known locally as the Lowcountry. For

over two centuries the diversity of

fauna and flora within this region has

attracted such naturalists as

Alexander Wilson, Mark Catesby,

John James Audubon, and William

Bartram.

While the Carolina parakeets and

ivory-billed woodpeckers which once

inhabited the freshwater swamps

within this coastal lowland have

vanished, many rare and uncommon

species remain. The southern bald

eagle still soars majestically over the

remnants of vast bottomlands such as

those contained within the Savannah

National Wildlife Refuge. Egrets and

herons, once hunted nearly to

extinction by the plume hunters of

the early 1900’s, continue to nest in

rookeries such as those on Harris

Neck National Wildlife Refuge.

The variety of birdlife within the

Lowcountry is enhanced by its

location on the Atlantic flyway.

During the winter months, thousands

of mallards, pintails, teal and as many

as ten other species of ducks migrate

into the area, joining resident wood

ducks on the coastal refuges. In the

spring and fall, transient songbirds

and shorebirds stop briefly on their

journeys to and from northern

nesting grounds.

Among these casual visitors are the

diminutive warblers (magnolia,

prairie, blackpoll...) and sandpipers

(buff-breasted, white-rumped,

pectoral...). Many migrant songbirds

and shorebirds terminate their

southern journeys and spend the

winter. The hermit thrush, rubycrowned kinglet, yellow-rumped

Cover photo:

Great blue heron

Gerald Tollison

Karen & John Hollingsworth©

Great egret

This blue goose,

designed by J.N.

“Ding” Darling,

has become the

symbol of the

National

Wildlife Refuge

System.
warbler, black-bellied plover, and

sanderling are a few of the winter

residents.

In the heat of the humid summer

months, the Lowcountry’s native

flora ripens. The sweet magnolia

blossoms, symbolic of the deep

South, are abundant, and lush beards

of Spanish moss thicken with every

rain. The live oak trees sport vibrant

green manes of resurrection fern.

Visions of the Old South when rice

was king in the Lowcountry best

come to mind during these lazy

summer months. The plantation

homes may be gone, but the

cultivated lands which made them

possible live on. Though rice is no

longer grown, the old fields have

found new service as habitat for

waterfowl and wading birds.

Nothing remains of Laurel Hill

Plantation which once stood at the

present main entrance to Savannah

National Wildlife Refuge, but many

of the dikes, originally built by slaves

and itinerant Irishmen, and

modernized rice field trunks (water

control structures) continue to serve

in management of the historic

Lowcountry’s marshland.

USFWS
Barrier Islands

Barrier islands are so named because

they form a barrier between the

ocean and the mainland. They are an

integral part of a continuous chain of

islands and beaches stretching from

Maine to Texas that protect the coast

from hurricanes and storms.

Nowhere can there be found a more

completely developed system of large

barrier islands than on the Georgia

Coast. The Spanish called them

Guale, the Golden Isles.

Anyone who has spent time at the

beach is at once aware of two major

forces which affect barrier islands—

wind and tides. The energy released

by these natural elements is awesome

indeed, and has battered our

coastline unceasingly for thousands

of years. To counter this force, nature

has developed a remarkable defense

system—sand. Sand offers enough

resistance to absorb and dissipate the

tremendous energy of coastal storms.

Thus man and his structures on the

mainland are protected from the full

violence of storms by the barrier

islands.

Behind the barrier islands lie salt

marshes, described by some as the

world’s most productive acreage.

Here nutrients from both fresh and

salt water mix, supporting growth of

David E. Goeke
organic material that moves into the

sea to become a major link in the

marine food chain. These marshes

are also the nurseries for countless

marine organisms, including shrimp,

oysters, crabs, striped bass, and

other commercial and sport species

that are particularly important to the

coastal economy. Without the

protection afforded by the barrier

islands, the tidal creeks and salt

marshes would be no place for the

delicate juvenile stages of so many

species.

Such an abundance

of life in the salt

marsh invites other

animals to rest, feed,

or nest. Located on

the Atlantic Flyway,

the islands are

important to

migrating

waterfowl, especially

those displaced from

the rapidly

disappearing

marshes further up

the Atlantic coast.

The islands

themselves provide

ideal habitat for a

wide variety of

plants and animals,

including

endangered or

threatened species

such as the American alligator, piping

plover, wood stork, loggerhead sea

turtle, and southern bald eagle.

Pinckney Island

National Wildlife Refuge

Pinckney Island NWR, established

December 4, 1975, was once included

in the plantation of Major General

Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, a

prominent lawyer active in South

Carolina politics after the American

Revolution. Few traces of the island’s

plantation life in the 1800’s exist today.

Layne Hamilton
The 4,053-acre refuge includes

Pinckney Island, Corn Island, Big

and Little Harry Islands, Buzzard

Island, and numerous small

hammocks. Pinckney is the largest of

the islands and the only one open to

public use. Nearly 67% of the refuge

consists of salt marsh and tidal

creeks. A wide variety of land types

is found on Pinckney Island alone:

salt marsh, forestland, brushland,

fallow field, and freshwater ponds. In

combination, these habitats support a

diversity of bird and plant life.

Studying, viewing, and photographing

the island’s wildlife and scenery are

popular activities throughout the

year. Over fourteen miles of trails are

open to hiking and bicycling. No

motorized vehicles are allowed north

of the public parking lot.

When necessary for management

purposes, a deer hunt is held on

Pinckney Island (for hunt dates and

regulations contact the Coastal

Refuges’ office).

The refuge entrance is located on

U.S. 278, 18 miles east of

Hardeeville, South Carolina, or 0.5

miles west of Hilton Head Island.

Savannah National Wildlife Refuge

Savannah NWR, established April 6,

1927, consists of 29,175 acres of

freshwater marshes, tidal rivers and

creeks, and bottomland hardwoods.

The 3,000 acres of freshwater

impoundments managed for migratory

waterfowl were formerly the rice fields

of plantations dating back to the mid

or late 1700’s. Many of the dikes

enclosing these pools were originally

built during the rice culture era.

All dikes are open to foot travel

during daylight hours, unless

otherwise posted, and provide

excellent wildlife observation points.

Habitat

Wildlife

Observation/

Hiking/Bicycling

Hunting

Directions

Management

Wildlife

Observation
About half the refuge is bottomland,

composed primarily of cypress, gum,

and maple species. Access to this

area is by boat only.

Waterfowl are most abundant from

November through February, while

alligators and other reptiles are

frequently seen from March through

October. Birdwatching opportunities

are good all year, but are best from

October through April when

temperatures are mild and many

species of waterfowl and other

wintering birds are present.

Motorists are welcome on Laurel Hill

Wildlife Drive, off S.C. 170, which

meanders along

four miles of

earthen dikes

through managed

freshwater pools

and hardwood

hammocks.

Cistern Trail and

other walking

routes are also

available to the

visiting public.

From December 1 through February

28, entry into the impoundment area

north of S.C. 170 is prohibited to

reduce disturbance while wintering

waterfowl numbers are at a peak.

Habitat

Auto Route,

Hiking

USFWS David E. Goeke

Tupelo Trail
Fishing is permitted in the freshwater

pools from March 1 to November 30

and is governed by South Carolina

and refuge regulations. The refuge

administers deer, feral hog, squirrel,

and turkey hunts during the fall and

winter. Permits to hunt on the refuge

must be obtained from the Coastal

office in Savannah.

Savannah NWR is located on SC-170,

six miles south of Hardeeville, South

Carolina via US-17 (Exit 5 off I-95),

or one mile north of Port Wentworth,

Georgia on GA-25/SC-170 (take I-95

Exit 109 to GA-21 South, then east on

GA-30 to GA-25 North.)

Tybee National Wildlife Refuge

Tybee NWR was established on

May 9, 1938 as a breeding area for

migratory birds and other wildlife.

The majority of the 100-acre refuge is

covered with sand deposits from the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’

dredging activities in the Savannah

River. The more stable portions of

the island are densely covered with

such woody species as eastern red

cedar, wax myrtle, and groundsel.

Saltwater marsh borders parts of the

island. At low tide the shoreline

provides a resting and feeding place

for many species of migratory birds.

The refuge is located in the mouth of

the Savannah River directly opposite

Fort Pulaski National Monument,

which is 12 miles from Savannah on

U.S. 80. Tybee NWR is closed to

public use.

David E. Goeke

Directions

Fishing,

Hunting
Wassaw

National Wildlife

Refuge

Wassaw, one of

Georgia’s coastal

barrier islands,

was designated a

National Wildlife

Refuge on

October 20, 1969.

Unlike many of

Georgia’s Golden

Isles, little

development and

few management

practices have

modified

Wassaw’s

primitive

character. The

10,053-acre

refuge includes beaches with rolling

dunes, live oak and slash pine

woodlands, and vast salt marshes.

Refuge visitors may enjoy

recreational activities such as

birdwatching, beachcombing, hiking,

and general nature studies. The 20

miles of dirt roads on Wassaw Island

and seven miles of beach provide an

ideal wildlife trail system for hikers.

Birdwatching is particularly fruitful

during the spring and fall migrations.

The island supports rookeries for

egrets and herons, and several

species of wading birds are abundant

in the summer months. In summer,

telltale tracks on Wassaw’s beach

attest to nocturnal visits by the

threatened loggerhead sea turtles

that come ashore for egg laying and

then return to the sea.

Deer hunts (both bow and gun) are

scheduled in the fall and winter. The

Coastal Refuges’ office can provide a

schedule of hunt dates and issue

hunt regulations. The saltwaters of

the refuge marshland are open to

fishing throughout the year.

Douglas Giorgio

Hunting,

Fishing
Wassaw NWR is accessible only by

boat. Both Wassaw and Pine Island

are open to the public during daylight

hours—other upland areas are

closed. Transportation to the refuge

must be arranged by the visitor.

Several local marinas in the

Savannah area (at Skidaway Island

and Isle of Hope) and a public boat

ramp adjacent to the Skidaway

Island bridge can serve as launching

sites for trips to Wassaw.

Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge

Harris Neck National Wildlife

Refuge was established in 1962 by

transfer of federal lands formerly

managed by the Federal Aviation

Administration as a WWII Army

airfield. The refuge’s 2,824 acres

consist of saltwater marsh, grassland,

mixed deciduous woods, and

cropland. Because of this great

variety in habitat, many different

species of birds are attracted to the

refuge throughout the year.

In the summer, thousands of egrets

and herons nest in the swamps, while

in the winter

large

concentrations of

ducks (especially

mallards,

gadwall and teal)

gather in the

marshland and

freshwater pools.

Over 15 miles of

paved roads and

trails provide the

visitor easy

access to these

areas. Some portions of the refuge

may be closed seasonally to protect

wildlife from human disturbance.

Fishing is allowed in the tidal creeks

bordering the refuge. Piers have

been constructed for public use on

Harris Neck Creek at the refuge

entrance. Access to refuge tidal

USFWS

Habitat

Access

Fishing, Boating

Wood stork chicks

Wildlife

Observation
waters and Blackbeard Island can be

gained from a public boat ramp

located on the Barbour River (at the

termination of Harris Neck Road).

The Barbour River Landing is open

daily from 4:00 am to midnight, or as

posted.

Deer hunts are managed on the

refuge in the fall and winter. Hunters

may obtain a schedule of hunt dates

and hunt regulations from the

Coastal Office.

To reach Harris Neck, take Exit 67 off

I-95 and travel south on U.S. 17 for

approximately one mile, then east

on Harris Neck Road for seven

miles to the main entrance gate.

Blackbeard Island

National Wildlife Refuge

Blackbeard Island was acquired by

the Navy Department at public

auction in 1800 as a source of live oak

timber for ship building. A

Presidential Proclamation in 1940

changed its designation from

Blackbeard Island

Reservation to

Blackbeard Island

National Wildlife

Refuge. Today, the

refuge’s 5,618 acres

include maritime

forest, salt marsh,

freshwater marsh,

and beach habitat. In

1975, three thousand

acres of the refuge

were set aside as

National Wilderness.

Blackbeard Island offers a variety of

recreational activities year-round.

Wildlife observation, especially

birdwatching, is excellent throughout

the year. In winter months,

waterfowl utilize the marshland and

man-made freshwater pools, while

songbirds abound in the wooded

acres in the spring and fall. The

Hunting

Directions

Tommy King

Habitat

Wildlife

Observation,

Hiking, Fishing,

Hunting
existing trails and roads

provide hikers with

scenic paths ideal for

nature study. Saltwater

creeks that pass through

refuge marshland are

open to fishing the

entire year. Presently,

two archery hunts for

deer are scheduled on

the island in the fall and

winter (for exact dates and hunt

regulations contact the Coastal

Refuges’ headquarters).

Blackbeard Island is accessible only

by boat. Transportation to the island

is not provided by the Fish and

Wildlife Service. Arrangements for

trips to the refuge can be made at

Shellman Bluff. To reach Shellman

Bluff, travel south from Savannah on

U.S. 17 for approximately 51 miles to

Shellman Bluff Road which

terminates at Shellman Bluff on the

Julienton River. A public boat ramp

on Harris Neck NWR (Barbour

River Landing) may also be used as a

launching site for trips to the island.

Wolf Island National Wildlife Refuge

Wolf Island NWR, which includes

Egg Island and Little Egg Island,

was established on April 3, 1930. The

refuge consists of a long narrow strip

of oceanfront beach backed by a

broad band of salt marsh. Over 75%

of the refuge’s 5,126 acres are

saltwater marsh.

Wolf Island NWR was designated a

National Wilderness in 1975,

therefore no public use facilities are

planned on the refuge. Though the

refuge’s saltwaters are open to a

variety of recreational activities, all

beach, marsh, and upland areas are

closed to the public. Visitors must

make their own arrangements to

reach the refuge. Marinas in the

Darien, Georgia area may offer

transportation to Wolf Island NWR.

David E. Goeke

Blackbeard Island

archery hunter

Access
Regulations

Questions regarding specific

regulations for individual refuges

should be directed to the Coastal

office. Here, in brief, are some

general regulations:

Defacement, damage, or removal of

any government structure, sign, or

marker is prohibited.

Feeding, capturing, or hunting

wildlife is strictly prohibited unless

specifically authorized.

All of the refuge’s historical,

archaeological, and natural resources

are protected. Artifact hunting is not

allowed. Do not pick flowers or

remove vegetation.

Shell collectors are asked to take no

live shells and to limit their collection

to a handful or so.

Dogs, cats, and other pets are not

permitted.

For further information

Call the Savannah Coastal Refuges

office during business hours (Monday

through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm;

closed on federal holidays:

912/652 4415.

Visit the Savannah Coastal Refuges

office located in the Parkway

Business Center on Chatham

Parkway. To reach the office, take

Exit 33-a (Chatham Parkway) off

I-16 East to Savannah, Georgia;

drive one mile south on Chatham

Parkway to the Parkway Business

Center. The refuge headquarters

occupy Suite 10.

Write to:

Savannah Coastal Refuges

Parkway Business Center, Suite 10,

1000 Business Center Drive

Savannah, GA 31405

E-mail: savannahcoastal@fws.gov

Website: http://www.fws.gov/savannah
Equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from programs and

activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is available to all

individuals regardless of physical or mental disability. For more

information please contact the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office

for Equal Opportunity, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20240

Pinckney

 Island

 NWR

Blackbeard

Island 

NWR 

 Harris

Neck

NWR 

Wolf Island

NWR 

GEORGIA

SOUTH

CAROLINA

Savannah NWR

Tybee NWR

Wassaw NWR

 Hardeeville

95

17

17

278

321

17

17

21

204

170

95

170

 Port

Wentworth

 Richmond Hill

 Darien

Sapelo Island

St. Catherine‘s Island

Ossabaw Island

Skidaway Island

Tybee Island

 Shellman Bluff

EXIT 67

EXIT 5

EXIT 109

GA25

Harris Neck

Road

Atlantic

Ocean

 Savannah

16

95
Savannah Coastal Refuges

Parkway Business Center

Suite 10

1000 Business Center Drive

Savannah, GA 31405

912/652 4415

savannahcoastal@fws.gov

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov/savannah

April 2007