Chatham: Paths Between Nature and History

Chatham offers travelers historic sites and trails through salt marshes, tidal waters, and maritime forests. Fort Pulaski National Monument is on the Savannah River, a few miles from its mouth at the Atlantic Ocean. When planning your trip, you can choose between visits with a clear historical focus and outdoor trails of varying lengths. Routes range from about one mile to several miles.

Fort Pulaski and Historic Sites

The Siege of Fort Pulaski is considered a landmark experiment in the history of military science and invention because of the use of rifled cannons. The historic site also offers a tangible point of connection for anyone interested in the relationship between military and technological history.

The National Monument is accessible from the parking lot and visitor center via a paved path. Exhibition spaces and casemates have ramps; check the conditions before your arrival. On Tybee Island, admission to Tybee Light Station & Museum includes the entire lighthouse station and the Tybee Museum at Battery Garland. Check operating details before your visit. The Tybee Island Black History Trail documents the arrival of enslaved Africans at the Lazaretto Creek Quarantine Station.

Other historic sites each have their own focus: Wormsloe Historic Site preserves tabby ruins of Noble Jones’s fortified house. Shuttle tours depart from the visitor center every 30 minutes; check the schedule before your visit. The Massie Heritage Center is a publicly accessible museum of history and architecture with six galleries. An exhibit at the National Museum of the Mighty 8th Air Force includes a reconstructed “Safe House,” a prisoner-of-war camp, and artifacts donated by former prisoners of war.

Trails Through Marsh and Forest

At Skidaway Island State Park, maritime forest and salt marshes shape the landscape, with opportunities to observe wildlife along the trails. The one-mile Sandpiper Trail Loop is an accessible loop that crosses salt marshes, follows tidal creeks, and passes through maritime forest. The approximately 1.5-mile Jay Wolf Nature Trail also passes through maritime forest and salt marshes. At Oatland Island Wildlife Center, a two-mile nature trail forms a loop through maritime forest.

For a longer route, McQueen’s Trail is just over six miles long and runs alongside salt marshes, tidal waters, and native wildlife habitats. Access is only at the eastern end, at the entrance to Fort Pulaski National Monument. The trail is suitable for walking, running, and cycling; motorized vehicles are not permitted. By comparison, the Sandpiper Trail Loop is much shorter and is described as a loop. Trails at Whitemarsh Nature Preserve are unlit, so access is limited to daylight hours. Chatham County’s nature preserves also offer views of the landscape and opportunities to observe diverse wildlife.

Parks and Outdoor Activities

Tom Triplett Community Park includes about 200 acres of public green space in Chatham County. Its 19-acre lake offers opportunities for fishing for catfish, bass, and bream. A 1.5-mile loop trail is great for walking, jogging, and skating. The park is also a recognized stop on the Civil War Heritage Trail—a way to combine outdoor activities with regional history in the same park.

At L. Scott Stell Park, a paved walking path runs for one mile around a freshwater lake; there is also a fitness trail. The park also has an archery range and a wooded archery course. A boat ramp is intended for small boats without gasoline engines. Al Bungard Conservation Area offers walking trails and picnic areas. Fishing is possible there from bridges and banks, as well as from kayaks and canoes. Park amenities vary depending on the activity you have in mind, from a walk or fitness circuit to fishing or archery.

Wilmington Island offers a different kind of trail: the Robert McCorkle Bike Trail connects residential neighborhoods and commercial areas. It is 3.4 miles long and ends at Savannah Country Club; a spur along Cromwell Road adds 0.37 miles. Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens covers more than 50 acres. Chatham County has nine boat ramps and docks; check which facilities are currently suitable for your plans before setting out.

Explore more destinations: Pooler, Savannah, Port Wentworth, Georgetown, Tybee Island, Coweta, Candler County, Muscogee.

For the regional travel overview: Georgia.