Skidaway Island State Park

Skidaway Island State Park is Savannah's best easy hike: 588 acres of maritime forest and salt marsh on the Skidaway Narrows, the stretch of the Intracoastal Waterway about eight miles southeast of the city. Established as a state park in 1975, it gives visitors the coastal Georgia landscape in its most approachable form — six miles of flat, well-marked trails winding under live oaks, palmettos and pines hung with Spanish moss, opening out onto boardwalks and viewpoints over the marsh where the tide pulls through the spartina grass. Wildlife is close and plentiful: deer browse the forest edges, raccoons patrol at dusk, thousands of fiddler crabs scuttle across the mud flats at low tide, egrets and herons hunt the creeks, and in spring and summer birders come for painted buntings, the improbably colorful songbirds that visit the feeders near the park's interpretive area. The trails are short enough for families and unhurried enough for couples, and the park's picnic shelters, playgrounds and campground make it a favorite local escape. The area's history surfaces along the paths too — the island was farmed and fortified long before it became a park, and older trail lore includes Civil War earthworks and a moonshiner's still. Fit: families who need a nature break with no hard climbs, couples looking for a quiet morning walk, campers who want a base outside the city, and anyone who wants to see the marsh up close rather than from a car window.

Check current conditions before you go. In autumn 2026 the park reports that the observation tower is closed and that the Avian Trail is closed because of bridge damage; the main trail network, boardwalk and marsh views remain open, and the park continues to operate daily. A partial renovation of the campground began in February 2026 and is scheduled to run for about a year, so campers should book with that in mind and confirm which loops are available. None of this changes the core visit — a two- or three-mile loop through forest to the marsh edge and back is the experience most visitors come for, and it is fully available.

Timing makes a big difference. Go early in the morning for cooler air, active birds and soft light over the marsh, or late in the day when deer emerge and the marsh turns gold. Low tide is the time for fiddler crabs, when the mud flats are carpeted with them, and high tide fills the creeks and brings wading birds closer to the boardwalk. Summer is hot, humid and buggy — insect repellent is essential from spring to fall — while late autumn through early spring is the most comfortable season for walking. Wear closed shoes; the trails are sandy and occasionally muddy after rain.

Practicals: a modest daily parking fee applies per vehicle (Georgia State Parks annual passes are honored), and the park is open from early morning until late evening, with the office open during the day. It is about twenty to twenty-five minutes from downtown by car via the Diamond Causeway, and there is no practical public transit. Check the park's pet rules before bringing a dog; leashes are required wherever pets are allowed. Nearby on the island, the University of Georgia's marine education center and aquarium makes a good second stop for families, and Wormsloe Historic Site lies on the drive back to the city, so the park pairs naturally with Wormsloe's oak avenue for a half-day of Lowcountry landscape. A good sequence is Wormsloe first, when the avenue is at its quietest in the morning, then the state park for a picnic and a loop walk, and back to town for a late lunch. Travelers with an RV or a tent will find the campground a peaceful, wooded alternative to city hotels, with Savannah's restaurants twenty minutes away, though the renovation means some sites may be unavailable until 2027. Day visitors should watch the tide tables: a low-tide visit and a high-tide visit can feel like two different parks.