Escape to Skidaway Island State Park

Although we have been visiting Savannah for years, this is the first visit we stayed at Skidaway Island State Park. The lowlands of Georgia are incredibly beautiful and have a rich history. The area is the home to many significant historical events, devastating events like fires and plagues, debauchery from pirates and moonshiners, and culturally and artistically diverse events. This makes the Savannah area interesting, whether you want to spend a relaxing day at the beach, exploring forts, or enjoying a ghost tour. We are lucky to have family in the area to give us tips and tricks to visiting the best of the area. This trip we decided we would bring the RV and stay at Skidaway Island State Park. We were thrilled with the park and our entire stay.



Campground and Park Activities
Skidaway Island State Park is located less than 30 minutes southeast of Savannah in the lowlands of Georgia. Driving into the park, we were immediately struck by the tree canopy covering the park that is very characteristic of Savannah. It really took our breath away and I just knew we were going to love this park. The sites in the campground are large and well-spaced. There is a variety of 30amp, 50amp, and full hookup sites. The outer loop sites are very private, while the inner loops are more open. Most sites provide relatively easy entry, but I would suggest checking the size limits and taking note that Area 4 is tight for large RVs. There is a store, bike rentals, clean bathrooms, and hiking trails. We hiked the Big Ferry Trail Loop, enjoying the history along the way and observation tower overlooking the Skidaway Narrows. A little of the Savannah debauchery made its way to our hike, as we learned the area was a popular area for moonshiners to hide their stills from the police during prohibition all the way through the 1960s. You will want to consider bringing along a variety of bug spray and sunscreen to have a chance at winning the battle against the bugs and sun. They are fierce, but we survived. We were particularly impressed with the park rangers and camp hosts. They were so helpful, accommodating, and even had dog treats handy for our furry friends. We could have stayed inside the park for days without leaving, but there is so much to do in the surrounding area that I would strongly suggest getting out and exploring the area.

Surrounding Area
The downtown historic area of Savannah is incredibly unique and picturesque. The city sits right along the Savannah River, with tree lined streets covered in Spanish Moss, beautiful buildings, and over 22 planned city squares. The city itself has a diverse history, giving it its character. Savannah is commonly recognized as the first planned city on the eastern coast, it has been through both the revolutionary war and the civil war, and it sits on a system of tunnels once used by both the city’s elite and the lowest of society. They city has seen two historic fires taking out most of the city and watched as yellow fever killed a tenth of the population. The Savannah School of Art and Design’s buildings fill the city bringing culture, diversity, and the arts. The students bring youth and new ideas to the area. In other words, this small two square miles is more jam packed with life and history than almost any place you could visit. And as small as it is, it is nearly impossible to do it all in one trip. But you should still try, so I recommend one of the Trolly Tours or a Ghost Tour to see as much as possible. The area is small so it can be fairly-easily walked, but when you do the tours you have the advantage of hearing the stories from the experts (or at least from passion filled locals who love their city). Every building holds a piece of the past, every square represents a moment in history, and every death likely leaves room for a great ghost story. The best part about the tours is every time we go on one, we learn something we had not heard on past tours. When your tour is over you can enjoy walking along the river and visiting some of the shops and restaurants. Do not miss out on the food because it is delicious!

If you want to see great areas outside of the historic downtown area, there are many options. We love visiting Fort Pulaski National Monument to explore the fort and watch the canon firing reenactment. It is also fun to run down the tree lined road at Wormsloe State Historic Site just like Forrest Gump. A visit is not complete without going to Bonaventure Cemetery made famous by the novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. This trip can fill your whole day wandering throughout one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the country. Another great day could be spent driving out to Tybee Island and enjoying the beach and local culture. One of these visits, we are going to get out on a boat and head to Shark Tooth Island for some fossil hunting. My sister has an amazing collection and I would like to find an elusive Megalodon tooth. No matter how you choose to spend your day, you should end it with a meal at The Wyld, one of our favorite local restaurants outside of the downtown Savannah area.

Savannah is great for a quick weekend trip or a longer adventure. There is so much to do in the state park and surrounding area that you can visit year after year and never run out of things to do. If you have never visited before, add it to your list of must not miss trips. If you have been and love it as much as we do, add it back to your list of places to go back and check out something that you have never seen. I hope you love the adventure as much as we do and find yourself escaping to Skidaway Island State Park.