Wassaw Island
Savannah, GA
Wassaw Island sits just south of Tybee, seven miles of undeveloped beach and maritime forest reachable only by boat from marinas around Savannah or Isle of Hope. It's one of the least altered barrier islands on the entire Georgia coast, never logged or heavily farmed, so the forest behind the dunes still looks close to untouched.
Seven miles of genuinely untouched barrier island beach this close to Savannah is remarkable, though it takes a boat and some local knowledge of the marsh to get there at all.
How we score beachesCharter a boat trip out of Savannah or Tybee rather than trying to navigate the creeks solo on a first visit. The approach isn't obvious if you don't already know the marsh.
No vehicle access to the island. Launch from marinas at Skidaway Island, Isle of Hope, or the public boat ramp near the Skidaway Island bridge.
No paved paths. Hiking trails cross the maritime forest to the ocean side beach, the only part of the refuge open to the public.
Water reaches the low 80s by August, inside the same June through November hurricane season as the rest of the Georgia coast. The refuge is open sunrise to sunset year-round.
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