Recreation Opportunities

Wildlife Observation and Photography
The 20 miles of dirt roads on Wassaw Island and seven miles of beach provide an ideal wildlife trail system for both hikers and bicyclers.  The beautiful, undeveloped beach provides ideal nesting habitat for the threatened loggerhead sea turtle, as well as bountiful feeding grounds for numerous species of shorebirds.  The island also supports rookeries for egrets and herons and becomes particularly fruitful for birdwatching during the spring and fall migrations.

Environmental Education and Interpretation
Guided interpretive tours for individuals and families can be arranged through our special use permit holders (fees may apply).  These are private, commercial or non-profit organizations that maintain a permit with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in order to conduct business on the refuge. Click here for a list of authorized interpretive tour guides.

If you'd like to visit Wassaw NWR and don't mind doing a little work in exchange for the trip, sign up for a beach sweep litter patrol with volunteer group Clean Coast.  Find out more about them on their web page at www.cleancoast.org or contact them directly at:

Clean Coast
216 E. 58th Street
Savannah, GA  31405
(912) 239-9663
Email: mailbox@cleancoast.org

Hunting and Fishing
Two three-day deer hunts are scheduled in the fall and winter every year.  The first is a non-quota, bow hunt, and the second is a quota, gun hunt (feral hogs may also be taken during both hunts). Applications for the gun hunt must be received in the Savannah Coastal Refuges headquarters office by August 31.Click here to download refuge hunt brochure and other hunt information.

The saltwaters of the refuge marshland are open to fishing throughout the year, however, freshwater fishing from any source on the refuge is prohibited.

 

---

**Wassaw NWR is accessible only by boat, and the Fish and Wildlife Service does not provide transportation.  Visitors must make their own transportation arrangements (this includes hunters).  For those visitors who have their own boat, there are 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 that can serve as launching sites for a trip to Wassaw.   For others, we try and keep an updated list of local charter outfits that provide boat transportation to Wassaw.  Keep in mind, however, that these types of businesses come and go, therefore our list may not always be current, and you may have better luck conducting your own search. Click here to download the charter services list.