Savannah
Hardeeville, SC 29927
Plan Your Visit
Savannah National Wildlife Refuge is situated along the Savannah River, just north of downtown Savannah, GA. The refuge has lands in both Georgia and South Carolina with most accessible visitor areas on the SC side. Wildlife-dependent recreational activities are offered year-round including wildlife observation, photography, hiking, bicycling, and fishing. Seasonal hunting opportunities are also available (see "Hunting' activity page for more details).
Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive: This is the main attraction and where wildlife viewing is most abundant. This 4.5 mile auto-tour is open 7 days a week during daylight hours and has its own entrance, separate from the Visitor Center. There is no physical address for this entrance, but you can view the Wildlife Drive entrance in Google Maps.
Visitor Center: Here visitors can learn about the refuge by watching a 10-minute video and exploring a museum-quality exhibit hall. There are also a few short trails, most notably the Beech Hill Trail which includes a couple of boardwalks that take visitors out over an adjacent cypress swamp. The visitor center is located at 694 Beech Hill Lane, Hardeeville, SC, and is open Monday - Friday from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., excluding all federal holidays.
There are many miles of hiking and bicycling trails adjacent to the Wildlife Drive, as well as from the Tupelo Trail Parking Area and Kingfisher Pond.
Please do not use ride services such as Uber and Lyft to visit the refuge as most sites require driving to and from, and cellular service is not always available.
Visitor Center: 694 Beech Hill Lane, Hardeeville, SC 29927
Click here for Google Map
Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive: Entrance located on SC 170 approximately 2.5 miles west of U.S. Hwy 17 and 4 miles east of Port Wentworth, GA
Click here for Google Map
Activities
Featured Species
Get Involved
Savannah National Wildlife Refuges does offer volunteer opportunities year-round, mostly in the areas of visitor services and maintenance. We do not have opportunities that involve directly working with or handling wildlife. We have two RV sites that are reserved for resident volunteers (RV). These opportunities are posted on Volunteer.gov. For more information on current available volunteer opportunities, please email savannahcoastal@fws.gov or call 843-784-2468.
National Wildlife Refuges do not fill positions directly at the field station level. This is handled regionally and all current job openings are posted on USA Jobs and interested parties must view and apply for these positions on that website.
Work with Us
Our dedicated employees perform a wide range of jobs at national wildlife refuges and national fish hatcheries and with public, tribal and private partners.
We hope you’ll join us in advancing our mission of working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
Services
Some commercial, recreational and research activities are allowed on national wildlife refuges only with a special use permit issued by the local office and are subject to specific conditions and fees. This permit requirement is meant to ensure that all activities at the federal site are compatible with the refuge’s Congressionally mandated wildlife conservation goals.
About
Savannah National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1927 as a sanctuary for migratory birds, most notably wintering waterfowl. The refuge lies in both Georgia and South Carolina, divided by the Savannah River, and encompasses over 30,000 acres of vital wildlife habitat, including tidal freshwater marsh and bottomland hardwood forest. Its mission is to protect a unique network of ecosystems while contributing to the conservation of migratory populations and the recovery of endangered species.
