Please Don't Use Rideshare Services to Visit the Refuge

The Savannah NWR Visitor Center is a 3-mile drive on two highways from the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive.  If you get dropped off at the Visitor Center, you will have no transportation to get you to the wildlife drive which is our main wildlife viewing area. Cell service is terrible in this area as well so it may be impossible for you to contact the service to get a ride back. 

Please Leave Your Pups At Home

In addition to protecting birds and other native wildlife from disturbance, the "no dogs" policy is also in place to protect your pup. The refuge is full of hidden dangers big (American alligators) and small (LOTS of ticks!). So please, while visiting this special place, be sure to do your part to protect wildlife, your pet, and your wallet (violators of this regulation will be ticketed and fined) by leaving all pets at home.

The Savannah River is the lifeblood of the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge which provides rich habitats that support a diverse array of migratory and resident wildlife. Visitors are welcome on the 4.5 mile Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive and other refuge lands 7 days a week from sunrise to sunset. The Visitor Center is open Monday thru Friday from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM (closed all Federal holidays).
Woman dressed warmly in camouflage and standing in marsh reeds aims a shotgun into the air
Savannah NWR Hunting Information

Click the link below for quick access to the refuge's hunting webpage where you can read and download refuge hunting regulations and purchase a refuge hunt permit. 

Savannah NWR Hunting Webpage

Visit Us

National wildlife refuges offer us all a chance to unplug from the stresses of daily life and reconnect with our natural surroundings. There are wildlife-dependent recreational activities offered year-round at Savannah National Wildlife Refuge including hiking, bicycling, wildlife viewing, photography, fishing and hunting.  Refuge lands are open 365 days a year from sunrise to sunset, unless otherwise posted. Currently, the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive and associated trails are open, but the trails north of SC 170 remain closed for impoundment renovations. The Visitor Center is open Monday - Friday from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, excluding all federal holidays.

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      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 freswater marsh and bottomland hardwood forest.  

      What We Do

      Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It drives everything on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands and waters managed within the Refuge System, from the purposes for which a national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
      A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

      Learn more about national wildlife refuge
      is established to the recreational activities offered to the resource management tools used. Using conservation best practices, the Refuge System manages Service lands and waters to help ensure the survival of native wildlife species.  

      Our Species

      Purple gallinule with chick at Savannah NWR

      The Savannah National Wildlife Refuge is an important link in the chain of wildlife refuges along the Atlantic Flyway, attracting thousands of migratory birds annually. The refuge also provides nesting habitat for wood ducks, purple gallinules, bald eagles, anhingas, and swallow-tailed kites, among others. A number of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and countless plant species can also be found.