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Onslow Island Temporarily Closed

Onslow Island will be closed to all public entry beginning Friday, December 12 for approximately 2 weeks to allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct dredging operations related to their maintenance of the Savannah Harbor.  We will resume the normal Wednesday opening schedule once this work is completed and their equipment has been cleared. This closure does not affect the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive, which is open daily from sunrise to sunset or the Visitor Center which is open Monday thru Friday from 10 AM - 2 PM.

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Savannah NWR Holiday Hours

The Savannah NWR Visitor Center will be closed the week of Monday, December 22 through Friday, December 26 so that our staff may enjoy time off with their families for the holidays. The visitor center will resume normal operating hours (Monday-Friday 10AM-2PM) on Monday, December 29.  The visitor center will also be closed on New Years Day. 

The Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive and all refuge trails will remain open throughout the holidays on a normal schedule, daily from sunrise to sunset. Happy Holidays! 

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.  

All refuge lands and trails, including the 4.5-mile Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive, are open 365 days a year from sunrise to sunset, unless otherwise posted. There is no physical address for the Wildlife Drive, but if you come to the Visitor Center first, using the address below, there is signage at the entrance that will direct you to the drive. This signage is outside of the entrance gate, so its always accessible outside the limited visitor center hours of operation.

The Visitor Center, located at 694 Beech Hill Lane, Hardeeville, SC, is open Monday - Friday from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, excluding all federal holidays. 

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. 

Activities

There are wildlife-dependent recreational activities offered year-round at Savannah National Wildlife Refuge including hiking, bicycling, wildlife viewing, photography, fishing and hunting. 

Hunting
Fishing
Wildlife watching
Photography
Earthcaching

Trails

There are trails accessible from the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive that are open to hiking and bicycling. All of these trails are wide, earthen dikes covered with grass and would only be suitable for a bicycle with thicker tires. 

There are also trails accessible from the Kingfisher Pond Recreation Area. These trails are single-track, meandering through wooded areas and are also open to hiking and bicycling.

Related Documents

The full refuge map below represents the entire refuge, while the refuge trail map represents the small portion of the refuge where most visitor use occurs, including the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive. The Beech Hill Nature Trail Guide is to be used while exploring the Beech Hill Trail located behind the Savannah NWR Visitor Center. 

Savannah NWR Map
Name
Savannah NWR Map

Full map of the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge.

PDF
Savannah NWR Trail Map
Name
Savannah NWR Trail Map

Savannah NWR trail map

PDF
Savannah NWR-Beech Hill Trail Guide
Name
Savannah NWR-Beech Hill Trail Guide

Trail guide for the Beech Hill Nature Trail at Savannah NWR.

PDF

Other Facilities in the Complex

Savannah NWR is one of seven refuges administered by the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex which is headquartered at the Savannah NWR Visitor Center located in Hardeeville, South Carolina.

Shorebirds on the beach at Wolf Island NWR
Wolf Island National Wildlife Refuge
Wolf Island National Wildlife Refuge, which also includes Egg Island and Little Egg Island, is located at the mouth of the Altamaha River on the Georgia coast. The entire refuge was designated a National Wilderness Area in 1975 and provides critical sanctuary for migrating birds and nursery habitat...
National Wildlife Refuge
Hardeeville,SC
View fron the south end of Tybee NWR looking north up the Savannah River
Tybee National Wildlife Refuge
Tybee National Wildlife Refuge, located at the mouth of the Savannah River, is a small but important area for native and migratory songbirds and shorebirds. Due to its limited habitat, small size, and location at the mouth of the Savannah River, where ship traffic makes navigation treacherous,...
National Wildlife Refuge
Sunrise on the shore of Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge
Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge
As one of Georgia's barrier islands, Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge provides protection to the coastline and habitat for a diversity of wildlife, including summertime nesting sea turtles, and year-round shorebird activity.
National Wildlife Refuge
Hardeeville,SC
Sunrise over the wading bird rookery at Woody Pond
Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge
Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) serves as an important link in the chain of refuges along the eastern seaboard, and is the inland base for two neighboring barrier island refuges, Blackbeard Island and Wolf Island.
National Wildlife Refuge
Townsend,GA
Boneyard beach at Wassaw NWR
Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge
Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge serves as an important link in the chain of barrier islands that lie along the Atlantic Flyway, providing excellent habitat for a variety of migratory birds. With little development and few management practices, the 10,053-acre refuge is one of the most pristine on...
National Wildlife Refuge
Hardeeville,SC
View of Ibis Pond with clouds reflecting off of the water.
Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge
Pinckney Island 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, called a rookery, for colonial wading birds such as ibis, egrets, and herons.
National Wildlife Refuge
Hardeeville,SC

Rules and Policies

There are many fun and interesting things to do and see during your visit to Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, but it is our job to ensure the habitat that our wildlife calls "home" is protected. Below are some important regulations that help keep both visitors and wildlife safe.

  • The refuge is open during daylight hours only; overnight use and/or camping (including campfires) are not permitted.
  • Some areas may be closed seasonally to protect wildlife from human disturbance. Such areas are posted "Area Beyond This Sign Closed."
  • Feeding, capturing, or harassing wildlife is strictly prohibited unless authorized by permit.
  • Launching, landing, or disturbing of wildlife by aircraft (drones) on the refuge is prohibited.
  • Dogs, cats, and other pets are not permitted on the refuge unless confined inside a vehicle.
  • Picking or cutting vegetation is prohibited.
  • All of the refuge's archaeological and natural resources are protected. Artifact hunting/collecting is not allowed.
  • Automobiles must remain on the wildlife drive. Hikers and bicyclers are encouraged to stay on marked trails.
  • The refuge, unless otherwise posted, is open to hiking, biking, wildlife observation, interpretation, environmental education, and photography. It is also open, in certain areas and times of the year, to hunting and fishing; review refuge hunting and fishing regulations for details.

Locations

Savannah National Wildlife Refuge
(843) 784-2468
694 Beech Hill LaneHardeeville,SC29927
Hours
Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive and all other refuge lands
Year-round
Sunrise - Sunset
Visitor Center Hours
Mon - Fri (excluding federal holidays)
10 am - 2 pm