Things to do nearLazaretto Creek

Lazaretto Creek takes its name from a lazaretto, or quarantine station, that once stood on this shore in the eighteenth century to screen arriving ships for disease. That history gives the waterway a quiet gravity, and the surrounding marshland has changed little in the centuries since, preserved by the rhythms of the Georgia tidal coast.

Today the creek serves as a gateway to some of the most rewarding paddling in coastal Georgia. Kayakers and canoeists follow the marsh channels toward Little Tybee Island, an uninhabited barrier island accessible only by water and home to nesting shorebirds and undisturbed beach. The Tybee Island Marina, just up the creek, offers boat rentals and charter departures for those who prefer a guided outing on the water.

Anglers find the creek productive year-round, with redfish, flounder, and speckled trout moving through the tidal channels. Birdwatchers are equally rewarded, spotting painted buntings, marsh wrens, and great blue herons among the cordgrass. The creek also draws dolphin-watching visitors, as resident bottlenose pods regularly travel its length.

Lazaretto Creek offers a genuinely wild coastal experience within minutes of Tybee Island, making it one of the most accessible and rewarding natural destinations on the Georgia shore.