Things to do nearLittle Tybee Island

Little Tybee Island sits just south of Tybee Island near Savannah, Georgia, separated from its more visited neighbor by Bull River and a web of tidal creeks. Unlike Tybee Island, Little Tybee has never been developed, and the state of Georgia protects it as a wildlife management area. That protected status has kept its beaches, dunes, and salt marshes intact in a way that much of the Georgia coast is not.

Visitors come primarily by kayak or canoe, launching from Tybee Island or nearby Lazaretto Creek. The paddle across open water and through the marsh channels is itself part of the experience. Once ashore, the island offers miles of undeveloped beach, rolling dunes anchored by sea oats, and the kind of solitude that is hard to find this close to a major city. Loggerhead sea turtles nest on the beaches in summer, and the island sits within the Atlantic Flyway, making it a strong destination for birdwatchers during migration seasons.

The salt marsh ecosystem surrounding Little Tybee Island is among the most productive natural habitats on the East Coast. Fiddler crabs, oyster beds, and juvenile fish fill the creek edges, drawing herons, egrets, and roseate spoonbills. Dolphins frequently work the channels alongside kayakers. The landscape shifts with every tide, which gives each visit a different character.

Little Tybee Island offers a rare chance to experience a Georgia barrier island the way it looked long before coastal development took hold, and that authenticity is what makes it worth the paddle.