Things to do nearSavannah River

The Savannah River has shaped the history of the American Southeast for centuries. Long a boundary and a highway, it carried trade goods, timber, and cotton during the colonial and antebellum eras, and its banks saw significant activity during the Civil War.

Today the river stretches roughly 300 miles from its headwaters in the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Atlantic coast. Along the way it passes through Savannah, Georgia, one of the country's most architecturally preserved cities, where the waterfront district offers a vivid sense of the river's commercial past.

Wildlife is a central draw. The lower river and its associated refuge shelter wood storks, bald eagles, white-tailed deer, and alligators within a mosaic of freshwater impoundments and tidal marsh. Anglers pursue striped bass, catfish, and bream throughout the year.

The Savannah River rewards slow travel, whether by paddle, by foot along its refuge trails, or simply by watching the water from the historic Savannah riverfront. It is a place where natural beauty and layered history meet in a way that few American rivers can match.