sapelo island national estuarine research reserve

Christmas time is a great opportunity to visit Sapelo Island and to experience the Reynold's Mansion there. We were treated to a great tour done through local supporters of Sapelo and given a delicious luncheon. Included was an opportunity to walk this lovely barrier island and learn more of the local culture.

It was very nice with a walking trail and a large gift shop with a porch that had rocking chairs. We were there the day after Thanksgiving so the gift shop was closed, but just looking through the windows it looked as if there was lots of goodies to take home. We also missed the ferry, it ran at 8:30 that morning. But the walking trail was very nice.

We were fortunate to make reservations for the extended tour which is provided on the last Tuesday of the month. This tour includes both the north and south ends of the island. The normal tour is only in the south end. The tour uses on old school bus that the driver and tour guide handles like it is a sports car diving through the woods with such skill it is worth the trip in itself. The north end is the R. J. Reynolds Wildlife Sanctuary. It in mainly live oak and Spanish moss. The most impressive thing on the north end was the Shell Circle which is a circular oyster shell mound 10-14 feet high, 30-40 feet thick and about 200 feet in diameter. Oyster shell in the mound have been carbon dated back to 4000 BC. On the South end you see the extremes of the society on the island. Hog Hammock is a community that originated with emancipated slaves forming a village. Our tour guides husband is an eight generation resident . On the other end of the spectrum is Reynolds Mansion. This is a fantastic tour. If you are not in the area on the last Tuesday of the month, their is a private tour "Sapelo Sights" that covers the same itinerary . Make sure you do the full tour it is worth it.

To be honest when I called to sign up for this tour I was not quite sure what to expect. I arrived, paid and was told to go to the right and show your ticket to the park ranger at the dock. Ok cool walked out to the "ferry" got seated and waited. I saw many other folks heading towards the boat,and though are all these people actually on this tour. Well I came to learn from our tour guide once we got on the bus on the island, that this was AM "rush hour". Folks either on the tour or those coming to work on the island. But really rush hour, it was like 80 people, I'm from Atlanta, thats like the number of shoppers in Kroger at 10 am. So we are going on the tour in this old school bus, pretty much packed 2 to a seat, very interesting tour, the island cemetery, research center, gas station, post office, the wilderness, which comprised the bulk of the tour. Oh if you have back issues or kidney issues, I don't suggest this particular bus tour. You are driven on this very narrow dirt roads at a speed that amazed me, the driver is gentle on the bumps and gullies, this made for a fun ride. We also saw the UGA campus, the outside of the Reynolds Mansion and went up the lighthouse. You will also stop at the beach for lunch ( you must provide) All in all this is a fun and interesting 5 hr tour of the island.

My family booked a four hour tour of the island and we had a good time. We were able to see a number of attractions on the island and had a knowledgeable tour guide. The tours and tour schedules that are setup for the island are a little strange. A visitor can't see the whole island, except on certain days, you can't visit the Reynolds mansion except on certain days. I'm sure this is designed to have a person come back for several visits...i.e. making more money for the island. However, with this said, we are planning to return eventually for one of the magical days that an entire island tour is on.

Another part of the $15 bus tour after taking boat to island. Climb to top of lighthouse & enjoy great view. The whole island tour is money well spent & VERY fascinating !!

If you are interested in experiencing a way of life which no longer exists on the mainland (or on many of the other islands along the South Carolina and Georgia coast), a visit to Sapelo Island should not be overlooked. Most of the island (except for the small community of Hog Hammock) is preserved as part of the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Reserve. There are remnants of the plantation days, including the preserved R.J. Reynolds mansion (which can be rented for overnight stays or special functions). Most residents are descendants of former slaves brought from West Africa. Their Geechee language and culture is evident on the Island. Access to the island is by a 30 minute ferry ride from the mainland. Our visit, arranged through the Reserve, was guided by an Sapelo Island resident, and included a presentation on the Island's history, a bird's eye view from the lighthouse, a visit to Hog Hammock (where we had a home-cooked lunch) and several short walks on trails through the bush for bird watching.

Took a group of seniors (21) out to the island. The ferry ride is about 30 minutes. Bus tour superb. Had lunch at the Reynolds Mansion up in the circus room. Food great and service wonderful. Visited Hog Hammock Library where we had a presentation on the local community and climbed the lighthouse for a spectacular view. Everyone I dealt with from the initial contacts all the way through the experience were wonderful. This is a GEM in Georgia's crown of natural attractions. Just can't say enough about the hospitality and friendliness of everyone. This is a real winner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Going to Sapelo was a great experience. It's well worth the cost and extremely interesting. There's a welcome center with information (hello to Stacey), gifts, and facilities where you purchase a ticket for the boat ride to the island. It's not something everyone does, so be prepared to brag about where you've been and what you've done. The estuaries are gorgeous, breathtaking in their own way, and season-changing. Wildlife is everywhere. The lighthouse is one that has been weather-worn, but gorgeous in it's own way. Make sure to bring sunscreen, cash, and be ready for anything. Wildlife? check. Adventure? check. Bathroom break and water afterwards? check. p.s. your best bet for a good time is going during the off season; Oct.-March. Just dress in layers so you can peel as needed.

Enjoyed the tour through Sapelo arranged by the Northeast Florida Sierra Club. We were able to visit the north end of the island and see the Chocolate Plantation with a park naturalist. Also got a chance to climb to the top of the lighthouse and to see the island from that vantage point. We had lunch at the Reynold's Mansion and they were able to accomodate vegan's. It was a very interesting and informative tour from a naturalist and historical perspective. Really enjoyed the boat ride too. Definitely will go back again and spend more time exploring this special place.

Enjoyed the private tour booked through our B&B with 2 island residents Mr. and Mrs. Caesar Banks. Gorgeous unspoiled beach. Nice, pretty ferry ride. Island was highly rated for birding but we saw few birds due to the crunch of people in vans and bus tours--too loud and noisy in groups for meaningful birding. RJ Reynolds mansion was cool.

My best friend and I took this tour in Jan. 2009. The weather was breezy on the way over on an open ferry with that time of year...but I only needed a sweat shirt. We learned some interesting history in this 3 hour bus tour. We went by several points of interest and even stopped at the little market the tour guide was working triple duty. She rung us up lol. We stopped at the post office & mailed post cards to family and friends & she assisted again...lol. Went to the light house and beach which I enjoyed. We stopped at the mansion on the island. There are some 100 residents & a few children that catch the ferry to the main land for school & work. We learned a lot about the island. However, I thought the tour was Ok It was something to do but a bit long for me.

We decided last minute to go to Sapelo Island to get some history of the island. After going to the Visitor's Center, we took the short ferry ride over to the island. The cost was $5.00 per person round trip. We did not do the state's island tour as we had booked with JR Grovner, an island resident. His tour was $25.00 per person. JR was born and raised on the island and his family has lived there eight generations back. We had lunch on the beach and spent over an hour there.You have to take your own lunch with you. There is Bay Leaf growing wild all over the island.

We decided last moment to go to Sapelo Island for our wedding anniversary, very helpful was Ms. Cornelia Bailey, in whose house we were staying. Worth of noting is that the person who are you staying with does a ferry reservation for you. Sapelo is just an hour and a half drive from Jacksonville. We took a ferry on Saturday morning from Meridian dock. Conelia's husband was waiting for us to pick us up. Place where we were staying at was a four or five bedroom house (every bedroom had it own bath) and it had a common living room and kitchen area. We were pretty lucky beacuse we were the only guests in the house. The life on the island seems really laid back, we really enjoyed our stay, it was so relaxing. We rented a golf cart from our hosts and cruise around the island (just the southern part is accessible for golf carts). We visited the lighthouse and the Nanny goat beach which was deserted. In the afternoon rained, so we had lunch, took a nap, and hang out on the porch with glass of wine:) The same day, later on, we checked out the mansion and we did the nature trial walk, which was my favorite.On Sunday we had kind of a late start, beacuse sleeping there was just amazing, it was so peaceful, no cars or busy streets around. We took a trip with a guide to the northern part of island, I am glad we did it, but it wasn't anything stunning. We saw old chocolate plantation, first baptist church and the shell ring, I was disappointed how forsaken this places were, beside the church. We saw some wildlife and I think I enjoyed this part the most. Before we left the island we went to the beach near to the camp site, you can't drive the golf cart there, so we walked. It took us around 45 minutes one way. The beach out there was amazing, very wide and very empty. If you decide to go to the island, consider that there is one store out there, and it sells beer, chips and ice-cream. I suggest bringing big bag of food:), sun screen and bug spray. There are no restaurants, just one bar next to the store, but it wasn't open:).

The ferry leaves at 9 am, they want you there early for loading. Buy your tickets at the visitor center. The $15 fee includes the island tour which gets you back to the dock for the 12:30 ferry ride back. The highlights of the tour for me were the lighthouse visit and the beach. Our tour guide was a biologist and was informative. If you plan further ahead than we did, and you want to spend the day, call ahead to rent a golf car or bicycle, and take lunch. The Hog Hammock community is historically significant, but not a tourist spot. The feeling I got from visiting Sapelo was that of an escorted visit. We went to Harris Neck reserve for the afternoon. At Harris Neck you are are your own to drive and hike. Dinner at Clay's Sapelo Station in Townsend was very good.