During our visit to the Savannah, Ga., area, we stayed at Skidaway Island State Park. The park is located about 30 minutes from downtown Savannah and about 30 minutes from the popular tourist stop of Tybee Island. We enjoyed our time in Savannah but the experience would have been much better had it not rained almost the entire time we were there. Just means we will have to go back! 🙂 I can’t wait to return and explore some more in this magical Southern location!
Skidaway ranks as one of the nicest state park campgrounds we have stayed at over the years. As you enter the campground you drive along a road lined with a beautiful oak tree and Spanish moss forest, creating a picturesque setting for camping in the Savannah area. The well-maintained park had recently renovated Camping Area No. 2, which now features level gravel pads, 50 amp service, and full water and sewer hook ups.
The shower house in Camping Area No. 3 was also recently renovated and included an indoor laundry facility and a family bathroom. The other shower houses in the campground are older, but appeared clean and well maintained. (Since we had full hook up at our campsite, we did not use the shower house.)
Newer shower house:
Older shower house:
If you are camping in a large travel trailer, fifth-wheel, or RV I recommend the pull-through sites in Camping Area No. 2 since some of the other areas have tight turns that could make navigating some areas difficult. Another thing to note about Camping Areas No. 1, 3, and 4 is that the sites were not gravel but a sandy surface.
During our stay at Skidaway we met up with family who stayed in one of the park’s newer camping cottages. Our campsite was across the street from the cabins, which made it convenient to spend time together. The cabin was very clean and surprisingly spacious, but it is not stocked with linens, towels, cookware, dishes, or utensils. No pets are allowed in the cabins.
The park also has a very nice nature center that offers various programs for children. Our kids attended a crafting session and a hands-on animal presentation. The center was staffed by park volunteers, one of whom was a former science teacher who did an excellent job with the programming.
There are lots of restaurants to choose from during a visit to Savannah, including Paula Deen’s well-known Lady and Sons Restaurant and Mrs. Wilke’s Dining Room. Since we had our kiddos along, locals recommended we check out The Pirates House Restaurant. While a bit more expensive than we normally spend for a meal out, it was well worth it! The food was excellent, the atmosphere was unique, and the staff really knew how to cater to the kiddos. Another place that locals recommended was Leopold’s Ice Cream, a true old-fashioned ice cream parlor. Our family loves ice cream and this was our kids’ favorite stop in Savannah.
We left the kiddos with family for a day so Kristin and I could do some touring of Savannah. We would highly recommend taking one of the popular trolley tours of the city even if you want to walk and explore on your own. It’s a great way to become oriented with the city and learn about some of its history, particularly related to the squares. We selected Old Town Trolley Tours and were satisfied with the service, the knowledge of the drivers, and the depth of the tour. Due to the persistent rain, we didn’t get to do much strolling, but we hopped off the trolley to visit The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, scope out the Savannah History Museum, and eat lunch at Moon River Brewing Company.
There is much more we would like to tour in Savannah including some of the historic homes, the Georgia State Railroad Museum, and Pin Point Heritage Museum. One thing that we would like to note–which was a bit of a detractor for us–is that Savannah is steeped in ghost culture, and everywhere we went it seemed people were offering ghost tours or ghost stories. That part of the city’s culture we could have done without, but otherwise, Savannah is a beautiful city to explore and we would definitely like to stay at Skidaway again.
We stayed at Skidaway Island State Park last month (May 2019). One of the best state parks for camping that we have ever stayed at.
We loved our visit there too!