Fort Pulaski sits on Cockspur Island, one of the Sea Islands – a chain of tidal and barrier islands along South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
In the mid-1800s, Fort Pulaski was constructed to protect the port of Savannah. As the Battle of Fort Pulaski was only 30 hours long, much of the original fort remains and can be enjoyed by visitors to the national monument. It is known as the site where rifled artillery technology was first used in U.S. military history.
Fort Pulaski National Monument
2025 Price: Free due to my Annual Pass (Fee would have been $10 per person)
Fort Pulaski
After the War of 1812, the United States constructed over 40 coastal fortifications to better protect its maritime interests, including Fort Pulaski.
Fort Pulaski was protected by a triangular demilune (meaning “half-moon”) at its entrance and a moat on all sides.
In April 1862, Confederates refused a demand to surrender as enemy guns were at least a mile away on Tybee Island. This was more than twice the effective range of artillery of the time. However, when Union troops opened fire, their new rifled cannons fired projectiles that pierced the masonry walls. By noon on the second day, the southeast corner of the fort had been breached. This created a clear line of fire to the 40,000-pound black powder magazine and, fearing for the lives of his men, the Confederate commander surrendered.
Many of the battle scars are visible on the structure today. Several projectiles are still imbedded in the walls.
In addition to acting as a fortification, Fort Pulaski was also a safe haven on the Underground Railroad and prisoner of war camp.
I loved being able to walk freely around the fort. We were able to see living quarters, artillery, and even what made up the fort’s structure.
Cockspur Island Lighthouse
Built in 1848, Cockspur Island Lighthouse marked the entrance to the South Channel of the Savannah River. It was destroyed by a hurricane in 1854, but a larger structure replaced it a year later. The 46-foot-tall brick tower survived the 30-hour bombardment of Fort Pulaski and hurricanes in 1881 and 1893.
Shipping moved to the North Channel of the Savannah River by the late 1800s. As it was no longer needed, Cockspur Island Lighthouse was deactivated in 1909. It is one of five historic lighthouses in Georgia.
Hiking
There are five hiking trails in the national monument. We hiked three of them – North Pier Loop, Dike System Trail, and Lighthouse Overlook Trail.
North Pier is a 0.75-mile loop with several points of interest. The easy trail first passes Battery Hambright, a concrete gun battery constructed in 1899. The battery was designed to protect a minefield in the Savannah River. Next, the loop makes it way to the namesake North Pier on the North Channel. Finally, there is a monument to John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.
From the North Pier, we turned on the 1.8-mile Dike System Trail. The dike is 12 feet above sea level, providing tide control and defense. We walked the easy grass path along the channel to connect to the trail for the lighthouse.
Lighthouse Overlook Trail is a 1.5-mile round trip hike. The dirt path crosses a couple of wooden bridges before ending at an overlook. Because the lighthouse and island are closed to the public for preservation efforts, this is as close as we could get. With all the houses and buildings behind it, I think the best viewpoint for lighthouse is earlier on the trail.
From the lighthouse, we jumped back on the Dike System Trail. There are great views of the fort and the marsh.
Wildlife
The Dike System Trail will always be special to me because this was my first sighting of a nine-banded armadillo in the wild! At first, I heard movement and then a quick little peak of its face. It quickly escaped back into the tall grass.
Over 200 bird species can be found at the national monument. We spied blue-gray gnatcatchers, juvenile little blue herons, palm warblers, Savannah sparrows, and yellow-rumped warblers along the trails.
