Ossabaw Island State Heritage Preserve, Richmond Hill

About Ossabaw Island State Heritage Preserve

Ossabaw Island State Heritage Preserve encompasses approximately 26,000 acres of Georgia's third-largest barrier island, featuring nearly 9,000 acres of high ground and extensive tidal wetlands. Visitors travel by pontoon boat to the island's north end for interpretive tours covering ecology and history. The preserve includes restored tabby cabins built by enslaved Africans in the 1770s, historic plantation sites, maritime forests, and marsh vistas. Day trips accommodate various interests: walking tours of the historic north end, archaeology excavations of 19th-century plantation sites led by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, creative activities including painting and sketching among the island's natural features, and heritage trips for descendants of people connected to the island from 1760 to 1980. Visitors can explore independently, sit on the clubhouse front porch, or participate in guided experiences. The island stretches roughly ten miles long and seven miles wide, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, the Intracoastal Waterway, and multiple river systems.