It’s already spring, which means it’s time to get out and about before the summer heat sets in. Now is the perfect time to travel and explore the outdoors, which is easy thanks to the wildlife areas near Savannah.

Here are a few places to visit this season:

Tybee National Wildlife Refuge

This wildlife refuge offers 100-acres of beauty and adventure. It is a protected breeding area for birds and other wildlife, right at the mouth of the Savannah River. Part of the refuge was created out of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredging projects in the river. Other areas of the refuge are peppered with beautiful eastern red cedars, groundsels, and wax myrtles. Be sure to bring your binoculars and a camera so you can capture the beauty of this area and its inhabitants.

Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge

A part of the stunning Golden Isles, this refuge is more than 10,000 acres of dunes, forests, salt marshes, and beaches. It lies between the Wilmington River, Warsaw Sound, Vernon River, Ossabaw Sound, and the Atlantic Ocean. You can bird watch, hike, and beach comb. Look for egrets, herons, and the trails from loggerhead turtles. Locals say spring is the absolute best time of year to visit this wildlife refuge.

Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge

This refuge is part of a larger island network, but Pinckney is the largest of them and the only one open to the public. Check out the tidal creeks, forests, brushlands, fields, freshwater ponds, and salt marshes, not to mention the waterfowl, alligators, white-tailed deer, and other wildlife. In this refuge of over 4,000 acres, you can fish, kayak, hike, and bird watch. Considering the variety of wildlife you’ll find here, you definitely won’t run out of things to do.

Savannah National Wildlife Refuge 

Take a breath and relax at this stunning wildlife refuge, where you can enjoy nature all year round. There are many opportunities for outdoor recreation, including bicycling, hiking, bird watching, nature photography, fishing, and even hunting. The Savannah National Wildlife Refuge is open every single day of the year from sunrise to sunset. However, as with most of these refuges, the best time to visit is in spring, when you’ll see a lot more wildlife activity.

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