Little St Simons
A truly dreamy daytrip is an escape to Little St. Simons Island. This 11,000-acre island where nature is the luxury provides the perfect place to step away from everyday hustle and bustle. With a landscape that is virtually untouched, gracious hospitality, and naturalist-led adventures, you’ll never want to leave!
Birdwatching on Little St. Simons Island
Garden & Gun named The Lodge at Little St. Simons Island as one of its "Five Out-of-the-Way Spring Break Escapes” in a 2016 list updated in 2023. They described the destinations chosen as “remote Southern retreats to help you unwind and unplug.” They cited the island’s more than ten thousand acres of virtually untouched maritime forests, marshlands, and pristine private beaches with cabins and cottages that blend into the natural landscape as its highly attractive features. “Reachable only by boat, the property sleeps just thirty-two guests, so you’ll never feel crowded. You can rent single rooms in one of the larger lodges; reserve a private detached cottage; or if you’re really after a little R&R, you can book the entire island.”
Little St. Simons Island has been privately owned since 1760 and used as a family retreat from 1908 until opened to the public in 1979. This pristine barrier island is accessible exclusively by a 15-minute boat ride from Hampton River Marina on the north end of St. Simons Island and is truly a nature lover’s paradise. The Lodge on Little St. Simons offers activity-filled day trips, as well as gracious all-inclusive accommodations for overnight stays in six charming and comfortable cottages, with superb family style dining, and genuine Southern hospitality. The recreational activities led by the island’s phenomenal staff of naturalists include birding, boating, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, bicycling, interpretive tours, beachcombing, fishing, and swimming. And although the Lodge at Little St. Simons Island has won numerous hospitality awards, the number one attraction has always been the Island itself.
Boardwalk to Beach
Roseate Spoonbills
If you can spend more time than just a day, some special programs offered on Little St. Simons during the year include three-, four-, or seven- night Spring Birding Days packages April 18-25, a three-day Shark Workshop in June, Turtle Days with evening beach walks in the summer months, and Fall Birding Days packages in September. These all-inclusive programs feature guest ornithologists with insight on bird migration and the abundance of species that flock to the area, shark biologists who offer the unique experience of involving your family in research, including taking and recording data, handling and tagging sharks. These incredible opportunities are unforgettable for all ages and are available on Little St. Simons Island thanks to the foresight of conservation organizations who have long recognized the importance of the Island’s natural, intact habitats, and healthy populations of rare and threatened wildlife. In 2015, the owners of Little St. Simons Island donated a conservation easement to The Nature Conservancy on the entire 11,000+ acre Island. This easement ensures that the preservation efforts that have been practiced by the Island’s owners for many years will be permanent and experiences like these can continue to be offered to visitors. For more information about day trips, overnight accommodations, and special packages, visit littlestsimonsisland.com.
