Fort Pulaski National Monument ⓘ

Georgia’s coast, known to the Creek Indians as “The Enchanted Land,” is in the approximate center of the curved coastline known as the Georgia Bight, which extends from Cape Fear, North Carolina to Cape Canaveral, Florida. A distinguishable characteristic of the Georgia coast is its tidal ecosystem, made up of 378,000 acres of salt marsh. These precious lands make up more than one-quarter of the remaining salt marshes on the east coast and nourish one of the most biologically productive ecosystems on earth. Georgia’s salt marshes vary from four to six miles in width and protect our coastline from storm surges and tidal action. These vibrant coastal ecosystems also support commercial and recreational fisheries and a thriving tourist industry, yet still incur little degredation. Today, state and federal governments own and manage most of Georgia’s barrier islands as parks, sanctuaries or wildlife preserves.

Fort Pulaski National Monument, located in Chatham County, Georgia, lies along the Savannah River only a few miles from its junction with the Atlantic Ocean. With the exception of approximately 250 acres on Cockspur Island and 200 acres on McQueens Island, the 5,400 acre park consists primarily of tidal marshes and mud flats that are subject to twice-daily inundation of a six to ten foot tide, the second highest tidal range on the U.S. eastern seaboard. These two islands that make up the site were, before human intervention, primarily salt marsh. Maritime forests, scrubland, shorelines, and grassed areas created through stages of succession and human intervention create diverse ecosystems providing habitat for a wide range of wildlife.

Click on the links below to find out more about the wildlife inhabiting Fort Pulaski National Monument, the various ecosystems, and environmental factors and management challenges natural resources face at the monument and along Georgia’s coast.

Explore the many species of wildlife that Fort Pulaski supports, including 11 Protected Species that have been identified in the park.

Explore the diverse vegetation that shape the landscape of Fort Pulaski and provide habitat to the park's wildlife.

Learn about the different environmental factors that impact the park and the management challenges that they create for park staff.

With over 4,800 acres of salt marsh and about 500 acres of dredge spoil, Fort Pulaski is a mosaic of unique ecosystems and natural features.

See why nearly 4,500 acres of pristine salt marsh located in Fort Pulaski is managed as "wildnerness" under the Wilderness Act of 1964.

Cockspur and McQueens Islands are surrounded by vast salt marshes, interspersed by rivers and tidal estuaries. Cockspur Island encompasses approximately 600 acres of mudflats, marshes and limited high ground. In order to build Fort Pulaski , a ditch and dike system was constructed to lower the water table. This changed the island from marshlands with very limited dry ground to a island suitable for construction.

Fort Pulaski was placed in reserve in the 1870s by the army. It was not demolished but it was also not maintained. This included the ditch and dike system that kept the island dry. The land reverted to its natural state after a series of hurricanes. Cockspur Island became a marsh again.

Cockspur Island has grown since the fort's construction. Dredge spoil from the bottom of the Savannah River was deposited on the western side of the island. Salt marsh flats were turned to solid ground. This greatly changed what species of plants would take root on the island.

Fort Pulaski National Monument was founded in 1924. By that time, the ditch and dike system no longer functioned. The moat and canal that supplied it with water silted up. The water table rose to just below the surface. In the 1930s, the Civil Conservation Corps restored the ditch and dike system as it was during the Civil War.

Today, Cockspur Island has grasslands, maritime forests, sand beaches and marshes, leading to a wide variety of plant life. Palmettos dot the island. Marsh grass dominates the southern side of the island. The northeastern corner now has an artificial sand beach. Maritime forests can be found in several areas of the island.

The range of ecosystems found within the boundaries of Fort Pulaski National Monument support a variety of wildlife, both terrestrial and aquatic. The marshlands in particular serve an important role as a nursery for many species. The park itself is home or sanctuary to 11 Protected Species, including American oystercatcher, bald eagle, gull-billed tern, least tern, loggerhead sea turtle, manatee, peregrine falcon, piping plover, swallow-tailed kite, Wilson's plover and woodstork.

Click on the links below to learn more about all of the different kinds of animals that can be seen around Fort Pulaski.

Several species of amphibians present in Fort Pulaski rely on both the upland and wetland ecosystems to complete their life cycles.

Many species of birds utilize the wetland ecosystem of Fort Pulaski for breeding, feeding, and refuge during winter months.

Fishermen are attracted to Fort Pulaski by the array of fish found in the Savannah River and often make their way into the moat.

Look up, down, and all around. Many species of mammals can be found on land, in the sky, and in the water throughout Fort Pulaski.

The many species of reptiles found in Fort Pulaski are often misunderstood creatures and each play very important roles in their ecosystems.

From insects and spiders to mollusks and crustaceans, invertebrates are the underappreciated "backbones" of their ecosystems.