Parks & Recreation - The Great Outdoors
Savannah’s natural tropical diversions are tempting, and the loveliness of the islands with sago palms, hibiscus, and towering pines can be found throughout the city, not just in a gated park, but within the downtown, Southside, and surrounding communities. Simply said: This is the ideal place to spend time with nature. For starters, salt marshes are begging for kayaks. Embark on a trip by water, abundant with sea life and splendid birds, comical fiddler crabs, and all kinds of fish. There are the endless waterways just waiting on your discovery. Tybee Island offers a serene shoreline for surf fishing, and there’s even a National Wildlife Refuge where freshwater rivers and cypress swamps intercept saltwater. The city is blessed with parks and parklike areas of every description and in every jurisdiction—national, state, regional, county, and city—and these provide settings for picnics and play and trails for hiking, biking, and jogging. Golfers and tennis players will find numerous venues that are open to the public.
Those who enjoy their recreation organized can participate in a variety of team sports offered for adults and youngsters by the county, city, YMCA, and the recreation departments of the smaller municipalities; athletes age 18 and younger can keep busy playing practically year-round, and many do. Much of this organized activity takes place at facilities at Bacon Regional Park, a 500-acre complex in Southside/Midtown. This is the site of Memorial Stadium, where many of the area’s high-school football games are played; Lake Mayer Community Park; and public facilities for golf (Bacon Park Golf Course), tennis (Bacon Park Tennis Complex), youth baseball and softball (Ambuc Park, William W. Scarborough Sports Complex, and Guy Minick Youth Complex), adult softball (Allen E. Paulson Softball Complex), soccer (Chatham County Soccer Complex), swimming (Chatham County Aquatic Center), and weightlifting (Paul Anderson-Howard Cohen Weightlifting Center).
On the following pages, you’ll also find information concerning the parks and activities we’ve mentioned. While you’re reading, keep in mind that a big part of the beauty of the area’s recreational offerings is that, because of Savannah’s mild climate, they’re available to you just about every day of the year, and most are free of charge.
City: Savannah, GA
Category: Parks & Recreation
City: Savannah, GA
Category: Parks & Recreation
City: Savannah, GA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: 52 Diamond Causeway
City: Savannah, GA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: 1301 East Victory Dr.
City: Savannah, GA
Category: Parks & Recreation
6. Southside Community Park
City: Savannah, GA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (912) 351-3841
Description: Developed by the city of Savannah in cooperation with Armstrong Atlantic State University, this 28-acre wooded area on Scenic Drive across from the ASSU field house features a nature walk that’s two-thirds of a mile long. A playground and picnic tables round out the facility. The park opens at dawn and closes at dusk.
7. William E. Honey Waterfront
City: Savannah, GA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (912) 447-1900
Description: The attraction of this park in the east Chatham town of Thunderbolt is the T-shaped fishing pier, a facility that gives anglers and crabbers access to the Wilmington River and its aquatic bounty. The pier extends 82 feet from high ground out over the water, and the crossbar of the “T” paralleling the riverbank is 96 feet long and 16 feet wide. If you’re here to picnic and not to fish, you’ll find tables and a covered pavilion where you can enjoy a meal alongside the river. The park, opened on Labor Day 1997, is named for a Thunderbolt resident who donated funds for its creation. It’s at the eastern end of Mechanics Avenue, which runs off US 80. The park and pier open at sunrise and close at sunset, and there’s no charge for using them.
City: Savannah, GA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: 195 Scott Stell Rd.
City: Savannah, GA
Category: Parks & Recreation
City: Savannah, GA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: 681 Fort Argyle Rd.
11. Tom Triplett Community Park
City: Savannah, GA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (912) 652-6780
Description: The first phase of this 193-acre park along US 80 just west of Dean Forest Road was opened to the public in October 1998. Visitors will find two pavilions and a 19-acre lake that’s stocked with fish and circled by a paved path intended for walking, running, and bicycling. Plans call for the eventual construction of a boathouse and docks and the creation of campsites, hiking trails, picnic areas, and a playground. When it’s completed, this county-owned park will be the largest in Chatham. The park is open from 8 a.m. until dark.
City: Savannah, GA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: 7235 Sallie Mood Dr.
City: Savannah, GA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: 7171 Skidaway Rd.
City: Savannah, GA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: 6400 Habersham St.
15. Ambuc Park
City: Savannah, GA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (912) 351-6754
Description: This 25-acre sports complex in Southside/Midtown has four lighted diamonds for baseball and girls’ softball. Maintained by Chatham County, it’s also the site of youth football games and soccer matches.