Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia and South Carolina, United States.
Savannah National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area straddling Georgia and South Carolina along the Savannah River, featuring freshwater marshes and bottomland forests. The shallow wetlands provide home to herons, geese, eagles, and numerous other animal species.
The refuge was established in 1927 to protect migratory birds traveling along the Atlantic coast during winter months. It became an important stopping point for ducks, geese, and other waterfowl.
The name recalls the rice plantations that farmed this land by the mid-18th century; their hand-built levees now serve as the dikes of the managed pools. The visitor center, opened in March 2010 at 694 Beech Hill Lane in Hardeeville, shows exhibits on the refuge's history and wildlife and runs an introductory video. Its Gator Hole bookstore sells nature titles.
The Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive is an easy road route open daily from dawn to dusk, providing access to several viewing spots. Hiking, photography, and fishing are popular activities visitors can enjoy without special permits.
Within the managed pools lie 36 recorded historic and prehistoric archaeological sites, catalogued inside the impoundment system. The dikes that visitors drive along follow hand-built rice levees from the mid-18th century, and remnants of the original trunk water-control structures survive in places.
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