If you took a bike to Skidaway Island State Park this weekend, which trail could you ride? If you came on a Sunday with a leashed dog and no parking pass, where could you walk at all? Those questions have always had answers. This fall they matter more, because the park has fewer trails open than usual. The trails that remain open don't all follow the same rules.
What the park's closure notice covers
Georgia DNR's page for Skidaway Island State Park opens with a short notice:
"Due to damage to the bridges, the Avian Trail is currently closed. The observation tower is also currently closed."
The same page says a partial campground renovation began February 2, 2026, and is scheduled to last one year. On that schedule, work would run into early 2027.
The notice doesn't say when the bridges were damaged or why the tower closed, and it gives no reopening date. No public repair timeline has been posted. Until one is, it makes sense to plan as though both closures will last through the season.
One gray area matters for anyone who likes a longer walk. The park lists six miles of trail across four routes: Sandpiper, Big Ferry, Avian, and the Connector. DNR describes the Connector Trail as the link from both the Sandpiper and Avian loops to Big Ferry. It runs through a stand of invasive Chinese tallow and past a freshwater slough. The closure notice names only the Avian Trail, and the park doesn't say whether the Connector is open while its Avian end is closed. If you're planning a route that uses it, call the park office at 912-598-2300 first.
Three open loops, three sets of rules
With the Avian Trail out, there are two open trails inside the park. A third trail open to the public sits a few minutes away at the UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium. They differ more in their rules than in their scenery.
| Trail | Distance | Bikes | Leashed dogs | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandpiper Trail Loop | 1-mile loop, about an hour | Not allowed | Allowed | $10 daily ParkPass |
| Big Ferry Trail | 2-mile loop, nearly 3 with the earthworks loop, about two hours | Allowed | Allowed | $10 daily ParkPass |
| Jay Wolf Nature Trail, UGA | 0.5-mile short or 0.85-mile long option | Not allowed | Allowed outside, on leash | Free, sunrise to sunset |
| Avian Trail | Closed |
Big Ferry is the only one of the three that allows bikes. If your household rides, it's your only option on the island this fall.
Sandpiper is the trail DNR calls its most popular. It crosses salt flats and tidal creeks and passes through maritime forest on island hammocks. The boardwalks and level path are ADA accessible, which makes it the easiest choice for strollers, wheelchairs, and guests who want a short outing. Lettered posts along the way mark the stops. The salt flats look like white sand after a high tide because the thin layer of water evaporates and leaves salt crystals behind. Fiddler crabs live there and filter food from the sand. Farther along you'll find a V-shaped Civil War earthwork where off-duty gun crews rested. From there you can see the bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. Another stop marks a hole that held one of the 31 liquor stills operated on what is now park property during the 1930s.
Big Ferry takes more time and has more history. Numbered posts mark the shell middens, mounds of oyster shells left by the island's early Native residents. Those same shells, mixed with lime and sand, became tabby, the coastal building material European settlers later used. The trail also passes a Prohibition-era still site. The island's seclusion let boaters slip on and off with moonshine. It passes Civil War earthworks too, which DNR notes were often built by enslaved people as defenses against Union troops. Big Ferry has the park's widest mix of water habitats: freshwater sloughs that can dry out in a drought, brackish saltwater sloughs that don't, and alligator ponds whose water level rises and falls with the rain. DNR's own signs tell walkers to watch for a resident alligator, which is worth remembering if your dog is on a long leash.
What the $10 gets you in October
Both park trails require Georgia State Parks' ParkPass, which costs $10 per vehicle for the day or $70 for the year. The annual pass pays for itself on the seventh visit. October is the month most likely to get a local household there, because the park's calendar is full of short ranger programs. Each one requires the parking pass, and a few add a small program fee.
The rest of the month on the official Georgia State Parks events calendar:
- Oct. 12: Unboxing the Box Turtle, 10–11 a.m., at the Interpretive Center. Super Batty Suncatchers, 2–3 p.m., $5.
- Oct. 13: Wings on a String, 10–11 a.m., $3.
- Oct. 14: Roving Ranger, 3–4 p.m.
- Oct. 16: Snakes of Skidaway: Meet the Corn Snake, 2–3 p.m.
- Oct. 17: Archery, 10–11 a.m., $10. Bat Walk & Talk, 5:30–6:30 p.m.
- Oct. 18: Paint a Bat, 2–3 p.m., $4.
- Oct. 20: Jewels of the Marsh: Diamondback Terrapins, 10–10:30 a.m.
- Oct. 23: Campsite Decorating Contest, 5–7 p.m.
- Oct. 24: Trek 'n' Treat, 4–7 p.m.
- Oct. 25: Fungi Hike, 2–3:30 p.m.
- Oct. 27: Wings on a String, 10–11 a.m., $3.
- Oct. 30: Campsite Decorating Contest, 5–7 p.m. Bat Walk & Talk, 5:30–6:30 p.m.
- Oct. 31: Snakes of Skidaway: Meet the King Snake, 10–11 a.m. Super Batty Suncatchers, 2–3 p.m., $5.
The calendar leans hard on bats this month. There are two evening Bat Walk & Talks, two suncatcher sessions, Paint a Bat, and Wings on a String. The Oct. 11 Fungi Hike met at the Big Ferry trailhead for a one- to two-mile walk, so the mushroom programs use trails that are still open. As of today, nothing is posted for November. If you're weighing the $70 annual pass against a few single visits, check back as the next month's programs go up.
The free trail at 30 Ocean Science Circle
The answer to the Sunday-with-a-dog question is on the UGA campus. The Jay Wolf Nature Trail at the UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium offers a 0.5-mile short loop and a 0.85-mile long loop. UGA's FAQ says the trail, picnic area, and pavilion are open for public use from sunrise to sunset at no charge, even before and after aquarium hours. Dogs are welcome on the trail as long as they're leashed. Bikes and motorized vehicles aren't allowed, according to UGA's trail map.
The aquarium building keeps its own hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and closed Sunday. Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for ages 3 to 17 and eligible seniors, military, and college students. Children 2 and under get in free. A family of two adults and two children pays $28 for the aquarium. Parking at the state park for the day costs $10 per vehicle, however many people are in the car. Which one is the better deal for guests depends on whether they'd rather see touch tanks or salt flats.
If the campus was busy this weekend, it was Skidaway Marine Science Day. The free open house on Oct. 10 included aquarium tours, a reptile lab, shellfish research demonstrations, walks on the Jay Wolf Nature Trail, and tours of the 52-foot research vessel R/V Gannet, according to UGA's event announcement. WTOC's preview also highlighted the touch tanks and vessel tours. The open house lasted one day. The trail is open from sunrise to sunset at no charge, on a schedule separate from the aquarium building. That makes it the one walk on the island that requires no ticket and no parking pass.
Bikes belong on Big Ferry, the only trail on the island that allows them. Strollers and guests who use wheelchairs will do best on Sandpiper's boardwalks. Most of the October bat programs need the $10 parking pass plus a few dollars for supplies.
If these trails and programs are part of what keeps you on Skidaway, or you're starting to think about what comes next for your home here, the Teresa Cowart Team is glad to help. Let's Connect.
