National monument preserves fort located on Cockspur Island between Savannah and Tybee Island
General Information
The Visitor Center is open from 9am to 5pm and historic Fort Pulaski is open 9am to 4:45pm
Accepts America The Beautiful Pass
How to Get There
Head east on E Bay St toward E Upper Factors Walk. Continue onto General McIntosh Blvd. Use the left 2 lanes to turn left onto E President St. Continue straight to stay on E President St. Continue onto Islands Expy. Keep left at the fork, follow signs for US-80 E and merge onto US-80 E/Islands Expy.
Overview
Fort Pulaski National Monument sits on Cockspur Island between Savannah and Tybee Island, guarding the mouth of the Savannah River. Construction began in 1829, with a young Second Lieutenant Robert E. Lee among the engineers, and the fort was named for Casimir Pulaski, the Polish cavalry commander of the American Revolution. In 1862 Union forces used rifled cannon to breach its walls in a single day, a test that made brick forts obsolete. The fort later served as a prisoner-of-war camp.
The monument covers most of Cockspur Island and all of neighboring McQueens Island. The fort is one of the nearly 30 Third System coastal fortifications still standing along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and a museum opened here in the 1980s.
Things to Do
Tour the Fort
Cross the drawbridge and walk the casemates, parade ground, moat, and ramparts, with exhibits on military life, engineering, and the 1862 siege. Self-guided tours let you set your own pace.
Learn the Civil War Story
Exhibits and programs cover the siege, the Union and Confederate forces, prisoners of war, and enslaved people who sought freedom during the conflict.
Bike or Walk the Marsh Trails
Causeways and trails cross salt marshes and tidal creeks with wide views of the surrounding waterways.
Top Trails
| Trail | Length | Difficulty | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Pulaski Historic Grounds Walk | Varies | Easy | Paved, accessible paths linking the visitor center, drawbridge, moat, and ramparts |
| North Pier Trail | About 1 mile round trip | Easy | Coastal habitats and a pier overlooking tidal waterways |
| McQueens Island Trail | About 6 miles one way | Easy | Multi-use trail on a former rail corridor across coastal marsh |
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Fort Pulaski National Monument", released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0, along with visitor information from the National Park Service.
