Look for warblers during spring and fall migration. Look for nesting osprey in spring and summer. Look for migrating shorebirds in early to mid-summer. Watch for mergansers and other ducks in Crooked River. Listen and watch for painted buntings in spring and summer.

Types of Birds: Birds of prey, shorebirds, wading birds, songbirds, waterfowl

Best Birding Seasons: Birds of prey (all), shorebirds (fall and winter), songbirds (all), wading birds (all), waterfowl (winter)

Specialties: Osprey, bald eagle, wood stork, painted bunting

This 500-acre state park is located on the banks of the Crooked River. The area is blanketed with several habitats including pine flatwoods, salt marsh, and maritime forest.

Set your own pace with the rise and the fall of tides shaping Crooked River State Park, connecting generations with forests, scenic marsh views, and abundant coastal wildlife.

Located on the southern tip of Georgia’s Colonial Coast, this park is the perfect spot for enjoying the Intracoastal Waterway and maritime forest. Campsites are surrounded by palmettos and Spanish moss-draped oaks, while cottages are set near the tidal river. A boat ramp is popular with anglers who often take to the water before sunrise. Just down the road is the ferry to the famous Cumberland Island National Seashore known for secluded beaches and wild horses.

The park’s nature trail winds through forest and salt marsh, and hikers may see gopher tortoises, fiddler crabs, herons, and other birds. A nature center features fish, snakes, turtles, and other animals native to coastal Georgia. Visitors may venture to the nearby ruins of a tabby mill, built around 1825 and later used as a starch factory during the Civil War.