Historically, Gascoigne Bluff was the first possible landing area for a ship entering the harbor. The site of an Indian settlement long before the Wesleys landed here with James Oglethorpe, Gascoigne Bluff has been headquarters for a military invasion, a Sea Island cotton plantation, the site of a lumber mill, and a shipping point for timber. Live oak timbers milled here in 1794 were used in building “Old Ironsides,” the U.S.S. Constitution. In 1874, timbers were cut here for the Brooklyn Bridge.

At Gascoigne Bluff, you can visit the Cassina Garden Club Slave Cabins from the Plantation Era, a Southern Red Cedar tree that is the second largest of its kind in Georgia, a fishing pier, and a beautiful stand of live oak trees. Across the Frederica River, you will see three “ballast hammocks”, small islands formed from ballast dumped by European ships before taking on cotton or lumber.

In addition to being a historic site, Gascoigne Bluff features a public fishing pier, a floating dock, a picnic pavilion, two grills, a disc golf course, a fitness trail, and restroom facilities. The park is free, open year-round, and hosts numerous events such as the annual Kingfish Tournament. The 6-hole disc golf course is spread throughout the live oak grove. Along the Southeast side of the live oak grove you will see the entrance to the Southeast Georgia Health System Fitness Trail which is a paved fitness trail with signs along the way educating visitors about the “Fit-Trail” balanced program of total fitness conditioning. Gascoigne Bluff is a great place for a family picnic/BBQ under the pavilion and provides easy access to the pier for fishing or boating. Since Gascoigne Bluff is the location for many annual events and fishing tournaments, it is a good idea to check our events calendar before you visit. Restrooms are on-site near the Pier.

There’s something for everyone to explore on St. Simons Island — pristine, natural beaches and marshlands, abundant wildlife, historic sites and monuments, parks and outdoor recreation, world-class accommodations, fishing, watersports, boutique shopping, and delectable dining. Yet you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time to your own private beach town getaway, a hidden gem of a casual coastal paradise that has remained untouched by overzealous development and commercial activity. Surrounded on all sides by historic Southern Oaks draped in Spanish Moss that have survived for hundreds of years, expansive marshlands and waterways, sandbars, and the Atlantic ocean in the background, St. Simons Island will capture your heart and imagination like nowhere else on Earth.