The two RV Gypsies hiked to
The Cockspur Island Lighthouse
in Georgia
October 19, 2014

Cockspur Island is an island in the south channel of the Savannah River near Lazaretto Creek, northwest of Tybee Island, Georgia, USA. Most of the island is within the boundaries of Fort Pulaski National Monument.

Historic buildings on the island include Fort Pulaski and the Cockspur Island Lighthouse, designed by John S. Norris, the New York architect. During the Spanish-American War, a coastal artillery battery, Battery Hambright, was built on the island; it was reactivated during World Wars One and Two.

The founder of Methodism, John Wesley landed at the island on February 6, 1736 and a monument marks the spot where Wesley conducted a service of thanksgiving.

The below sign told the two RV Gypsies that they were at the mouth of the Savannah River looking toward the Atlantic Ocean.

The two RV Gypsies began the easy hike to Cockspur Island Lighthouse. Along the way they took several photos of the lighthouse from different angles. In many of the pictures, both the Cockspur Island Lighthouse and the Tybee Island Lighthouse can be seen.

The lighthouse that stands on Cockspur Island was built in 1855 on an oyster bed foundation. This 46-foot tower has an eastern side that is shaped like the brow of a ship to help it withstand the battering it takes from the waters that surround it. During the Civil War when the Confederate forces fell to the Union, the Cockspur Lighthouse stood directly in the line of fire in the 30 hours of battle. Amazingly, the lighthouse suffered no damage. The lighthouse resumed operating in 1866 until 1949 when the Coast Guard abandoned it. The Park Service assumed control of the lighthouse in 1958 by Presidential Proclamation. The tower was repaired in a two-stage restoration effort that lasted from 1995-2000. The Cockspur Lighthouse was relit in 2007 using a solar powered beacon. The Cockspur Lighthouse is now a part of the Fort Pulaski National Monument. Shipworms wave action and tidal erosion have combined to threaten the stability of this Historic Monument. The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation put the Cockspur Lighthouse on the 2008 list of ten Places in Peril.

The lighthouse is open daily for exploration but is only accessible by boat.

Cockspur Island Lighthouse and Tybee Island Lighthouse in the far background.

The trip back to the parking lot

Karen Duquette paused on the trail when she saw a monster in a tree

Different views of Fort Pulaski from the hiking trail