Gascoigne Bluff

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. This family-friendly site operates seven days a week beginning at 9 a.m. The park is free, open year round and host to 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.