Skidaway Island State Park Yurts

Salt Marsh Glamping Fifteen Minutes from Savannah

Most people who visit Savannah stay in the historic district — a predictable choice, given that the city’s oak-lined squares and antebellum architecture are genuinely beautiful. But fifteen minutes southeast of River Street, on an island where the Skidaway Narrows meet the Intracoastal Waterway, a small collection of yurts under live oak canopy offers something the boutique hotels in town cannot: the sound of the salt marsh at night, the rustle of palmetto fronds, and the particular coastal quiet that comes from sleeping in a maritime forest.

Skidaway Island State Park operates three yurts as part of its campground, and they represent the only glamping option directly tied to Savannah’s coastal ecosystem. At one hundred and twenty-five dollars per night with linen service included, they are also among the most affordable glamping stays in the state.

The Yurts and the Setting

The yurts at Skidaway are circular canvas-and-wood structures set under the park’s live oak canopy, with Spanish moss overhead and the sounds of the salt marsh filtering through the screened windows. Inside, you get a pull-out couch bed and twin bunk beds (sleeping four total), a ceiling fan, a small heater, and air conditioning. The finishes are state park functional — this is not a designed experience with curated decor.

Outside each yurt, a picnic table, grill, and fire pit provide the basics for outdoor cooking and evening relaxation. A shared bathhouse with hot showers and flush toilets is within walking distance. One of the three yurts allows pets, which is worth noting for travelers who bring dogs.

The linen service is a genuine convenience — sheets, pillows, and blankets are provided and cleaned between guests, which eliminates the need to pack bedding for what is otherwise a camping-adjacent stay.

Six Miles of Coastal Trails

The real draw at Skidaway is not the yurt itself but what surrounds it. The park maintains six miles of trails through maritime forest and along the salt marsh edge, and the ecology is dramatically different from anything you will find in the mountains or piedmont. Live oaks draped in Spanish moss form a dense canopy over trails that wind through palmetto understory. The marsh overlooks reveal fiddler crabs, herons, and occasional dolphin sightings in the narrows.

The Big Ferry Trail and Sandpiper Trail are the main routes, both flat and accessible for all fitness levels. Interpretive signage explains the coastal ecosystem — tidal cycles, marsh grass ecology, the role of barrier islands — in a way that adds depth to what might otherwise be a simple walk. For birders, the park is particularly rewarding during spring and fall migration.

The park also borders the University of Georgia Marine Education Center and Aquarium, a small but worthwhile facility, especially for families with children curious about coastal marine life.

Savannah and Tybee Island

The location is the multiplier here. Skidaway Island sits close enough to Savannah that a day in the historic district — Forsyth Park, the river walk, the restaurants — requires only a fifteen-minute drive. Tybee Island, Savannah’s beach, is about thirty-five minutes in the other direction. A long weekend itinerary that combines marsh-side glamping, a day of Savannah sightseeing, and a morning on Tybee Beach is one of the better three-day trips available in Georgia.

Wormsloe Historic Site, with its famous mile-long avenue of live oaks, is on the way between Skidaway and downtown Savannah and worth a stop.

For options across the rest of the state, our Georgia glamping guide covers everything from Blue Ridge domes to mountain safari tents.

Who Should Book This

Skidaway Island yurts are for travelers who want to experience the coastal lowcountry landscape without the price tag of a Savannah boutique hotel, and who do not mind the tradeoffs of state park lodging. The shared bathhouse, the no-cooking-inside policy, and the basic furnishings are all limitations that will bother some guests and not others.

For couples, the appeal is the combination of a quiet coastal night and easy access to one of America’s most walkable cities. For families, the flat trails, the marine education center, and the proximity to Tybee Island’s beach create a full weekend of activities at a fraction of resort pricing. The four-person maximum means larger families will need to look elsewhere.

Summer visitors should prepare for mosquitoes and no-see-ums — the coastal marshes breed them generously from June through September. Spring and fall are the comfortable seasons, and winter in coastal Georgia is mild enough to make off-season glamping a genuine option.