In April we took a weekend trip north to Crooked River State Park in Georgia. This was our first visit to this park and we were ready to explore. Since we were traveling with other family members we decided to rent one of the park’s 3 bedroom cottages. It was perfect!
Crooked River State Park is located on Georgia’s southernmost coast. It is a few miles from I-95 and tucked away next to the quaint little town of St. Mary’s. The park has 500 acres of forest and salt marsh that abut the tidal river. It is home to numerous animals, including deer, hogs, foxes, bobcats, gopher tortoises, and birds. This state park has 62 campsites, 11 cottages, lots of picnic tables, a fishing pier, boat ramp, mini-golf, and multiple hiking and kayaking trails. Something for everyone!
The park is open daily from 7 am to 10 pm. All guests must check in with the office and pay the $5 daily park pass. Campground sites range in price from $32 to $42. Campsites are large and shaded. They have water, electric, a picnic table, and grill. A few sites have sewer hook-ups. There are also a good number of pull through sites.
The mini-golf course is open year-round and is $4 plus tax per person. This is an awesome deal! The park also has bicycle rentals. Regular and tandem bicycles are rented in 1 hour, 4 hours, or 8-hour segments.
Cottages
Cottages can be reserved online and range in price from $160 to $225 per night. They range in size from 2 bedrooms which sleep 8 people to 3 bedrooms that sleep 10. Certain cottages are ADA compliant and only 4 allow dogs. During our visit, we stayed in Cottage 2 and it was wonderful. It was the perfect size for our group of 9. The cottage had 3 bedrooms, a fully stocked kitchen, dining area, living room, 2 bathrooms, and a large screened-in back porch. All linens and kitchen supplies were provided. Basically, you just need to bring your food and clothing. Just beyond the cottage, there was a concrete slab with a picnic table, grill, and fire pit. We had a great view of the river.
Crooked River Trails
Our family loves hiking so we tried to check out as many of the trails as we could. First we hiked the short River Trail. It is only a few hundred yards long and ends at an overlook above the river.
We also put together a couple of trails to make 1 longer hike that was about 3 miles long. We started off on the Palmetto Trail and hiked it to the Bay Boardwalk Trail. Taking the Bay Boardwalk to the left we found the observation tower. A bit beyond the tower the trail was closed and we were led to a detour. We ended up back at the observation tower and continued around the loop. After a while, we came upon the Nature Center and crossed the road to the Nature Center Trail. From there we cut across the campground and took the Golf Cart Trail back to the cottages. Pay very close attention to trail signs and bring a map. We got confused multiple times. The trail markers were not always there or were not clear.
Another easy hike was right along the river bluff. This trail isn’t marked but is well worn. It goes from behind the cottages all the way to the boat ramp. Our kids loved climbing up into the wildlife blind along the way. This trail also passes the campground and playgrounds.
The last hike we did was the Sempervirens Trail at the very end of the cottage road. In the beginning, there is a short spur off to the left that takes you to a birding platform overlooking the river. This trail is about a mile long. All of the trails are mostly flat and very easy. Some are more shaded than others.
Kayak Trails
Crooked River State Park also has numerous kayak trails. It is highly recommended that you do not boat alone and that you pay special attention to the tide schedule. The river tidal effects can be quite pronounced. For this reason, we were uncomfortable kayaking with our kids in the river. We felt like they weren’t strong enough to deal with the currents.
Kayak trail maps are available in the office. Trails range in length from 4.3 to 8.4 miles round trip. The trail map has suggested departure times and difficulty levels. It is possible to kayak all the way to Cumberland Island.
Crooked River Caution
A word of caution! In the evening the gnats and bugs get really bad. Dress appropriately or bring bug spray. Also, there are gopher tortoises everywhere! Watch where you step, their burrows could easily twist your ankle. The burrows were all over the field behind the cottages. Gopher tortoises are the Georgia state reptile. They are also a threatened species, so please do not touch or harass them.
Near Crooked River
One day of our visit we drove up to Jekyll Island. It was about an hour drive from Crooked River. There is an $8 entrance fee to the island. We spent the day exploring the Horton House and Pond, Driftwood Beach, and St. Andrews Beach. The kids loved climbing all over the driftwood on Driftwood Beach.
St. Andrews Beach is at the tip of the island so the water was very calm. Our kids were the only ones in the water. This beach also has a great picnic area, restrooms, and a short intrepretive trail leading to an observation tower. Access to the beach is free.
Also nearby is Cumberland Island National Seashore, Fernandina Beach, and Fort Clinch State Park. All of these are on our list for next time.
Conclusion
Our weekend at Crooked River State Park was a great one. We did just about everything we had hoped too. Now on to the next Georgia State Park. Which park do you recommend?
- Our First Visit to a Georgia State Park
- Places to Visit Near Unicoi State Park
- 7 Family Hikes in North Georgia
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are strictly my own. I was not compensated for this post.
We always thought we would make it to Crooked River before we moved out of Florida to Tennessee but never made it there. We did however camp at Unicoi, Vogel, Laura S. Walker and A.H. Stevens state parks. I think Vogel was my favorite because of the cool temps, the stream that ran through the campground, and the nice lake there.
Vogel is on my list of places to visit. We loved Unicoi!