Little Tybee Island

Located near the city of Savannah, Little Tybee Island is a 6,780-acre island that is also a nature preserve and it has multiple unnamed white-sand beaches.  Some of the beaches in Little Tybee Island are considerably large in size.  Multiple creeks flow through some of the beaches in Little Tybee Island.  Once these creeks pass the beaches, they flow into the Atlantic Ocean.   

Little Tybee Island should not be confused with a separate adjacent island with a similar name called Tybee Island. 

Little Tybee Island does not have lifeguards or any other amenities except a few hiking trails, so plan accordingly.  Dogs are allowed on the beaches of Little Tybee Island.

The beaches in Little Tybee Island offer many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, camping, wildlife watching, rockhounding, fishing, picnicking, surfing, swimming, skimboarding, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, surf-skiing, jet-skiing, snorkeling, and boating.   Little Tybee Island is popular with surfers because the water here is known to occasionally offer fun and thrilling surfing waves.

If you like kayaking and canoeing, you can also explore the tidal creeks flowing through Little Tybee Island through kayak or canoe.  If you are planning to swim, surf, kayak, canoe, boat, or paddleboard near Little Tybee Island, we recommend being careful because the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents.  The water here also may occasionally have high levels of microbial contamination.  

If you like birdwatching, you can see many kinds of migratory and resident birds on the beaches in Little Tybee Island including whimbrels, piping plovers, ibis, and egrets.  Some of these birds may also use the beaches in Little Tybee Island as nesting sites.  If you like beachcombing, you can comb the beaches of Little Tybee Island to search for fossilized prehistoric shark teeth and fossilized bones.  If you like hiking, Little Tybee Island also has a vibrant landscape consisting of hardwood hammock forests and salt marshes and it offers an amazing hiking and wildlife watching experience. 

Tent camping is also allowed on Little Tybee Island.  However, if you are planning to camp in summers, we recommend setting up your camping site near this island’s beaches if you want to avoid insects.  Campers should also note that this island is also home to many kinds of dangerous animals including wild hogs, raccoons, and alligators.

Little Tybee Island does not offer wheelchair access to visitors with disabilities.

Getting to Little Tybee Island can be slightly difficult because the only possible way to reach the island is through boat, kayak, or canoe – the closest place to Little Tybee Island from where you can launch your watercraft is a separate beach in the neighboring Tybee Island called Back River Beach.  The public entrances for Back River Beach are located near the western ends of Inlet Avenue, Alley Street, and Fisherman’s Walk.  The entrances for Back River Beach are easily accessible from Butler Avenue, which is a part of United States Highway 80.  There are metered street parking spaces near the entrances for Back River Beach that charge $3.50 for an hour.  These street parking spaces require parking fees between 8 am and 8 pm.  We recommend visiting Back River Beach early because the street parking spaces near this beach may fill up quickly.

Once you have reached Back River Beach, you can launch your watercraft and then reach Little Tybee Island.  We recommend being careful while paddling to Little Tybee Island on your canoe, kayak, or boat because the water near Back River Beach can have unpredictable rip currents and rogue waves.  The best time to visit Little Tybee Island is between Fall and Spring because the island has significantly fewer number of insects during this time. 

As an interesting fact, Little Tybee Island is twice the size of Tybee Island, despite its name indicating otherwise.  In addition, you can see loggerhead sea turtles near Little Tybee Island – these endangered turtles also use the beaches in Little Tybee Island as a seasonal nesting site between May and October.

There are many attractions near Little Tybee Island in mainland Georgia.  Whitemarsh Preserve has many kinds of habitats including oak forests and marshes - the preserve has hiking and biking trails which offer a unique insight into the local biodiversity and landscape.  Fort Pulaski National Monument has the remnants of an early 19th century fort named Fort Pulaski.  The area around Fort Pulaski has mud flats and tidal marshes and you can see many kinds of birds here including bald eagles and piping plovers.  Tybee Island Light Station was initially constructed in 1736 and it is 145 feet tall.  The lighthouse premises also has three light keeper’s cottages and interesting historic exhibits.  Memorial Park is a recreational park that offers many amenities including barbecue areas, a pavilion, picnic areas, a playground, restrooms, drinking water facility, tennis courts, soccer fields, basketball courts, and volleyball courts.  If you are looking for another attraction near Little Tybee Island, Tybee Island Marine Science Center has interesting exhibits on local marine biodiversity and it also has many kinds of fish, reptiles, and aquatic invertebrates. 

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Little Tybee Island in mainland Georgia.  A-J’s Dockside on Tybee Island is a waterfront restaurant which is known for serving amazing seafood and it also offers fantastic dishes for lunch and dinner including Southern United States-style dishes, and Cajun and Creole-style dishes.  The Steakhouse on Whitemarsh Island is an upscale restaurant that offers delicious steaks and it also offers many other dishes including seafood, chicken, and pastas.  The Crab Shackis a popular waterfront restaurant that is known for serving amazing seafood – it has been listed as one of the best restaurants in Savannah by the Condé Nast Traveller magazine.  Fannie’s on the Beach is a restaurant that offers amazing dishes for lunch and dinner including burgers, sandwiches, seafood, barbecued ribs, and chicken wings and it also serves amazing cocktails.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Little Tybee Island, the modestly priced Sunrise offers amazing dishes for breakfast including French toasts, eggs, waffles, steaks, poultry dishes, sandwiches, and burgers.

If you are looking for a hotel near Little Tybee Island, there are many great nearby options.  If you are looking for a 4-Star hotel,Thompson Savannah is a 30-minute drive away and offers many amenities including a fitness center, a pool, a restaurant, a bar, and a bakery.  Another upscale 4-Star hotel is the Olde Harbour Inn that is a 35-minute drive away and was built in the late 19th century – this hotel offers many amenities including a lounge and complimentary wine, snacks, and ice-cream.  Another great upscale hotel is the 4-Star Mansion on Forsyth Park that is a 35-minute-drive away and offers many amenities including a pool, bike loaner facilities, tennis courts and tennis equipment rental facilities, fitness center,  a spa,  a restaurant, and a lobby lounge.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-StarSea Breeze Hotel & Condo which offers many amenities including a pool, a sundeck, complimentary breakfast, and a fitness center.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Little Tybee Island, the 3-Star Hotel Tybee offers many amenities including two pools, bike loaner facilities, a gift shop, barbecue areas, and multiple restaurants.