Savannah Outdoor Activities

The Savannah Walks leads newcomers and locals alike through the shadowy, moss-laden squares of Savannah’s historic colonial district during informative guided tours. Each outing provides a unique twist on the city and its unmistakable charm, covering topics such as Savannah during the Civil War, historic fine homes, majestic gates and gardens, and local pubs. Tour guides all boast scholastic bona fides, including among them three published authors and three college professors. The Savannah Walks easily accommodates school groups, civic organizations, corporations, celebrities, and animals standing on each other's shoulders under an overcoat.

Daufuskie Discoveries creates opportunities to explore Daufuskie Island's lush, historic habitat with customized guided or private outings. An enclosed or open-air water taxi quickly shuttles small groups from Hilton Head or Savannah to the island's three-mile stretch of sandy beach in 30 minutes, with captains tossing out facts about Calibogue Sound and Cooper River. Customers disembark and board their conveyance of choice—golf cart, boat, or shoes—before bursting through the tree line into specific isle regions, such as Bloody Point, which houses the Bloody Point Cemetery and Bloody Point Lighthouse & Silver Dew Winery. Three-hour private cruises skirt the coastline as a guide artfully describes the sun dipping beneath marshes as a hot air balloon deflated by a stampeding herd of storks.

The Shoemaker clan has been sailing around the East Coast since the 1600s, making the family as native to South Carolina as the state's alligators and seaside bluffs resembling John C. Calhoun. After inheriting an in-depth aquatic knowledge from his father, who spent 25 years as a commercial fisherman, Captain Chris Shoemaker—a Coast Guard–licensed captain—conveys that love of the water to even more generations by leading fishing, shrimping, and crabbing excursions on his 24-foot Carolina Skiff boat. Collectively known as May River Excursions, Captain Chris and his crew make twice-daily trips to Daufuskie Island, a rustic, historical idyll with a single schoolhouse, dirt roads, and wild bald eagles, armadillos, and alligators that still comprise the island's local constabulary. The guides also lead regular 90-minute tours along the May River in search of ospreys, egrets, and dolphins, always including a history lesson about the country surrounding the towns of Bluffton and Hilton Head.

Led by founder Captain Britt, the sea-savvy crew of UnReel Expeditions unlocks the beauty of the rivers and ocean around Savannah aboard their versatile fleet of anglers, speedboats, and luxury cruisers. Dolphin-spotting tours give passengers a hull-side view of the playful cetaceans as they scamper through the water and shout obscenities in their hideous dolphin language. Savannah history tours regale sea goers with stories of the port's venerable past punctuated by gorgeous views of Georgia's oldest city. For long-form aquatic adventures, offshore fishing trips run up to 12 hours, giving anglers a chance to bag such fish as snapper, tuna, sea bass, and sharks. Alternatively, private charters put lovebirds in full face of neon sunsets or let parties customize their own sightseeing tours.

As the owner of Savannah Belle Tours started leading tourists around the city with a private tour company, she soon developed a desire to experience the sites and stories beyond the standard destinations. So, she set out to gain extra insight and amusing anecdotes regarding Savannah's landmarks, using information from historical texts, extensive research with the Georgia Historical Society, and exclusive one-on-one interviews with the state's oldest oak trees.

Today, thanks to that insight, Savannah Belle Tours provides thorough, engaging walking tours of the city, offering the unique option to personalize any tour according to specific interests. Tours last 90 minutes and may include a standard, greatest-hits route of Savannah’s historic and military sites, majestic homes, and foliage-flanked architectural artworks or a more specialized jaunt, such as a mobile inventory of the town’s most haunted haunts or the birthplaces of its most famous mustaches.

Crystal and Johnny Mindedahl host riders of all ages and abilities on Rocking M Ranch’s 60 acres of rolling pastures, beyond which lie miles of historical forests and trails. The ranch takes extra care to comfort its horses, and neighs of contentment echo through the 14-stall barn and across the competition-sized arena where students can refine their horsemanship throughout the year. Instructors tailor each lesson to accommodate individual goals, helping beginners gain comfort and advanced students work toward competitions with tutorials in grooming, safety, saddling, and horse anatomy. In addition to lessons, Rocking M Ranch regularly hosts day camps for children and teens. These camps pique kids’ interests with riding lessons, games, and traditional farm activities, such as playing with pet goats and churning butter from an original Nintendo.