Fast ferry: It’s a 15-minute boat ride to bridge-less Little St. Simons Island and the former private hunting lodge that welcomes up to 32 guests each night.
No car needed: Guests arrive (and depart) via a morning or afternoon ferry passage and then begin exploring the 11,000-plus-acre island that’s privately owned and protected by a conservation easement with The Nature Conservancy.
Like the South Carolina Lowcountry, Georgia’s coast is a maze of islands, creeks, marshes, and tidal rivers with a history of battles, rice plantations, and Gullah-Geechee culture.
Spanish moss is thick in the maritime forest.
Wild in & out: The lodge walls are lined with mementos from the island’s history and past guests, along with stuffed birds and other natural science treasures.
The three-bedroom Helen House and its handsome living room and sleeping quarters
The three-bedroom Helen House and its handsome living room.
Sunset on Mosquito Creek, where tides rise and fall six to eight feet daily.
A swing on a bluff.
The three-bedroom Helen House and its sleeping quarters.
A round of cornhole on the ground.
The beach boardwalk.
Lodge FLAvor: A native of Turkey who trained in Atlanta, Charleston, and New York, chef Ülfet Özyabasligil Ralph brings elements of Mediterranean cooking to the table.
Family-style dining at the lodge.
All meals are included for overnight guests at Little St. Simons, including daily-baked breads and cookies, salad greens and vegetables from the garden, and freshly caught seafood.
Gardener Claudie Babineaux.
Steamed blue crabs.
Winged adventures: Naturalist-led tours are offered several times each day on Little St. Simons Island, where more than 280 bird species have been observed.
A view of the rookery at Norm’s Pond from a platform.
A turkey vulture warming in the sun.
Natural wonders: The island boasts seven miles of beachfront and less than 20 developed acres centered around the original lodge.
Naturalists show guests a find of tiny horseshoe crab eggs.
