McIntosh County Area Guide
Discover beautiful McIntosh
County, Georgia! McIntosh
County offers a welcoming
atmosphere to all visitors with friendly residents, accessible businesses, and
fantastic attractions and activities including the famous Annual Blessing of
the Fleet each spring. Residents enjoy McIntosh County’s
fantastic location, midway between Savannah and Jacksonville, Florida,
as well as the county’s numerous natural areas.
McIntosh County contains Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge, Blackbeard
Island National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness Area, Fort King George, Wolf
Island National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness, and Sapelo Island National
Estuarine Sanctuary. In addition to
great natural sites, McIntosh
County also includes rich
historic sites such as St. Cyprians Episcopal Church, the St. Andrews Episcopal
Church, and Fort King George Historic Site.
To find out more about what McIntosh
County can offer you and
your family, please visit their official website at https://www.mcintoshcounty.com/
or continue reading below.
History
McIntosh County
was officially founded in 1739, from the remains of Liberty County.
The county seat of newly formed McIntosh
County was established at Sapelo Bridge
and a court house was set up in the home of John McIntosh. As of 1806, the town
of Darien began to grow rapidly and, due to its
favorable position at the mouth of the Altamaha River,
the town had great potential as a port of export. The Altamaha was a primary source
of export from the Georgia
interior. Great barges and so-called "Oconee boxes" of cotton from
the upcountry plantations were floated down the Altamaha to Darien for shipment to northern and European
markets. By 1819, regular steamboat service had been established between Darien and Milledgeville. Darien was becoming a cotton-exporting center of
significance, rivaling Savannah
in importance.
After the Civil War, McIntosh County became one of the hardest hit by the
destruction with the loss of planters’ fortunes, destroyed plantations, the lumber
industry devastated, and even the once-thriving seaport town of Darien was destroyed as
the result of the "total war" tactics of a renegade Union field
officer in June 1863. Montgomery gave orders for the entire town to
be burned. The waterfront was ablaze from one end to the other as the fire,
spurred on by the wind and large supplies of turpentine and rosin in the
warehouses, quickly swept through the town. All that was left standing were the
thick walls of the two-story warehouse building on the upper bluff, a portion
of the Methodist Church and two or three smaller
buildings, including the frame residence which still stands at the corner of
Highway 99 and Rittenhouse Street. To learn this and more about McIntosh County’s rich history, please visit: https://www.cityofdarienga.com/mcIntoshCountyHistory.php
Parks and
Recreation
Discover numerous delightful parks and recreational opportunities
through the McIntosh
County. From programs and classes to trips and
events, McIntosh County has got you covered. Explore one of the area’s well-kept parks or
take your kids fishing on the piers. McIntosh County’s
parks include Barrington Park, Champney
River Park,
Eulonia Park,
and Lions Club Park. If you’re looking for a place to launch your
boat, visit Bellville Ramp, Blue-N-Hall Facility, South Newport Ramp, and White
Chimney for all your boating needs. McIntosh County is also home to a wide variety of
wilderness refuges, islands, coastal tours and more! Enjoy Altamaha Coastal Tours, Ansley-Hodges
M.A.R.S.H. Project and nature trail, Blackbeard Island Wilderness Refuge, Butler’s Island, Darien
Waterfront Park,
Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge, Harris Neck Tour, Rhett’s Island, Sapelo
Island National Estuarine Research Reserve, Sapelo Island
Visitors Center,
Sapelo Island Wildlife Management Area, and the Darien Scenic By-Way. For more
information about McIntosh parks and recreation opportunities, please visit https://www.n-georgia.com/mcintosh_co.htm
or contact the McIntosh County Department of Leisure Services at (912)
437-6657.
Attractions and
Activities
McIntosh
County offers a wide
array of fantastic attractions and activities that draw visitors from all
over. Discover more about McIntosh County’s
rich history by visiting the Fort
Frederica National
Monument, Fort King George Historic Site, or St.
Simons Island Lighthouse Museum. Take in
the fresh air and scenic views at Little St. Simons Island or one of McIntosh County’s many top-notch parks. Please feel free to explore the links provide
below and realize the excitement that awaits you.
Fort King George
Historic Site
https://www.gastateparks.org/FortKingGeorge
Fort Frederica
National Monument
www.nps.gov
(912)
638-3639
Sapelo Island
Airport
Darien, Georgia
(404) 699-6815
Glynco Jetport
Airport
Brunswick,
Georgia
Little St. Simons
Island
www.littlestsimonsisland.com
1000 Hampton Point Drive
St. Simons
(912) 638-7472
St. Simons Island
Lighthouse Museum
www.saintsimonslighthouse.org
101 12th St
St Simons Island
(912) 638-4666
Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation
www.gastateparks.org
5556 US Highway 17 North
Brunswick
(912) 264-7333
Events
Coffey
County offers numerous
entertaining events for you and your family to experience annually! From holiday events to festivals and community
gatherings, there’s something for people of all ages and interests. Enjoy the Blessing of the Fleet festival or
the Darien Fall fest. Please visit the
links provided below to find out more about these exciting events.
Blessing of the Fleet
https://blessingofthefleet.com/
Darien Fall Fest
https://darienfallfest.com/
700 Altama Ave,
Brunswick, Georgia
31520
(912) 279-5700
Georgia Tech
https://www.gatech.edu/
116 Worthing Road, St.
Simons, Georgia
(912) 634-4860