Fort McAllister

Perhaps the main attraction in Richmond Hill [1], especially for Civil War buffs, is Fort McAllister State Historic Site (3894 Ft. McAllister Rd., 912/727-2339, www.gastateparks.org/info/ftmcallister [2], daily 7 a.m.–10 p.m., $5 adults, $3.50 children). Unlike the masonry forts of Savannah [3], Fort McAllister is an all-earthwork fortification on the Ogeechee River, the site of a short but savage assault by Sherman’s troops in December 1864, in which 5,000 Union soldiers quickly overwhelmed the skeleton garrison of 230 Confederate defenders.

After the war, the site fell into disrepair until Henry Ford funded and spearheaded restoration of it in the 1930s, as he did with so many historic sites in Bryan County. The fort, which features many reenactments throughout the year, has a well-run new Civil War Museum (Mon.–Sat. 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 2–5 p.m.). An adjacent recreational site features a beautiful, oak-lined picnic ground, a nature trail, and the nearby 65-site Savage Island Campground.

Getting to Fort McAllister

To get there off I-95, take Exit 90 and go 10 miles east on GA Spur 144.