Cockspur Island Lighthouse

Fort Pulaski National Monument has closed the Cockspur Island Lighthouse and Lighthouse Island. The lighthouse is closed because it presents a number of hazards to park visitors and Lighthouse Island is closed as it is an active ecological restoration area. Visitors are asked to view the Cockspur Island from a distance. 

The Cockpur Lighthouse is located on an islet off Cockspur Island, at the South Channel of the Savannah River by Lazaretto Creek and is considered part of Fort Pulaski National Monument. One of the best land based viewpoints is located at the end of the 1.5 mile out-and-back Lighthouse Trail accessible from the park. If you plan to explore the area by boat, please adhere to the closure and view the lighthouse from the water. 

Built in 1854, the illuminated beacon survived the bombardment of Fort Pulaski, despite being directly in the line of fire. It was heavily damaged by an 1881 storm, which destroyed the keeper's residence, but kept shining until 1909 when it was finally extinguished due to the less frequent use of the south channel. In 2000, the upper portions of the lighthouse finished being restored. The Cockspur Lighthouse is one of the five surviving historic lighthouses in Georgia. The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation put the Cockspur Lighthouse on the 2008 list of 10 Places in Peril.