HISTORY
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Exploring Cannon ’ s Point
OPEN FOR PUBLIC EXPLORATION , THE PENINSULA FEATURES WILD NATIVE SPECIES AND A MATURE MARITIME FOREST .
| BY JOE YOGERST |
It may only be a 15-minute drive from Sea Island , yet Cannon ’ s Point Preserve offers a trip back to the age when Europeans first arrived on the Georgia coast .
Located near the north end of St . Simons Island , the 644-acre preserve sprawls along a narrow peninsula between the Hampton River and Jones Creek . Cannon ’ s Point lies at the tip of the peninsula at the end of a hiking-biking path flanked by splendid Spanish mosscovered trees .
In addition to being a rare example of an intact Atlantic maritime forest , the reserve safeguards six miles of salt marsh , tidal creeks and river shoreline . “ We owe the pristine landscape at Cannon ’ s Point Preserve to the past landowners of the tract , all of whom only cleared and cut what they needed for their homes and livelihood ,” says Stephanie Knox , land conservation manager at Cannon ’ s Point .
A wide array of native plants inhabit the Preserve ’ s maritime forest including the Southern magnolia , redbay , slash pine , cabbage palm , American holly , yaupon holly and sparkleberry . However , the keystone species is the live oak , which provides food , shelter , protection and soil stabilization for a variety of birds , reptiles , mammals and insects . “ Some live oaks on site are estimated to be 300 to 400 years old ,” declares Knox .
Among the noteworthy animal residents , river otters frequent the Preserve ’ s Living Shoreline during the late winter and early spring . More than 8,000 bags of oyster shells went into the creation of the Living Shoreline , a project that demonstrates that coastal erosion can be curtailed through natural means . “ One of the Preserve ’ s management goals is to serve as a model for conservation ,” Knox explains , “ and we felt this was a technique that could be applicable in other coastal areas .”
While land conservation is the Preserve ’ s primary task , recreation is another important mission . In addition to hiking and biking , visitors can slip their canoe , kayak or paddleboard into the surrounding waters from a non-motorized boat launch . There ’ s also plenty of opportunity to learn about Cannon ’ s Point ’ s past .
Shell middens found at Cannon ’ s Point show that St . Simons Island was inhabited by Native Americans as long ago as 2,500 BCE . They continued to call the island home through the arrival of the first Europeans , living in wattle-and-daub homes and crafting ceramics .
30 SEA ISLAND LIFE | FALL / WINTER 2022 / 23