Cockspur Beacon

From Fort Pulaski [1] continue east on Highway 80, passing over Lazaretto Creek, named for the quarantine or “lazaretto” built in the late 1700s to make sure newcomers, mostly slaves, were free of disease. As you cross, look to your left over the river’s wide south channel.

On a tiny oyster shell islet find the little Cockspur Beacon lighthouse, in use from 1848 to 1909, when major shipping was routed through the deeper north channel of the river. The site is now preserved by the National Park Service, and is accessible only by boat.