NPS unit count: 82
Hey there Adventurers! The next stop on Bark Ranger Maisy’s grand summer tour took us to Fort Frederica National Monument, halfway between Jacksonville and Savannah, near the Georgia coast. The site includes the ruins of the fort and the town that supported the fort.
This British fort was constructed in the first half of the 1700s to protect the colony of Georgia from the Spanish. In 1742 the Spanish did try to invade and were repelled by the British forces. Soon after, the British removed the troops and the town fell into hardship. A fire damaged the town in the 1750s, and by the early 1760s it was entirely abandoned. Now, all that remains are the earthworks of the wall that surrounded the town, a small sectioned of the fort ruins, a bit of the old barracks, and some of the town buildings’ foundations.
This site is on our map for Bark Ranger locations, but there is no actual Bark Ranger Program here anymore. Once upon a time they did have an actual program, but now all that is available is purchasing a site specific metal Bark Ranger tag. That being the case, the entire site is dog friendly except for the visitor center/gift shop and is a nice stop to take your Bark Ranger! Maisy enjoyed her time here a lot! She also was very interested in the deer that wandered through the site, so be on the look out for that! The R in B.A.R.K. stands for “Respect the wildlife”, so be sure to mind that! I will also add that the park closes at 5 PM but they have a gate that opens when you leave after hours.
Next up: Fort Pulaski National Monument
The Parks Adventurer 