Fort Frederica National Monument Highpoint Trip Report
unnamed (15+ feet)
Date: December 21, 2012
Author: Fred Lobdell
This National Monument lies on Saint Simons Island near Brunswick, Georgia.
From the north, take Exit 38 off I-95 and take GA Spur 25 to US 17,
then turn right (south) to the F.J. Torras Causeway.
From the south, take Exit 29 and follow US 17 to the causeway.
Take the causeway to Saint Simons Island and go right
onto King's Way, then almost immediately go left onto Sea Island Road.
Take that road for about 1.5 miles to the third traffic light and turn left
onto Frederica Road. Take this about 2 miles to the traffic circle
(called a "roundabout" in these parts), and take the second right off the circle.
This should bring you in a fairly short distance (I apologize for not keeping track of mileage)
to a left turn which is the monument entrance.
This is less than a quarter mile past Christ Church, also on the left.
The monument preserves the grounds where the town of Frederica once stood.
It was a military town with the function of supporting the fort and the troops
who were stationed there to guard the English colony of Georgia from incursions
by Spanish forces from Florida. A couple of battles were actually fought in the
immediate vicinity with the result that the defeated Spaniards withdrew back to
Florida and never threatened Georgia again.
The streets of the town are laid out with street signs and can be followed on the ground today.
No structures remain. There is an earthen embankment, 5 or 6 feet high,
that served to protect the town in the event of attack.
The topographic map shows a 15 foot contour near the river, but it is not evident on the ground.
When my GPS unit told me I was in the center of this contour it did not appear
any different from the surrounding area. There was some slightly higher ground under
some of the trees, and I tried to cover all the possibilities.
Future visitors seeking the HP may make their own judgments.