BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Dozens of local parks dot the Golden Isles, offering everything from gorgeous views and amphitheaters to mini golf and salutes to service.
On our 4 Your Neighborhood trip to Southeast Georgia, we’re highlighting a few of these hidden gems.
Mary Ross Waterfront Park
For anyone who loves the outdoors — and wants a spot to watch the sunset over the marsh — there’s a hidden gem in Downtown Brunswick: Mary Ross Waterfront Park.
Located on Bay Street at the end of Gloucester Street, this park offers plenty to explore and features the Liberty Ship Memorial Plaza, with a scale model of the World War II–era ships once built in Brunswick’s shipyards.
Other attractions include a staged pavilion, an amphitheater, and a farmers market.
The park is named after the late Mary Ross — a Camden County native who grew up in Brunswick. She was a teacher, scholar, and historian, and her research is now preserved by the Georgia Department of Archives and History for researchers around the world.
Veterans Memorial Park
The Glynn County Veterans Memorial Park commemorates the people from Glynn County who gave their lives while serving our country.
There are six monuments, each honoring one of the six military branches.
Veterans Memorial Park has more than 3.5 acres of walking space on J Street in downtown Brunswick -- so the whole family can explore.
Neptune Park
While the Golden Isles are known for the best beaches in the Peach State, there are also plenty of other things to do if you aren’t strolling on the sand.
One of the best spots to enjoy mini golf and more along the water is Neptune Park.
Also referred to as the St. Simons Island Casino, Neptune Park is located on the southern tip of St. Simons Island in Pier Village.
The park offers an oceanfront walking path, two playgrounds, a large lawn (casino), grills, a shaded picnic area beneath towering live oaks, benches that overlook the ocean, and the Neptune Park Fun Zone.
Lover’s Oak
Said to date back to the 12th century, the Lover’s Oak is located at the intersection of Albany and Prince streets in Historic Downtown Brunswick.
According to local legend, Native American braves and their maidens met under the majestic spreading limbs of this enormous oak.
As of 2005, the Lover’s Oak was estimated to be 900 years old.
The tree’s trunk is about 13 feet in diameter, and it branches into 10 limbs measuring 12 to 30 inches in diameter.
From the plaque at the base of the tree:
1787-1987
The National Arborist Association and The International Society of Arboriculture jointly recognize this significant tree in this bicentennial year as having lived here at the time of the signing of our Constitution.