River’s End Campground:
It’ll Do on Tybee Island

River’s End Campground on Tybee Island, Georgia was our home base for a long weekend in late June. We were in South Georgia to visit our younger daughter, who was at a summer academic program at Georgia Southern University, about 56 miles north of Savannah along I-16. Since we were already in the area, we wanted a campground that would let us enjoy the beach, the small town feel of Tybee Island, and the historic city of Savannah, all in one trip.

Booking River’s End Campground

I made our reservation back in the spring. I tried booking online first, but the site did not show availability for the type of site we wanted, so I called their reservation line instead. The representative told me that the online booking system is not always accurate and that calling is the best way to book a site.

She also walked me through the site types. For RVs, you can book either a preferred or a standard full hookup site. Both have the same amenities: 50 amp service, water, and sewer. The preferred sites are simply the more popular ones for various reasons, and the standard sites are everything else. The campground also has a limited number of extended stay sites available in the winter months, up to 90 days at a discounted rate, plus several dedicated tent sites, both primitive and some with water and electric.

We booked a preferred RV site, hoping it would mean a larger and hopefully more shaded lot since we were visiting during the hottest part of the year in South Georgia. You can request a specific site, but it is not guaranteed. Since we had never stayed there before, and I could not find many full campground video reviews with site-specific details (the kind I usually rely on for state parks), I had no real way to know which sites to request.

Before we arrived, the campground sent very specific email directions. If you know South Georgia, you know the area is full of very large, very low hanging trees, so we were told not to trust the GPS and to follow their directions instead. That warning turned out to be worth taking seriously.

Arrival and Campsite Details

When we arrived, we were asked to stop at the office to check in. The staff were polite and helpful, and since we had already checked in over the phone ahead of time, we did not have to run a credit card or complete any extra steps. A staff member led us to our site by golf cart and directed us on how to park.

Our site was a head-in site. We later learned from the campground map that River’s End has a mix of back-in, head-in, and pull-through sites. As far as campsites go, ours was fine. As I expected from a campground rather than a state park, on a crowded island near the beach, the sites were tight and not very private. Our site was larger than many of the others, but that extra size did not add any privacy. We were on a corner, facing the main campground road and the main exit, so we had a front row view of a lot of other campsites, steady traffic, and a clear line of sight to the road leading in and out of the campground.

The site had ample parking for our extra car, some shade, and enough room to set up a pop-up canopy or our Gazelle screen room, though we skipped that since it was too hot to spend much time outside anyway. There was space to put out our rugs and awning, and a fire ring and picnic table were included. The placement of both was a little awkward: the fire ring sat close to the road, and the picnic table was a bit far from the RV parking area, though it was mostly shaded. The sites around us had a lot of people and were sometimes loud and rowdy later at night. It did not bother us much since the heat kept us inside most evenings, but I imagine campers who want a quieter stay might not love it.

Amenities

The amenities at the campground were suitable for what we needed. There is a pool, a laundry facility, a workout room, daily entertainment at the pavilion, and a nice camp store. They had live music one evening while we were there. We did not attend, but it looked like campers were enjoying it. I cannot speak to the workout room, but the laundry facility was clean and up to date. Restrooms and bathhouses were conveniently located around the campground, though we did not end up using them ourselves.

The dumpsters were the one real letdown. They were overfull and smelled like they had needed emptying for days, and the smell carried a good 20 feet before you even reached them. I would not want to be assigned a site near the dumpsters.

Tybee Island: Location, Price, and Nearby Highlights

The biggest draw of this campground is its location and affordability. At about $80 a night for a standard site, and just a little more for preferred, it is a solid deal for the proximity to the beach and the walk to local restaurants. You can bike to nearly everything on the island from here.

About half a mile from the campground, you will find the Tybee Island Light Station, North Beach, the historic Fort Screven, and the Tybee Island Marine Science Center. We visited the beach and saw the lighthouse, the science center, and the fort from the road. We were on a tight schedule this trip, but I am hoping to see those sites up close on our next visit. With so many families staying at the campground, I would guess these historic and educational spots are a great fit for them.

The Savannah Day Trip

River’s End is also about 16 miles from Savannah, which makes for an easy day trip. We spent a day in the city walking along River Street and through several of the historic squares, taking in the moss-draped trees and beautiful old buildings, and stopping into a few shops for drinks and a nice lunch. Savannah is one of my favorite cities. Even after more than a dozen visits, there is still enough there for hours of exploring, whether you walk it yourself or take one of the various tours available. On previous trips, we booked the Old Town Trolley Tours of Savannah and have never been disappointed. It stops at all of the historic sites, and the driver shares great historic detail along the way.

Final Thoughts on River’s End Campground

Overall, River’s End Campground is just fine. It will not make my list of favorite campgrounds, but it gets the job done. It is close to the beach and other attractions, and it puts you within easy reach of Savannah, about 16 miles away. The campground itself is dated, not in the charming old Florida way that Boyd’s of Key West pulls off, but in a plain, well-worn way. The sites are small and short on shade, and there are just too many people packed in to really relax the way you can at a state park.

Will we stay there again? Probably. Will I love it? Probably not. But it will do.