ENJOY YOUR EXPERIENCE
The Correll Trail at Oatland is a wilderness oasis towards the north end of the island. Easily accessible from the bike path along Lawrence Road, this property boasts a roughly 1-mile trail available for passive recreation. The trail guides you through maritime forest, under a dense canopy of live oak trees, and along the edge of the saltmarsh.
We recommend that you take a few simple preparations to ensure your visit is safe, comfortable, and enjoyable. Visit our Regulations and Safety page to learn more.
THINGS TO DO
The Correll Trail at Oatland offers many recreational experiences. While visiting you can:
- Go hiking, running, biking, and birding.
- Find a quiet spot and have a picnic.
- Walk your leashed dog along the trail.
- Dogs are permitted on a trial basis and must be kept on a leash.
THE HISTORY OF PROTECTING THE CORRELL TRAIL AT OATLAND FOREVER
As with so many properties on Georgia’s barrier islands, this environmentally important tract of land shows evidence of human occupation for nearly 5,000 years. Located just south of Cannon’s Point Preserve on St. Simons Island’s Lawrence Road, this property is part of the former Oatland Plantation. During the Civil War era, Oatland was owned by Dr. Robert Grant, a Scottish immigrant who became a wealthy planter-physician. Dr. Grant also owned Elizafield, a river plantation on the mainland between Brunswick and Darien.
What we now call Oatland was once part of a 300-acre tract owned by Captain Douglas Taylor. Taylor was the caretaker of Little St. Simons Island between 1908 and the 1960s. He and his wife, Alberta Gould Taylor, acquired the property in exchange for property that is now part of Fort Frederica National Monument.
The property was subsequently purchased by Buddy and Jackie Hasell, who built their retirement home on the property. Buddy, a St. Simons native and pre-World War II manager of the McKinnon St. Simons Airport, also had a long career as a Miami-based Eastern Airlines Captain. After his and Jackie’s deaths, the property was divided into three separate parcels and inherited by their three children. That included their daughters, Jackie Hasell Davis and Barbara Hasell Murrah, and their youngest child, Nathaniel Hasell.
Closing on this 35-acre tract took place in May 2018. Final funding for this property, as well as the Oatland North property was raised through Phase II of the Land Trust’s Canopy Campaign and by contributions from Pennies for Preservation, the organization’s voluntary 1% giving program.
FUN FACT:
The Correll Trail features a variety of native plants that are key parts of the maritime forest. The Trail is also home to non-native, non-invasive plants that cohabitate and don’t outcompete the native species. These introduced plants provide benefits to the ecosystem and offer visitors a glimpse into the history of the land.
