Nature & Science

Sunset overlooking the Kings Magazine

NPS/ Amy Stander

"The Enchanted Land"

Georgia’s coast, known to the Creek Indians as “The Enchanted Land,” is in the approximate center of the curved coastline known as the Georgia Bight, which extends from Cape Fear, North Carolina to Cape Canaveral, Florida. A distinguishable characteristic of the Georgia coast is its tidal ecosystem, made up of 378,000 acres of salt marsh. These precious lands make up more than one-quarter of the remaining salt marshes on the east coast and nourish one of the most biologically productive ecosystems on earth. Georgia’s salt marshes vary from four to six miles in width and protect our coastline from storm surges and tidal action. These vibrant coastal ecosystems also support commercial and recreational fisheries and a thriving tourist industry, yet still incur little degredation. Today, state and federal governments own and manage most of Georgia’s barrier islands as parks, sanctuaries or wildlife preserves.