2020-21 Community Guide

T O U R I S M A N D L O C A L
A T T R A C T I O N S
SO MUCH
TO DO —
SO LITTLE
TIME
Effingham County is the place to be if you want to
escape — on its rivers, trails and backroads, you’ll
be immersed in natural beauty, history and hospitality.
Effingham is the home of great shopping and
historic sites to explore, as well as bike routes and trails,
wineries, fishing and farms. There are restaurants providing
fantastic fare to suit even the most sophisticated
palate. And you’ll find that there are seasonal festivals
and events, as well as an old-time movie theater, the
Mars Theatre, which is the home of the best popcorn
you’ve ever tasted, and is a great family-friendly destination
for movies and live shows.
If the outdoors is your jam, you won’t be disappointed
in Effingham County. There are plenty of places to
launch a boat for fishing, kayaking or canoeing, and the
Savannah and Ogeechee rivers are prime spots for it all.
Wildlife is abundant in the area, and you can see wild
turkeys, deer, osprey, eagles and herons, and much more.
The Springfield-Ebenezer Greenway is a Georgia
Scenic River and National Natural Landmark, and it’s a
valuable and cultural asset for Effingham County. It’s a
great place to see wildlife and view the natural beauty of
the cypress trees that stand tall in the water, as well as
the Tupelo trees and Tickseed sunflowers.
The Guyton Walking Trail extends .75 miles from the
red caboose in downtown Guyton to the Pilgrim Park
walking trail, and runs along part of the abandoned corridor
of the Central Georgia Railway. The trail is the site
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for the annual Sale Along the Trail event.
In the county’s museums, located in
Springfield and on Ebenezer Road near
Rincon, you can travel back in time,
strolling among the historic buildings,
many dating back to the 1700s.
The March to the Sea Heritage Trail
marks the December day in 1864 when
Federal 14th Corps crossed on a pontoon
bridge, and its commander ordered
the bridge removed before recently
emancipated slaves could follow.
Some troops tried to help, but a number
of slaves drowned trying to swim to
freedom. The site is part of the official
statewide Civil War Historic Driving
Trails of Georgia. Sherman’s army made
Georgia “howl” along two 300-mile
driving routes from Atlanta to Savannah,
and the trail today features historic
homes, churches, depots, battlefields,
forts, museums and more.
The historic Effingham-Ebenezer
Scenic Byway is a great way to check out
the beauty of one of Georgia’s eight original
counties. Ebenezer was founded by
German Lutherans seeking religious
freedom in the 1730s, and you can relive
that history by following the route that
stretches through 60 miles of state and
local roads through Guyton, Springfield
and Rincon.
For the golfers out there, Lost Plantation
Golf Club, a Joe Lee designed
championship course, features an 18-
hole, 6,800 yard, Par 72 layout. The
dense tree-lined holes on the front and
back nine are a unique experience for
even the seasoned golfer, and one that
every golfer should witness. There is a
full kitchen and pro shop nestled in the
center of the course.
Agri-tourism is big in Effingham
County, home of the Honey Ridge Agricenter.
Located in Guyton, Honey Ridge
is owned and operated by the Effingham
County Board of Education, and
is the site for field trips for local school
children, enabling them to learn about
forestry, crop production and animal
science. It also affords middle and high
school students the opportunity to
work on projects, including animal science
and food production.
The facility is also used for events
each year such as a fall festival and a
spring fling, as well as fun runs, livestock
shows and mini-tractor pulls. A plantation
house on the property is currently
being remodeled inside and out, which
will be used for conferences, meetings
and board retreats when finished.
Butterducks Winery provides a secluded
and relaxed getaway, where you
can enjoy wine tastings, choose some
great gifts in their on-site gift shop,
and see how the wines are made. Located
in Guyton, Butterducks creates
award winning white wines, red wines,
sweet and semi-sweet wines, and dessert
wines. There are also reserve wines
available.
Other agri-tourism attractions in
the county include Hodges Strawberry
Farm, where you can pick your own
strawberries and blackberries; Studier’s
Honey Pot and The Vintage Bee Company,
which both produce local honeybased
products; Backwater Expeditions,
which provides kayaking trips
and educational tours; Faith Equestrian
Therapeutic Riding Center; Savannah
National Wildlife Refuge; and Roberts
Shooting Preserve in Springfield, which
offers hunting for quail, pheasant, turkey
and deer, as well as sporting clays
and a gun range. •
GEORGIA HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES
Bill Hitchens
(R - Rincon) DISTRICT 161
Public Safety and Homeland Security - Chairman
Appropriations - Member
Defense & Veterans Affairs - Member
Economic Development & Tourism - Member
Transportation - Member
Capitol Address
401-D State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334
404.656.7855 - Office | bill.hitchens@house.ga.gov
District Address
2440 Rincon-Stillwell Rd., Rincon, GA 31326
26 Effingham County Chamber of Commerce 2020-2021 Community Guide and Business Directory 27