On the morning of March 28, 2026, more than 60 people left the St. Simons Land Trust office on foot. They were headed to the John Gilbert Nature Trail and back, a 1.5-mile round trip. Along the way they stopped at the Mildred Huie property, the Stollaway property and Old Ironsides, a lot the Land Trust had owned for less than two years. The event was called Walk the Frederica Greenway. The Land Trust co-hosted it with Bike Walk Golden Isles, Jittery Joe's at Righton Books supplied the coffee, and Chick-fil-A Saint Simons brought Chick-n-Minis.
Most of the people who pedal the Frederica Road bike path past these parcels likely see them as separate patches of woods. The Land Trust sees one route, and it has been building that route a parcel at a time. Each piece used to be a buildable lot. Each one is being changed from lawn to native plants. And the next piece, a few minutes up Frederica Road, is being prepared for the public now.
The Stops, South to North and Back
The Greenway follows the stretch of Frederica Road between the Land Trust offices at 1810 Frederica Road and John Gilbert Nature Trail. The Old Ironsides property page says it sits right beside the public bike path that runs "almost the entire length of Frederica Road." In the order the March walk visited them, the stops are:
- Land Trust office. This is the Land Trust's headquarters. On the Land Trust's activity chart it's one of the few sites marked for every use listed, dogs included.
- Mildred Huie property. It sits next to the office and is marked for birding, picnicking and quiet time. It isn't marked as a walking trail or as dog-friendly.
- Stollaway property. These 1.78 acres on Frederica Road could have been split into many home sites. The Land Trust bought the property for half its market value.
- Old Ironsides. It has seven large live oaks, including the 300-year-old "Old Ironsides," which is registered with the Live Oak Society. A permeable path winds through native plantings, with wooden benches along the way.
- John Gilbert Nature Trail. A half-mile trail and boardwalk run through 40 acres of marsh-front woods. Bridges cross wetlands on the way to a viewing deck on the eastern marsh, facing Sea Island. The 200-year-old "John's Oak" stands at the center of the trail.
The March group covered the whole route in 1.5 miles round trip. That one walk takes in two named live oaks, a boardwalk over wetlands and a marsh deck that faces Sea Island.
Every Piece Was Once a Building Lot
The Greenway's main story is how the land came to the Land Trust.
John Gilbert was the first piece. It was one of the Land Trust's earliest gifts: Dorothy Gilbert, a St. Simons resident, donated the 40 acres in honor of her late husband, John. Volunteers built the half-mile trail and boardwalk in 2006. The John Gilbert page says hundreds of people stop there every week. The Land Trust credits that early turnout with showing how much people wanted public woods and trails, and with shaping much of what it has protected since.
The newer pieces came by purchase, and each one prevented houses. Stollaway's 1.78 acres could have held many home sites. Old Ironsides was bought in October 2024. A developer had planned three homesites there, and the purchase cut that development. The Land Trust calls the property "an exciting and important piece in the Frederica Greenway extending from John Gilbert Nature Trail to the SSLT Offices at 1810 Frederica Road."
Old Ironsides also has some history behind its oaks. The Land Trust says the lot was likely part of the six-mile Military Road. That road ran from Fort Frederica, crossed today's Frederica Road near Harrington and continued along the marsh to Fort St. Simons, where the lighthouse stands now. The lot was presumably part of Black Banks, a plantation owned by James Gould, who built the St. Simons Lighthouse and served as its first keeper.
The Lawn Is Coming Out
The Greenway is also changing in what grows there. The Land Trust has an initiative to move its Frederica Greenway properties to native landscaping, which means pulling up sod and planting native species in its place. The March walkers saw this up close at John Gilbert's newly improved front area.
Old Ironsides is the finished example. Coastal Greenery replanted the lot with coastal grasses and native shrubs and trees. Thomas Angell of Verdant Enterprises designed the path and the benches. Funding came from a bequest from Steve and Miranda Hires, the Golden Isles Fund for Trees and many individual donors.
John Gilbert's entrance was finished in September. Nearly 40 volunteers with Living Lands and Waters planted the last 325 native plants the space needed. Most of the plants came from local suppliers Florabundance Gardens, All the Buzz and Southeast Nursery, and the Jekyll Island Authority donated 60 blue-eyed grass plants. So if the entrance looks fuller than it did this summer, that's why.
Where the Dog Can Come Along
The Land Trust's general rule is that only trained service animals are allowed on its properties. A short list of sites is marked dog-friendly as an exception. Here's how the sites near Frederica Road compare, according to the Land Trust's ways to enjoy protected land chart:
| Site | Marked dog-friendly | Marked for biking |
|---|---|---|
| John Gilbert Nature Trail | Yes | No |
| Land Trust Office | Yes | Yes |
| Old Stables Property | Yes | No |
| Mildred Huie Property | No | No |
| Historic Harrington School & Harrington Park | Yes | Yes |
| Frederica Park & Alice Richards Botanical Trail | Yes | Yes |
| Lawrence Road Trail and Sea Island Road Trail | Yes | Yes |
| Cannon's Point Preserve | No | Yes |
| Guale Preserve | No | Yes |
The chart also lists the Correll Trail at Oatland, where dogs are allowed on a trial basis and must stay on a leash. At Cannon's Point, the conservation easement doesn't allow pets at all. The chart doesn't mark bikes on the John Gilbert boardwalk, but the Frederica Road bike path runs right past the Greenway.
Old Stables Corner is a 2.3-acre grove where Frederica Road meets Sea Island Road. On the north end, Frederica Park on Lawrence Road adds a dog park, a paved jogging loop around the playfield, paved parking for up to 75 cars and the Alice Richards Botanical Trail. That trail has 13 interpretive signs, a muhly grass labyrinth and a children's area of faerie houses.
The Next Piece Is Already Being Prepared
The Greenway's approach of buying a lot, protecting it and then opening it is now underway at Spears Preserve at Harrington. The preserve covers more than 15 acres of marsh-front maritime forest. It's the last large undeveloped tract south of the Lawrence Road and Frederica Road roundabout, in what the Land Trust describes as one of the most densely developed parts of the island.
The land sits in the historic Harrington community. One family cared for it for more than 150 years, ending with Mrs. Elouise Spears, whose family was among the last in Harrington to keep its original land. The Land Trust bought the property in 2024. The same Steve and Miranda Hires bequest behind the Old Ironsides landscaping paid for it, so the Land Trust needed no capital campaign or financing. The preserve's property page lists habitat for diamondback terrapins, wood storks and painted buntings.
The preserve isn't open yet. The Land Trust is documenting the work in a four-part video series called "Land Protection Revealed," which follows the property from purchase to public opening. Episode 1, "Before the Trail," came out in September. The plan includes the Elouise Spears Heritage & Nature Trail, an earthen path for birding, hiking and learning. The Land Trust hasn't announced an opening date or dates for the remaining episodes. Following the series is the best way to see this piece of mid-island change before it opens.
Dates on the Land Trust Calendar
As of the Land Trust's events page this week:
- CONES for Conservation, Wednesday, October 21, 5 to 6:30 p.m., at Frosty's Griddle & Shake. It's a family gathering, and free dessert tickets are limited.
- Family Day at Cannon's Point, planned for October 10, was canceled because of possible severe weather. The Land Trust doesn't plan to reschedule it in 2026.
- Oyster Roast, February 20, 2027, with details still to come.
Cannon's Point Preserve was scheduled to close Saturday, October 10, through today, Monday, October 12, for expected heavy rain and strong winds. The July 2026 FAQ lists public hours of Saturday through Monday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with no admission charge. Check the preserve's alerts page before driving up Lawrence Road.
For more about daily life near the club, see our St. Simons Island Club neighborhood guide and our recent look at the Mallery Park renovation.
Protected land along Frederica Road is part of what shapes this end of the island, and it's the kind of local detail we keep track of. If you're curious how today's market views your St. Simons Island Club home, The Listing Pros Team can put together a free home valuation built on what's actually happening around your street.
