In October 2023, The Landings Association called the Marsh Observation Tower in Marshwood "currently in sound condition" and said a replacement was coming. On October 22, 2026, the Association announced that the tower "cannot be safely reopened and will remain permanently closed."
The structure's failure closed the tower, but a budget decision made two months earlier is what keeps it from coming back. Look for the obvious substitute and you'll find Skidaway Island's other observation tower, at the state park, closed too. This fall, every elevated view of the marsh on the island is either fenced off or depends on a structure that was built for some other job.
How a Planned Replacement Turned Into a Permanent Closure
The tower stands in the Marshwood neighborhood, facing the eastern marsh with the Wilmington River behind it. The Association said in 2023 that it had been built more than 40 years earlier. Here is how its last three years went, according to the Association's own records:
- October 2023. The President's Update said replacement "has become necessary for its long-term viability." It had been scheduled for 2023, but permit challenges pushed it to 2024, with structural evaluations and repairs continuing until then.
- April 2026. A Public Works update raised a pile-repair technology as one possible fix for the tower's pilings.
- August 6, 2026. According to the Public Works Committee minutes, the board report at that meeting said "the financial forecast for the remainder of the year remains unfavorable." Staff were looking at delaying capital projects and carrying over some seawall repair costs. The minutes record that the Marsh Tower Replacement Project "has been removed from the capital plan, saving approximately $700,000."
- August 31, 2026. The capital expenditure report listed the Marsh Tower observation allowance as removed, with $484,875 budgeted and $1,238 paid.
- October 22, 2026. The Association announced the permanent closure.
The October notice describes a structure worn down by its setting. Portions of it "have recently shifted, and a platform bolt failed following continued wind and water impacts." Contractor assessments in two consecutive weeks raised safety concerns. The estimated cost to make the tower safe to stand on is more than $150,000, and the engineer who reviewed it in July and August agreed it "has exceeded its useful life."
Repairs would cost more than $150,000 for a tower the engineer says is past its useful life. The replacement line is gone from a capital plan the Association had already trimmed because of the year's forecast. In the Association's words, "no other repair or replacement funding is currently available." Public Works will put up safety fencing and warning signs while longer-term options are evaluated. Who owns the tower and the land under it is "under review," and the Association has said it will share more once ownership, permitting requirements and next steps are clear.
The Association calls the tower "a valued community landmark" and acknowledges that it "holds special memories for many residents." The fence going up in Marshwood is the end of a plan that started out as a replacement.
The Island's Other Tower Is Closed, Too
Off the gates, the obvious next choice would be Skidaway Island State Park, a few minutes away. Its Georgia State Parks page currently says, "Due to damage to the bridges, the Avian Trail is currently closed. The observation tower is also currently closed." The park gives no closure date and no separate reason for the tower.
A Georgia Department of Natural Resources capital outlay report included in the September 22, 2026 board packet lists a Skidaway "Observation Tower" project funded by FY-26 park receipts, with a $119,705 budget and a status of "Scheduling." The report doesn't say whether the work is a repair or a replacement, and it gives no reopening target. Until the park posts a date, plan as if the tower is closed.
The closed Avian Trail matters too. The park describes the Avian Loop as reaching the Intracoastal Waterway and a tidal creek, so for now its walk out toward open water is unavailable as well. The park is also partway through a campground renovation that began February 2, 2026 and is scheduled to last a year.
Where the Marsh Is Still Open
With both towers closed, the open views are at boardwalk height or on a marina's upper floor. Each option below was built mainly for something else: a marina, a research campus trail, a park's interpretive loop.
| Place | Where | Access | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delegal Creek Marina | 1 Marina Drive, southern tip of Skidaway Island | Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily | Intracoastal Waterway frontage near Ossabaw Sound, the Delegal Tower, Sunset Pavilion, kayak rentals and launch |
| Sunset Park | Landings Way South | Landings Association park | A secluded sunset spot |
| Sandpiper Trail | Skidaway Island State Park | $10 daily ParkPass or $70 annual pass | One-mile loop with boardwalks over salt flats and tidal creeks, ADA accessible |
| Jay Wolf Nature Trail | UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium, 30 Ocean Science Circle | Campus visitor hours | About 1.5 miles through maritime forest and salt marsh, ADA-accessible boardwalk with Skidaway River views |
Delegal Creek Marina comes closest to replacing the tower's height. The Association's Delegal Creek Marina page describes the marina as "a favorite with island residents for its serenity and beautiful sunsets," and lists the Delegal Tower among its amenities. Association materials describe the Delegal Tower as a second-story, open-air space at the marina, used first come, first served, with no reservations. Check with the marina at 912-224-3885 before you go. A fuel-tank replacement is in planning there, with clearing and relocation work expected in the parking area. The Association's October update did not announce a closure. The Sunset Pavilion next door is a separate, reservable room. Residents can book it for a fee, and it holds 64 people inside plus 32 more on the porch.
The Jay Wolf Nature Trail is the pick for a weekday morning. The UGA campus lists visitor hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and it is closed Sunday. The boardwalk faces the Skidaway River, which puts it on the island's west side, opposite the eastern marsh the Marsh Tower overlooked.
The Sandpiper Trail is the state park's open marsh walk while the Avian Trail is closed. The park describes the Big Ferry Trail as a two-mile loop, or nearly three miles with the earthworks loop, which makes it a longer, wooded add-on on the same visit.
Inside the gates, the Association's maps show walking and biking loops with parking. The 2.33-mile Nature Trail runs through the woods from behind the administration building to the Dog Park. One smaller Association project is still moving. The Moon River Gazebo was listed as in progress as of September 30, with a $16,500 budget and $6,293 paid.
November Programs on the Marsh, Led by a Guide
The towers gave you a view from above. These programs come with someone who can tell you what you're looking at. Two include time on the trails, and the rest happen indoors or around the park. All of them fall in the weeks after this post goes up:
- Tuesday, November 3, 10 to 11:30 a.m. UGA's "Discovering Your Backyard Marsh" costs $15, includes aquarium admission, and walks the Jay Wolf Nature Trail to look at marsh plants and animals.
- Friday, November 6, 3 to 3:30 p.m. "Jewels of the Marsh: Diamondback Terrapins" at the state park's Interpretive Center, about a salt-marsh species. The park's parking fee applies.
- Wednesday, November 11, 4 to 5:30 p.m. UGA's "Sketching the Coast: Nature Journaling Basics" costs $15 and covers observing coastal nature, including the changing light across the marsh.
- November 14, 15 and 19, mid-afternoon. Roving Ranger sessions at the state park. A ranger is on hand to answer questions about local plants and wildlife, and the November 14 session roves the trails.
- Saturday, November 21, 10 to 11:30 a.m. A Fungi Hike leaves from the Big Ferry trailhead for one to two miles.
The state park's calendar runs through November 28 and has no December programs posted yet. If the Marsh Tower was part of your evening routine, Delegal Creek Marina is the closest you can get to that view on the island this season, and the November 3 walk on the Jay Wolf Nature Trail is the first scheduled chance to see the marsh with a guide.
If you'd like to talk over which corners of The Landings and Skidaway Island still have the marsh views you count on, whether for a Saturday walk or the next home you're considering, the agents at The Landings Home Team live here and walk these trails too. Let's Start a Conversation.
