Tom Triplett Park

On Highway 80, just north of where it crosses I-95, Tom Triplett Community Park sprawls across roughly 200 acres of incredibly green public space, beckoning residents of Savannah, Pooler, Garden City – indeed all of Chatham County – to come enjoy time with nature and with each other. It’s a beautiful place to take part in a whole host of active pastimes or to relish doing nothing at all.

Visitors to the park find it a welcome blend of developed and undeveloped features thoughtfully arranged for civilized convenience as well as for escape into the semi-wild. Clearly marked and attractively-lit drives lead cars to the paved parking areas adjacent to various destinations within the park. Posted maps of trails and exercise courses point the way to paths that wind off through the tall trees, popping out into the open here and there for views of the park from different perspectives. And sooner or later, when park visitors wonder about access to restrooms, water, or electricity, they’ll find those amenities available at certain structures throughout the park.

The jewel of Tom Triplett Park is its large central lake, with charming bridges crossing its mirrored surface that reflects the seasons of the unspoiled woods surrounding it. Filled with catfish, bass, and bream free for the catching, the 19-acre lake lures fishers young and old to its bridges, piers, and grassy banks for peaceful hours plying rod and reel.

A wide, well-lit smooth track follows the one and a half mile circumference of the lake, ideal for an uncrowded leisurely stroll, a brisk jog, or a zippy skate. Dotted along the outside of the track, nestled into clearings in the pines, shelters of various sizes provide places to stop and rest or to seek a quick escape from the summer sun or a sudden rain shower.

The open-air shelters of Tom Triplett Park can also be destinations in their own right, for little lunches, picnic parties, or grand gatherings. The smallest have tables, benches, and grills for cooking out. The largest is the huge and handsome vaulted pavilion, spacious enough for dozens of guests with room to spare. Great stone and wood pillars on three sides of the pavilion are widely spaced to frame views out to the lovely lake and the nearby activity areas and to allow breezes to play through. The exposed crisscross rafters support a massive ceiling that provides light and shelter for private or public happenings such as ceremonies or receptions, family reunions, crafts fairs or workshops, youth programs, Zumba classes, or County-sponsored community service events. The pavilion also has a separate, enclosed meeting room well-suited for club meetings, programs, or meals.

Tom Triplett Park was designed with family life and healthy living in mind, so all through the park there are places to play. One playground for children is conveniently set in a sandy clearing in the trees immediately next to the main pavilion and pier. A larger playground, across the park with wide open fields nearby, boasts great climbing, swinging, and sliding, plus a high-tech springy surface for kid-friendly running and tumbling. Four-legged fur-babies have a playground of their own. Safely fenced and divided into separate areas for larger or smaller breeds, the dog park at Tom Triplett provides a running, digging, climbing, barking free zone for doggie playtime with their owners or with new friends.

There are also several options for those who prefer to keep score while they play. Tennis lovers can serve up some fun on one of the two free first-come/first served tennis courts at the entrance to the park. Disc golfers can dodge natural obstacles and try to beat par on the 18-hole course that travels the length and breadth of the park. Bikers can race each other along bumpy, twisting off-road trails. There are spaces for horseshoes to be tossed, kites to be flown, relay races to be run, and field games to be enjoyed. Tom Triplett Park invites all of Chatham County to come out and play.

It goes without saying that bird watchers and other nature lovers find lots to love here, too, since abundant wildlife in the waters, in the woods, and in the air share their habitat with visitors to the park. Little vignettes and expansive landscapes are settings made to order for plein air painters or nature photographers looking with an eye for natural beauty to capture with their art.

Those looking for history will also find it highlighted on these grounds, as the land that is now Tom Triplett Park is a historically recognized stop on the Civil War Heritage Trail. Markers and information stations give a historical account of the union army’s March To The Sea as General Sherman encamped on this land in his approach to Savannah in 1864.

The more recent history of Tom Triplett Park points to the man himself for whom the park was named. Thomas Odell Triplett, Sr., was a respected and effective public servant for his county and his state for many years and in many ways. Most notably, he served on the Savannah-Chatham County School Board, and as Mayor and Councilman for Port Wentworth, and as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives. In his tenure as Chair of the House Transportation Committee, his tireless efforts to grow and improve roads and transportation in this area directly contributed to the resulting growth of the County. When this park was opened in 1998, it was dedicated in his honor in recognition of his commitment to improving life in Chatham County for those who live here.

Tom Triplett Community Park is handicap accessible and was created to enhance life for Chatham County and all of its residents. It is HERE FOR YOU!

• Park is open to the public free of charge seven days a week, 8:00am - 10:00pm.
• To reserve the Pavilion or its meeting room please call the Parks & Recreation Main Line (912-652-6780) during regular business hours (Mon – Fri, 8:00am – 5:00pm).