Rodney J. Hall Boat Ramp and Butter Bean Beach share a Diamond Causeway address, but they serve different parts of a waterfront visit. One is a boat-launching facility; the other is the neighboring shoreline area. Choose the access that suits your outing before unloading a trailer, carrying a kayak or settling in with fishing gear.
One access area, several names
Georgia DNR lists Skidaway Narrows Boat Ramp as another name for Rodney J. Hall Boat Ramp. Chatham County calls the combined facility Rodney J. Hall (Butterbean Beach) Boat Ramp and gives its address as 25 Diamond Causeway, Savannah, GA 31406.
DNR’s accessible-fishing directory has separate entries for Butter Bean Beach and Rodney J. Hall Boat Ramp at 25 Diamond Causeway, using ZIP code 31411. Save the named facility as well as the address; the two listings describe adjacent access points rather than two distant trips.
The ramp page’s older directions refer to a drawbridge. Georgia DOT’s completed bridge-replacement project record describes replacing that bascule bridge with a high-level bridge. Use current navigation and signs for the facility rather than looking for an opening span.
Boat launch or beach-side visit?
| Access | What the official listings say | Plan around |
|---|---|---|
| Rodney J. Hall / Skidaway Narrows ramp | DNR lists two triple-lane ramps, paved parking, courtesy dock, restroom and life jackets available. | Trailer movements, boarding and launching. Bring your own properly fitted life jacket rather than relying on available stock. |
| Butter Bean Beach shoreline | The county lists a beach and pavilion as part of the facility. DNR classifies the beach as bank access; its inventory marks restrooms and accessible parking. | The actual shoreline surface, water level, posted rules and current water-quality advice. The beach name alone does not establish safe swimming conditions. |
DNR’s access inventory also marks restrooms and accessible parking for the ramp entry. It leaves the accessible-fishing-structure, paved-footpath and rail-cutout fields blank for these two entries. A parking accessibility listing does not confirm a step-free transfer to a boat or a firm route across sand. Confirm any essential arrangement before a special trip.
Arrive, park and inspect before unloading
For a trailered boat, look over the launching lanes, available parking and return route first. Prepare loose equipment away from the ramp, keep trailer maneuvering space clear, and use the courtesy dock for boat handling according to posted limits.
For a kayak or paddleboard, inspect the transfer at the water level you find. Choose a route within your group’s ability to return against changing wind or current, and decide where you will land before leaving shore. Do not assume the beach and ramp approaches have the same footing or carrying distance.
For a shore-based visit, identify a suitable legal spot before carrying rods, chairs or a cooler. Keep lines and gear out of launching and boarding areas. Leave the accessible parking spaces and travel paths clear, and shorten the outing if the available access does not suit your group.
Check the water, not just the beach name
Before entering the water, check current signs and the official Georgia Healthy Beaches information. The state’s program explains that a swimming advisory concerns elevated bacteria and can advise against swimming or wading without closing the beach itself. A past advisory-lifted notice is not a current water-quality result.
This guide does not establish today’s swimming status, lifeguard coverage or a safe swimming area. Even when no bacteria advisory is posted, tides, current, wind and boat traffic remain separate considerations. A picnic or shoreline visit does not need to become a swimming outing.
DNR’s coastal boating guidance warns that low water and erosion can affect the usable end of ramps. Inspect the surface before backing a trailer down. Wear a properly fitted life jacket when boating or paddling, protect a communication device from water and leave your return plan with someone ashore.
Facilities, hours and fishing preparation
The county’s facility-specific description lists a ramp, restrooms, parking, pavilion and beach. For current operating hours, fees, a facility problem or an essential accessibility question, contact Chatham County Parks at 912-652-6780. The published sources used here do not establish a current hours or fee schedule.
Check DNR access alerts and county information before leaving, and follow on-site restrictions. If designated parking is full, choose another time or destination instead of assuming roadside overflow is allowed. Bring drinking water, sun and insect protection, and a bag for discarded line or other litter.
If you plan to fish, review DNR’s fishing-license and Saltwater Information Program requirements and the current finfish seasons, size and possession limits. Saltwater anglers generally need the appropriate Georgia fishing license and free SIP permit, subject to applicable exemptions; SIP renewal is annual. Use posted rules to determine where fishing fits around other visitors.
Other ways to build the day
The nearby Skidaway Island State Park is a separate destination with its own visitor information. Its current notices flag the Avian Trail and observation tower as closed, along with a partial campground renovation. Check that page if you want to add a park outing; the ramp’s address and facilities should not be treated as the state park’s entrance or services.
For another Savannah-area launch and fishing access, compare our Salt Creek Park guide. For a distinct Richmond Hill pier and kayak option, see the Tivoli River guide. These are separate outings, not a suggested continuous paddling route.
Browse more Georgia destination guides or open the Destinations directory. You can also visit the Outdoor Adventures shop for outdoor-inspired merchandise.
Map: Rodney J. Hall ramp and neighboring beach
DNR’s public-fishing inventory records Rodney J. Hall Boat Ramp at 31.94685, -81.06687 and Butter Bean Beach nearby at 31.94656, -81.06777. The map below uses the ramp point for land-side orientation. Follow signs for legal parking and the suitable shoreline or launch approach; it is not a nautical chart or marked paddling route.
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