Reclaiming a Grass Strip Among Georgia’s Golden Isles

But in recent years, the only available way to visit the secluded retreat has been by boat. This is something that the island’s new owners, the Day family, have been working to change with the support of the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF). 

“Patterson Island is a stunning place,” said Kevin Barry, RAF's Georgia liaison. “It’s this pristine, manicured mini resort with this gorgeous airstrip on it. It is so spectacular that it has the potential to be the crown jewel of the Georgia coast." 

The RAF has been leading the charge in making sure that Patterson Island is accessible to all aviators. The runway (referenced on the sectional as GA21) has been around for decades and required some overdue attention. 

“The runway was already in pretty good shape, overall,” Barry said. “There were a couple of logs left in burn piles that they knew that they needed to move and also a couple of ruts that I explained wouldn’t mix well with airplanes with little tires. Also on the western end, the trees had squeezed the runway’s width down to around 50 feet. When it was originally built, it was around 200 feet wide and most [of it], with the exception of the western end, was about 150 feet wide. You could have landed a plane, but gusting crosswinds would have had an effect, and the wider the runway is, the safer.”

A grant from the RAF that was funded by donations made the goal of restoring the runway to an operable condition a reality.

“The RAF loves to support these sorts of projects,” Barry said. “We looked at ferrying the equipment over [to cut down the trees], but it was around $5,000 a day to rent a ferry and…the most economical option was to have professional tree cutters come in to trim the trees back. Now, thanks to the work party, most of the runway is now about 150 feet wide, which is wider than most backcountry grass strips.” 

The roughly 50-acre island is itself a nature preserve, with an abundance of raw and natural beauty. The tranquility of Patterson is something that initially attracted the Days.

“We live in middle Georgia and absolutely love the marsh, which has very different scenery that we’ve always loved,” Day said. “It’s a really pretty ecosystem where we would spend a lot of time with our kids. So, we started looking for land there, and when we found this property, we knew it would be perfect for a lot of things. We could use it for family vacations, and then [we] talked about sharing it with others because it is an extensively large property. 

“There are lots of nature and trails, and even a bald eagle rookery on one end of the island with a pond. It’s nothing to see many different types of birds, from great horned owls to roseate spoonbills. This week, it just so happens that we are getting migratory storks.”

The island has a rich history, and the family has worked hard to return it back to its former luster.

The land was first granted to John McIntosh in 1771 and has since been the target of a significant hurricane, farmed by several owners, turned into a boat club for a brief period, and was purchased by the Days in October 2023.

The island’s current structures, the "Big House" and the "Cottage," date back to the early 1900s. These homes were recently restored and are available for nightly rental. Since May, they’ve hosted an array of guests, from bachelor parties to couples and wedding goers—and the couple has recently started hosting weddings. Due to recent hurricane damage, however, Patterson Island is temporarily closed to visitors until recovery efforts are complete.

The property strikes a healthy balance between peacefulness of yesteryear and modern amenities. Everyone who visits comes away with different reasons for why it was such a memorable trip.  

“One of the nicest things about Patterson Island is, especially if you fly in, is that it’s just a quick hop in a plane over to Jekyll Island or St. Simons Island,” Barry said. “So, not only is it a great place to fly around and see the beauty, but also, of course, it’s a place where you can feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere, with a quick flight to golf courses, incredible restaurants, gorgeous beaches, bike rentals, lots of other fun things. It’s a really neat spot.” 

A crew of RAF volunteers recently spent a weekend at the island in an effort that came under the allotted budget. The group plans to use the remaining amount of the private grant to further impact the aviation facilities on the island. 

“I still have funds from the initial donor-supported grant because the tree cutting came in way under budget.” Barry said. “There are several other improvements planned. Unfortunately, Patterson Island was impacted by Hurricane Helene. All the buildings are fine, but some trees are down, and there’s a lot of mess to pick up, so first we need to clean up. After that, we plan to do a firepit, windsock, and tent platforms. The next phase we plan on doing a flush toilet and hot shower.”