Jekyll Island is a state-protected barrier island off the Georgia coast, offering ten miles of undeveloped Atlantic beach with just 35% of the island open to development. Georgia's large tidal range of 6–8 feet dramatically exposes and conceals the beach; low tide reveals an expansive sandy flat and excellent shelling.
Georgia's large tidal range of 6–8 ft transforms this beach: low tide exposes a very wide expanse of firm sand — the prime time for shelling (knobbed whelks, scotch bonnets, and sand dollars are all found here) and exploring the inter-tidal zone; high tide brings the water close to the dune line. Swimming is best at mid tide; tide-pool-like features appear in rocky areas near Driftwood Beach at low tide; surf fishing from the beach and causeway area is productive year-round. Local note: Driftwood Beach at the island's north end — a dramatic landscape of bleached, wave-sculpted tree skeletons eroded from the dune — is most accessible and photogenic at low tide; a Georgia state day-use fee applies ($8); by state law, 65% of Jekyll Island is permanently protected from development.
Nearby Beaches