20 Spectacular Things to Do on Jekyll Island: The Jewel of the Golden Isles

Welcome to one of the most idyllic stretches of coastline in the United States, where a mix of historical and cultural sites, pristine beaches, beautiful marshlands, interesting wildlife, and meandering bike paths create a slower way of living. 

This is, of course, Jekyll Island, one of Georgia’s “Golden Isles,” where expansive beaches stretch along the coast, backed by sand dunes topped with golden grasses and wildflowers. Live oaks draped in Spanish moss shade winding paths, while salt marshes spread across the landscape, supporting a rich and thriving ecosystem.

Only 35% of the island is developed—and no further development is allowed—preserving Jekyll’s wild, peaceful atmosphere.

Jekyll was once the winter playground of some of America’s most powerful families, including the Morgans, Pulitzers, and Rockefellers, who built a private club and luxurious “cottages” here during the Gilded Age. These historic buildings still stand today in Jekyll’s historic district.

All of this creates an incredible environment to explore—whether you’re here for a few hours or a few days, there’s a lot to see, do, and experience on Jekyll Island. Here’s everything you need to know to plan your visit.

20 Spectacular Things To Do on Jekyll Island

1. Driftwood Beach

Driftwood Beach is easily the most iconic spot on Jekyll Island—and y’all, it deserves the hype. It was SO cool. Enormous pieces of driftwood—anything from large branches to entire felled trees—are scattered across the sand. You can walk among the limbs, admiring the almost otherworldly feel they bring to the landscape.

How did Driftwood come to be? The beach was formed from decades of erosion. This area used to be a maritime forest, but as the shoreline slowly receded, the trees died and eventually toppled, creating the dramatic scene you see today.

There are three different “times” you can visit:

• Low tide (or at least lower tide), when the beach is widest and there’s more room to explore
• High tide (or at least higher tide), when many of the trees are partially underwater, creating a totally different vibe
• Sunrise, when the sky to the east fills with dramatic color

We came here twice—once in the middle of the day near low tide, and then again at sunrise, which happened to be almost exactly at high tide.

I adored sunrise at Driftwood, it felt absolutely magical the way the colors filled the sky behind the beach, creating dramatic backlighting. Plus, I think I personally prefer the beach at higher tide, as I liked the effect of the driftwood partially submerged. 

Driftwood Beach is consistently voted one of TripAdvisor’s “Best of the Best Beaches,” and I certainly agree with the title.

2. Shark Tooth Beach

This is one of the only beach spots on the west side of the island, facing the marshlands and mainland. This isn’t a beach for relaxing, laying out, and swimming, it’s a beach for, you guessed it, searching for shark’s teeth.

To get there, you’ll walk about a mile from the roadside—there’s no official parking lot, just pull off and park along the shoulder (location here). The walk is flat and easy, just a bit long.

The beach itself is made up of thick, compact layers of shells—many of them broken—which gives it a different feel from the sandy beaches on the east side. While you can find shark teeth anywhere, there’s a high concentration on this beach thanks to periodic dredging projects that bring up sediment from the ocean floor and deposit it here to help with erosion.

You’ll need to sift through the shells a bit—most of the teeth are small and usually black, so they’re easy to miss if you’re not looking closely. We only came away with two, but other groups nearby had found closer to ten. It’s definitely a mix of luck, patience, and spotting skills.

3. Relax on the Other Beaches of Jekyll

Jekyll Island is about 7 miles long (and 1.5 miles wide at its widest point) and the entire eastern coast is one continuous stretch of wide, pristine beach.

Sand dunes and native grasses line the shoreline, a classic sight along the South Atlantic coast. (Be sure to stay on marked paths and boardwalks—walking on the dunes or grasses is prohibited to protect the ecosystem.)

So when people talk about the “best beaches” on Jekyll, it’s all really part of the same beach—just with different names and access points along the way.

• If you’re looking for a pier, you’ll want to go up to Clam Creek on the very northern tip of the island.
• Oceanview Beach Park has a large parking lot, picnic tables, and bathrooms/showers.
• St. Andrew’s Beach at the very southern tip of the island has a few more pieces of driftwood.
• Of course there’s Driftwood Beach, as we just discussed, but people don’t really come here to lay out towels and swim.
• Great Dunes Beach also has parking and showers/bathrooms.
• The South Dunes Beach area is open, but the access point from the parking lot/road to the beach is damaged and closed.

But as mentioned, there are beach access points all along the island—some with official parking lots, others connected to hotels or small public paths. The good news is, the beaches here are consistently beautiful, so you really can’t go wrong—no matter where you go, you’ll find soft sand, gentle waves, and beautiful shoreline.

4. Georgia Sea Turtle Center

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is a small but fascinating stop on Jekyll Island. The main building holds one room of exhibits that dive into the world of sea turtles and terrapins (aka marsh turtles) that live on the Atlantic coast.

The displays walk you through their life cycles, nesting habits, the threats they face, and how the center works to protect and rehabilitate them. The exhibits are genuinely interesting, full of fun facts and thoughtful explanations that make you realize just how fragile their existence is—for example, did you know only 1 in 4,000 baby sea turtles survive to adulthood?

The real highlight, though, is the rehabilitation building. This is where you’ll find tanks holding rescued sea turtles—some very young, others mature and massive. There was even a tank with tiny baby turtles when we visited (!!).

Each turtle is named, and there’s a placard explaining why they were brought in and how they’re being treated. Most stay at the center for about 4–6 months before being released back into the wild, with a major emphasis on avoiding human dependence.

These interventions aren’t meant to interfere with the natural world, but without efforts like these, sea turtles could go extinct—and that would have a huge ripple effect on the entire ocean ecosystem.

This is absolutely a must visit on the island.

5. See Hatching Baby Turtles

While the rescue center is fantastic, seeing baby sea turtles hatch and make their way to the ocean is a whole other level. Mother turtles come ashore to nest from April through August, with eggs incubating for about 60 days.

Therefore, the best time to visit is early to mid-July—there’s still a chance to see mothers nesting, but hatchlings are also starting to emerge and head to the water.

When a mother lays her eggs, conservation workers usually cordon off the nest to protect it, and there are guided night tours that let you observe from a safe distance the baby sea turtles hatching and making their way to the ocean.

6. Historic District

The Historic District on Jekyll Island is where modern-day Jekyll began. At its beginnings, the Jekyll Island Club Resort was a private retreat once considered “the richest, most exclusive, most inaccessible club in the world” during the late 1880’s of the Gilded Age.

The Club was originally founded as a hunting getaway, but it quickly evolved into a luxurious resort for America’s elite—think Pulitzer, J.P. Morgan, and William Rockefeller. Most members stayed in the main clubhouse (hotel), and enjoyed endless amenities and extravagent multi-course dinners every night.

A few of the wealthiest families also built private “cottages” nearby—though in true Gilded Age fashion, these were anything but modest. Only a few dozen of these large, beautiful cottages were ever constructed, and today they’re preserved as historic landmarks that you can walk past or tour (more on that in a second).

The Jekyll Island Club Resort is still a functioning hotel today. The building has been carefully restored, and even if you’re not staying there, you can walk through the historic entrance halls and public spaces.

I think the Historic District is one of the many things that makes Jekyll Island special—there are a lot of beach towns on the Atlantic coast, but not many have history like this front and center.

The District encompasses a rather large area that historically was the resort club, and the grounds are public space and open to visitors. There are walking and bike paths, and it’s easy to stroll around and admire the hotel and cottages. And that brings me to my next point…

7. Trolley Tour

While it’s fun to walk or bike around the Historic District on your own, to really appreciate the history and hear the fascinating stories, you need to take one of Jekyll Island’s popular trolley tours. I’d honestly consider it a must-do on the island.

The tours leave multiple times a day from the Mosaic Museum, and your $20 ticket includes admission to the museum along with the guided trolley tour through the district. The trolley moves slowly and is fully narrated, giving you tons of context and background on what you’re seeing as you go. It’s a great way to understand the role Jekyll played in the Gilded Age and beyond.

You’ll go by the 11 historic cottages remaining today, hearing stories about who lived there and what life was like.

Each tour also includes access to one of the historic cottages—which cottage depends on the time of day your trolley tour is. We visited Indian Mound Cottage, originally owned by the Rockefellers. It’s considered the most historically accurate cottage on the island, with nearly all original furnishings still intact.

There’s no need to book your trolley ahead of time, just show up to the Mosaic Museum and get the time you want for that day or the next.

8. Faith Chapel

Faith Chapel is a small, historic church tucked into the Historic District—and definitely worth a stop on your own (it’s not part of the guided trolley tour).

Built as a non-denominational chapel, it welcomed anyone staying on the island, regardless of background. The wooden exterior is charming, but the real surprise is inside: stunning stained glass windows with rich, swirling colors.

When we visited, a staff member was explaining the details in some of the scenes, and it was absolutely fascinating—there’s more symbolism and storytelling than you might expect.

It’s a quick stop, but I loved this charming little church.

9. Goodyear Cottage

While most of the historic cottages are only accessible on a trolley tour, Goodyear Cottage is open to the public—so anyone can stop in and take a look.

Today, the cottage houses an art boutique featuring locally made arts and crafts. Inside, you’ll find a rotating exhibit of beautiful, inventive pieces—paintings of Jekyll Island landscapes, pine needle baskets (so fascinating!), hand-thrown ceramics, mirrors decorated with intricate seashell designs, and more.

Most of the art was well outside my budget, but Goodyear almost felt more like an art gallery than a shop—so we happily browsed and just enjoyed admiring all the beautiful pieces.

10. Plantation Oak Tree

The Plantation Oak Tree is considered the oldest live oak on Jekyll and is over 400 years old. I absolutely adore all the live oak trees along the Georgia coast, their Spanish moss swaying in the breeze, and my phone is full of pictures of these pretty trees. But even if you can find these trees all over the island, it’s worth coming to see the Plantation Oak – it is absolutely enormous.

It’s in the Historic District, right next to Crane Cottage, so its easy to pop over and admire this gorgeous tree.

11. Shops

There are a couple of fun shops in the Historic District. First off is Jekyll Island Sweets—we stopped in here several times and got a ton of their treats, and everything was incredible. Next door is a Christmas shop and a small gift shop boutique—both charming and fun to browse. 

None of these shops are showing up on Google Maps, but they’re right by the Post Office, just across the street from the Mosaic Museum (location here).

12. Mosaic Museum

The Mosaic Museum is just outside of the Historic District, and as mentioned above, is where you can buy tickets and start the Trolley Tour. The museum itself is small—just one room—but the exhibits are thoughtfully done.

You’ll find lots of artifacts from bygone eras, like dresses worn by wealthy guests, servants’ uniforms, and items from the plantation era, along with displays about slavery, cotton production, the island’s Native peoples, and more.

13. Sunset at the Wharf

The Wharf is definitely the best place to catch the sunset on the whole island. The Wharf is a restaurant at the end of a small pier, right on the edge of the Historic District and next to the Jekyll Island Club Resort. It faces west, overlooking the marsh.

However, the best view isn’t from the restaurant itself, but from the lawn just to the right of the restaurant/pier, where palm trees line the shoreline and massive live oaks stretch across the back. The sun dips right behind the palms, and the whole scene is breathtaking.

14. Horton Pond

Horton Pond is probably the best place to spot turtles and alligators, plus a variety of birds, on Jekyll Island. From the small parking area right off the road, it’s just a 30-second walk to the viewing deck overlooking the pond. In the center, there’s a wooden platform where gators and turtles like to sunbathe on warm days.

It was a little chilly when we visited, so we didn’t see any gators on the platform, but there were tons of turtles—and we did spot a gator lounging on a log at the back of the pond.

It seems like this is a popular spot for alligators to hang out if they aren’t on the platform, but you really have to have eagle eyes to see them from the viewing deck. For a better look, take the dirt trail (called the Horton Trail) that loops around the left side of the pond.

It’s short and flat, and gives you a closer view of that back log where the gator often hangs out. The trail continues through the interior of the island and ends at the Horton House ruins on the other side.

15. Horton House

Horton House is one of the oldest surviving tabby buildings in Georgia and marks the site of the island’s first English settlement. It was built in 1736 by Major William Horton, who established a plantation here under orders from General Oglethorpe (who settled Savannah), making him the first English settler on Jekyll Island.

Today, all that remains are the tabby ruins of this two-story home and the family cemetery across the street, but it’s a fascinating stop with a lot of visible history. Be sure to take a close look at the interior walls—in many spots, you can clearly see the crushed oyster shells that make up the tabby, a unique coastal building material made from sand, lime, water, and shells.

16. Beach Village

Beach Village is a small, cute area with a few shops, boutiques, and restaurants, plus a central greenspace where people hang out and relax. It’s a nice little spot, and chances are you’ll end up here at least once for a meal or to pick up something at the Jekyll Market.

Don’t miss the fried shrimp at the Love Shack, tucked in the back of the Jekyll Market—it’s ridiculously good. They also serve BBQ pork (equally delicious), and are open for lunch and dinner until 7 PM.

17. Biking the Island

Biking is one of the most popular things to do on Jekyll, and for good reason—the island has a fantastic 20-mile bike path that loops all the way around. The path is flat, paved, and easy to ride, making it accessible for pretty much everyone.

Sometimes it runs alongside the road like a sidewalk, but other stretches take you through maritime forests, past the beach, or alongside the marsh.

You can make stops at beaches, museums, or the Historic District as you ride —we stopped at Clam Creek for a picnic lunch. If you don’t want to ride the full 20 miles, there are plenty of cross-island paths and streets that make it easy to shorten your route. We ended up doing about 15 miles without issue—and none of us are regular bikers.

There are several bike rental shops on the island, and prices are very reasonable (especially for multi-day rentals). E-bikes are allowed, but you’ll need to bring your own, as you can’t rent them on the island.

There are three bike rental locations on Jekyll:

• Beachside Bike Rentals – this is where I rented from, a bike was $22 for the full day
• Jekyll Island Bike Rental
• Jekyll Wheels

18. Clam Creek

Tucked up at the northern tip of Jekyll, Clam Creek is a laid-back spot with a fishing pier, a short path through the marshy stream, and picnic tables under the live oaks. There’s also a quiet stretch of beach that curves around the end of the island.

Near the pier, there’s a little shack selling fishing gear, snacks, and boiled peanuts. And if you’ve never tried boiled peanuts before, this is your moment—they’re a Southern classic, and honestly way better than you might expect.

19. Wanderer Memorial Trail

This quiet trail honors a dark chapter in Jekyll Island’s history. Tucked next to St. Andrews Beach, the short path winds through the woods with placards that tell the story of the Wanderer—one of the last known ships to bring enslaved Africans to the United States.

Though the transatlantic slave trade had been outlawed in 1808, in 1858 a local colonel illegally outfitted a luxury yacht to secretly transport enslaved Africans. Nearly 500 people were brought to the U.S. aboard the Wanderer, landing at Jekyll Island. Those who survived the journey were sold and sent to plantations across the South.

The trail shares the history of the Wanderer, some of the African people’s stories, along with the disturbing truth that while several of the organizers were arrested and tried, none were convicted. It’s a sobering but important stop on the island to remember a much less rosy side of Jekyll’s history.

20. Summer Waves Waterpark

Open from May through Labor Day, the Summer Waves waterpark is another fun way to cool off and beat the heat if you need a break from sandy beaches. This park has multiple water slides, a lazy river, splash zone, and wave pool.

Where to Stay on Jekyll Island

Jekyll has approximately 10 hotels, most of them along the western beachfront.

• The Days Inn is a great budget option that still gives you pools and beachfront access.

• The Westin is a really nice beachfront property that’s a little more upscale

• The Jekyll Island Club Resort is the historic Gilded Age hotel, with beautiful decor, lovely grounds, and nice amenities (but it is not beachfront)

Map of Jekyll Island Attractions

Explore More of the Golden Isles and Beyond

These are several other destinations near Jekyll Island that are great options to add onto your Georgia trip:

Cumberland Island: Only reachable by ferry, this island is national wilderness area, home to wild horses, and absolutely magical.

Saint Simon’s Island: Visit the lighthouse and then learn about the important role the area played at the WWII Museum.

Okefenokee Swamp: An enormous swampland about 1 hour from Jekyll. I recommend the swamp cruise!

St Augustine: About 2 hours south is St. Augustine, a charming historic city that’s known as the oldest city in America

Savannah: Just an hour and a half north, Savannah is full of southern charm

Charleston: 3.5 hours north, this colorful city is one of my favorite in the entire USA