Best Jekyll Island Beaches
It’s hard to choose the best Jekyll Island beaches, with 10 miles of unspoiled shoreline you’ll find the perfect place to relax and reconnect. Jekyll Island Beaches are unlike those of any other coastal destination.
St. Andrews Beach Park
This beach park is a short walk from Jekyll Point, the southern-most tip of the Island. It’s a popular spot for watching migratory birds as well as groups of dolphins. The beach park features a two-story wildlife viewing platform and the Wanderer Memory Trail.
Amenities
- Parking: Features ample parking, shaded by tree cover
- Restroom: Includes public restrooms and outdoor showers
- Accessible: Accessible parking and beach access
- Pavilions: Open-air picnic tables under tree cover
- Pet Friendly: All pets must be kept under immediate control and on a leash no longer than 16′ at all times
Insider Tip: St. Andrews is a great place to view sunsets, fish, and also spot dolphins!
Great Dunes Beach Park
This is Jekyll Island’s most popular beach for families. The 20-acre, beachfront park is easily accessible and offers several picnic pavilions, an activities deck, play areas, bocce ball and volleyball courts. Ample parking and public beach access with restrooms and showers are available.
Amenities
- Parking: Ample parking stretches from the Convention Center to Tortuga Jack’s
- Restroom: Restrooms and changing areas are available, as well as outdoor showers
- Accessible: Accessible beach access is located at crossover #32 at the Great Dunes Beach Deck
- Pavilions: Features several covered pavilions, each with picnic tables and grills
- Pet Friendly: All pets must be kept under immediate control and on a leash no longer than 16′
Insider Tip: Perfect for families and pets. Great Dunes Beach Park is great to set up and stay in one spot for the day. Looking for some other entertainment options? Don’t miss the miniature golf and bike rentals across the street!
Driftwood Beach
Consistently voted one of America’s “Ten Most Romantic Beaches,” Driftwood Beach is an escape to another world. Ancient driftwood monuments line the waterfront, creating an unforgettable backdrop. Perhaps that’s one reason USA TODAY featured it as one of the best Southern beaches for a weekend escape.
Amenities
- Parking: Public parking is available near the beach access, located just off Beachview Drive
- Pet Friendly: All pets must be kept under immediate control and on a leash no longer than 16′ at all times
Insider Tip: The early bird gets the beautiful sunrise on Driftwood Beach, don’t forget your camera, this beach has some great photo opportunities! Driftwood Beach tops most visitors’ best Jekyll Island Beaches list and is a must-see before you leave the island.
Oceanview Beach Park
Situated mid-island, Oceanview Beach Park offers stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and quick access to the sand. The park reopened in May 2019 after extensive renovations, which include an ADA-accessible beach access point with a balcony-style overlook and shower facilities, along with four family and two group pavilions equipped with picnic tables and grills. The ample parking area features seven electric vehicle charging stations.
Amenities
- Parking: Ample parking, including electric vehicle charging stations
- Restroom: Public restrooms and changing rooms, as well as outdoor showers
- Accessible: ADA accessible parking, restroom, and beach access, including a balcony-style overlook
- Pavilions: Family and group pavilions, each equipped with picnic tables and grills
- Pet Friendly: All pets must be kept under immediate control and on a leash no longer than 16′
Insider Tip: Oceanview Beach Park tops our list of accessible Jekyll Island beaches. Guests don’t even have to go on the beach to be able to experience it. Learn more about beach accessibility. There is also an abundance of handicapped parking, accessible pavilions, and a number of electric charging stations for Red Bugs and electric vehicles.
Glory Beach
Graceful sea oats and pristine sand dunes line Glory Beach Park on the south end of Jekyll Island. You’ll be amazed at how wide this beach is – and you’ll see why movie scouts chose to film portions of “Glory” here. Glory Boardwalk is next to the soccer complex on the Island’s south end.
Amenities:
- Parking: Features ample parking adjacent to Soccer Complex
- No pets: This beach is a sanctuary for resting and nesting birds
Insider Tip: Glory beach is secluded and provides solitude. Interested in learning more about what other movies have been filmed on Jekyll Island? Read Ready for its Closeup in 31•81, the Magazine of Jekyll Island.
South Dunes Beach Park
With an elevated boardwalk crossing 20-foot sand dunes, this park features a beach access, observation deck and freshwater pond. Picnic tables and grills along with open-air and screened-in picnic pavilions make this park the perfect spot for a relaxing family event.
Amenities:
- Parking: Features ample parking, shaded by tree cover
- Restrooms: Includes public restrooms and outdoor showers
- Pavilions: Covered group pavilions and open-air picnic tables
- No Pets: This beach is a sanctuary for resting and nesting birds
Insider Tip: Great for families and packing a picnic. South Dunes Beach Park does require more walking than some beach access points, strollers or wagons are not ideal for this location with stairs going over the elevated boardwalk out to the beach. However, the views are some of the best Jekyll Island beaches have to offer!
Corsair Beach Park
Corsair Beach Park, located between the Jekyll Ocean Club and Days Inn hotels, serves as the southern boundary for the Jekyll Beach Village. This park includes an ADA accessible bathhouse with restrooms and changing areas, two picnic pavilions, outdoor showers, enhanced landscaping, and 123 additional public parking spaces for the area.
Amenities:
- Parking: Ample parking adjacent to Beach Village, totaling 123 spaces
- Restrooms: Restrooms and changing areas are available, as well as outdoor showers
- Accessible: Accessible parking, restrooms, and changing areas
- Pavilions: Features covered pavilions, each with picnic table and grill
- Pet Friendly: All pets must be kept under immediate control and on a leash no longer than 16′
Insider Tip: Corsair Beach Park is within walking distance of Beach Village. If you forgot sunscreen, no sweat, our shops in Beach Village have you covered! Looking for a lunch or dinner spot, check out dining options in Beach Village.
Ssshhh…. Best Jekyll Island Beaches
Known as the best Jekyll Island beach for shark tooth hunting, shark tooth beach is located less than 1,000 feet past the Summer Waves entrance. Look for an unmarked metal gate on the right side of the road. There’s no vehicular access to the area known as shark tooth beach and no parking. Be sure to wear sturdy shoes for the 25-minute walk, too. Once you get to the beach, the oyster shells and teeth can be sharp.
Insider Tip: Wear bug spray and stay on the path until you get to the beach; rattlesnakes have been spotted nearby. Check tide charts before adventuring out!
