Located off the beaten path, these hidden Jekyll Island gems make you feel like you’ve discovered something special! Whether you’re trekking out to the beach, visiting the National Historic Landmark District, or finding something that is hidden in plain sight, these hidden gems are sure to be on the itinerary of your next visit!
Shark Tooth Beach
There’s no vehicular access to the area known as shark tooth beach. 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.
Location: The entrance to Shark Tooth Beach is less than 1,000 feet past the Summer Waves entrance. Look for an unmarked metal gate on the right side of the road.
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!
Jekyll Club-Era Dairy Silo
The 20-foot-tall dairy silo is constructed of tabby (a cement-like material made of oyster shells) and was built around the turn of the 20th century.
Location: Located a mile or so north of the National Historic Landmark District along Riverview Drive
Insider Tip: There’s no information posted, which adds to the feeling of discovery.
Drawings Inside Hollybourne Cottage
The drawings, in graphite pencil, are two silhouettes signed by 14-year-old Emily Maurice and her presumed friend Alice Stickney, dated February 15, 1902. The outline of a shoe and a delicate hand also adorn the plaster wall, along with the lyrics of an 18th-century French folk song, Au Clair de la Lune, handwritten in French.
Location: Hollybourne Cottage located in a small alcove in the servant’s quarters.
Insider Tip: You can take a tour of Hollybourne Cottage and experience all the curious details of this one-of-a-kind residence. Book A Bridge to the Past: Hollybourne Cottage »
The Mural in Beach Village & The Roseate Spoonbill Wings
The first mural on the island, Wylie Caudill, an interactive public mural artist based in Lexington, Kentucky, and great-grandson of Tallu Fish was tapped to create this masterpiece. Tallu Fish established the Jekyll Island Museum in Indian Mound Cottage, the former home of William Rockefeller, and helmed the museum through the 1950s and ’60s. She was one of the first curators of the island’s robust history.
Location: Located just beyond the traffic circle near the Jekyll Island Convention Center.
Insider Tip: The mural features roseate spoonbills flying onto a neighboring wall, where you can find wings painted to make a whimsical photo background.
Gun Mounts
Trek through the maritime forest to find two cast-iron Civil War–era gun mounts installed during the Spanish-American War at the end of the nineteenth century.
Location: The gun mounts are tucked in the woods about a half mile from St. Andrews Beach near Macy Lane.
Insider Tip: Bring bug spray and a sense of adventure.
Rope Swing at St. Andrews
Channel your inner child, or bring your own along to this impressive, and intense, rope swing. The swing is attached to a stories-high live oak, and it takes some climbing to get to, so be prepared. The swing’s origins remain a mystery, but adventurous locals have been enjoying its thrills since the 1980s.
Location: Hidden on a trail to the right of the parking lot at St. Andrews Beach, near the island’s southern tip.
Insider Tip: While you’re there, keep an eye out for pelicans and sandpipers that frequent the beach, search for sun-bleached sand dollars, and walk along the Wanderer Memory Trail, created to memorialize one of America’s last-known slave ships, the Wanderer, which came ashore here.
Seasonal Hidden Gems
Jekyll Island hand-picks artists from across the country to create one-of-a-kind glass floats for the annual Island Treasures event. The glass floats are part of a hide-and-seek style game played on Jekyll Island throughout January and February.
Location: Beach Village, Historic District, Beach Parks, Common Areas, Along Established Paths
Insider Tip: Island Treasures is really about being at the right place at the right time. It comes down to luck and timing. Whether you find a globe or not, we hope you’ll enjoy the real treasure that is Jekyll Island and see the annual tradition as an opportunity to explore.
