Jekyll Island

Excellent vacation spot. On the beautiful Golden isles of coastal Georgia located just south of Saint Simons Island. Such a fun experience with lots to do. Endless opportunities to walk beaches drive around the island eat shop sightsee study history and more. Highly recommend a vacation here. 🪁💎🇺🇸🔝🔥🎚️🔥💯👏🏽🐺

Unexpectedly beautiful, clean, peaceful. The beaches with the dunes are amazing. Favorite thing was riding bikes on the beach and around the island.

This beach was so much more than I thought it would be! It was beautiful, with so much driftwood, and stunning views of ocean and coastal forest. I definitely want to come back!

This is a great stop if you are in the area. The island is beautiful and full of history and culture. If you love history, ancient oak trees, or stately architecture you will throughly enjoy the island. There are shops and museums and overnight accommodations. A small yoll is required to get to the island.

Great place to bike or beach. Bike trails are well maintained. Beaches are clean and the views are incredible. $10 per car entry to island which is basically your parking fee. Seems to keep the riff raff out. Great day trip and lots of options for over night or extended stay.

This is a favorite place. This is where we find our most peace. Biking here is great, the beach is great, and well it is pretty quiet.

We really like Jekyll Island. The beach is good for the little kids because the waves are not too big and the slope as the beach goes out is very flat. The sun rises and sun sets have been amazing and our favorite place to take pictures would definitely be at Driftwood beach.

Jekyll Island was great. We went during the week, so it was very quiet, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I think what I liked most is no driving of any kind on the beaches. So, so, nice. Such a clean beach.

I have been home for less than 24 hours and am dreaming of when my next visit to Jekyll Island will be. I was there for a Tech conference for middle school and high school kids and was just so in awe by what the island has to offer. The Welcome office staff was so kind with providing me with a map of the island and recommendations of what to see and where to eat. The Spanish Moss hanging from the trees was just so peaceful and I automatically felt at ease while driving onto the island. The island isn't that large so driving around it took about 30 minutes. The things I saw which would be great for my family, but was not open: * Waterpark with some awesome looking waterslides *Soccer complex since soccer is our life lately. The things I wish I got to experience, but had trouble finding it (will plan better next time): *Fresh seafood that was not fried. I think it is because I stayed near the convention center. *Good coffee. The coffee I had was fine, but I am sometimes a coffee snob. The things that I saw and loved: *The people. Everyone on the island was kind and welcoming. From the hotel staff to the restaurant servers and bartenders to those working in the convention center. Where we stayed: *The Homes2Suites was great for a conference since it was in walking distance. The room was HUGE and I had a corner suite that looked at the beach from the bedroom so I could lay in bed and look at the ocean (ask for the 201/301 rooms for that view). The complimentary breakfast was fine for what it is. The staff worked really hard dealing with all of the kids in the hotel. The pool and exercise room were taken good care of. Where we ate: *There were a lot of bars/restaurants/markets in walking distance so that is what we did for most meals. We also went for Mexican food on the beach one of the days which was good, but not great. However, the view made up for it since it was on the water. *The Pantry at the Jekyll Island resort had a cute, but limited breakfast menu. *The Sweet Shoppe had delicious fudge What we did: *The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is a must. This place is amazing and they save the turtles. You can learn so much here too. *The Jekyll Island Resort. This place is so cute to walk around and explore. You can rent bikes all of the island. We ran out of time though. *Driftwood Beach. This is just really cool to see all of these trees that are laying on the shoreline. Great for kids to climb on or collect shells by, but not the type of beach to lay out on to get a tan. Ultimately, I think this would be a great family vacation spot. There are a lot of hotels and villas to stay at. You can fish and crab, bike, and cart around, and just relax and enjoy the coast.

This was a beautiful coastal resort and I very much enjoyed the visit. Lots to see, great views and beaches, a lovely bicycle path that is super flat and easy. Several parks along the way. Friendly folks! I do have to wonder about the $8 to drive onto the island. That's an interesting tourism tax, y'all have going. [Review 19335 overall - 574 in Georgia - 305 of 2023.]

This, the southern-most island of the Golden Isles, is the least touristy and most laid back. Jekyll has an interesting history, and only became a place that the public could enjoy after 1942. The 19th century buildings are lovely. One of my favorite places to visit on the island is the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, a rescue and educational center that has saved many injured and cold stunned sea turtles. A nice place to take a bike ride, spend the day at the beach or stroll the winding roads. There's an $8 fee to get on the island.

Jekyll Island, Georgia Self Guided Holiday Light Show Tour This (the Christmas Holiday Season) is the only time of year I'm aware of when the lines of traffic across the causeway to Jekyll Island GA crawl for the entire, multi-mile trek to the island. Why? Thousands of drivers descend on the island to see the 12-days of Xmas self-guided light show. Here's some pix of what you see on this driving tour.

A beautiful place with some of the broadest expanse of beaches in the area. Yes the whole island is a state park and they charge a fee to enter the island (the payment process is mighty slow - I can only imagine how backed up it must get on a nice weekend). We walked on the beach and never saw more sand dollars in our life - really cool. We also stopped for a drink at one of the bars along that beach. We then did a short walkabout the "cottages" in the Jekyll Island Club area. Next time we are in the area we will plan to spend the whole day here as we did decades ago and do an official tour of some of the cottages. We will also bring or rent bikes since they have some awesome bike paths around the island that are worth exploring.

I had heard so much about Jekyll Island, so I was excited to check it out this past weekend with my family. We set out early in the a.m. to explore Jekyll Island, one of the Sea Islands and one of the Golden Isles of Georgia barrier islands. Population: approximately 1,000. - Fee - Looks like the rates have gone up according to other reviews, but there is a small fee of $8 to enter the island. Due to COVID-19, to minimize contact and do our part in social distancing, we paid the fee via the Jekyll Island website (it is also encouraged on their website). When we arrived, we showed them the receipt and we were ushered in. - Parking - Once you pay the entrance fee, parking within the island is free. Some of our stops include: *Driftwood Beach (will write separate review) *Horton House & DuBignon Cemetery (will write separate review) *Path to Horton Pond (located next to Horton House) - we only went down about 1/4 - 1/2 mile, thinking the "pond" was just a short way down. The path is beautiful, with large oak trees draped in Spanish Moss. We'll have to return to hike the trail *Island Sweet Shoppe - located inside National Landmark Historic District, we stopped there for some ice cream and for a potty break before we headed back home *National Landmark Historic District - we yelped Island Sweet Shoppe to get a cold treat and didn't realize that it was located in this 240 acre district. It is the largest ongoing restoration project in the south eastern US and has 34 historic buildings. This will be another item on the list to explore upon our next visit. We saw lots of people, young couples & families enjoying the island on their bikes as there was a nice bike path most of the way around the island. There's a small city center with restaurants and shops right by the roundabout. After spending the morning at Driftwood Beach, we drove around the entire island, which is not hard to do since it's so small, but there seems to be lots to explore. We saw a mini putt golf course on our driving tour, a convention center, the historic Jekyll Island Club, just to name a few. I already have a list for our next visit! Such a fun day trip for those of us who live close by! Stay safe, Friends!

It costs $8 just to get on the island, and there isn't much there to do. The beaches are hard as a rock and muddy brown along with the water, which smells funny. Read some of the other review sites like yelper and stay away.

The toll to enter has increased to $8 in 2021. I recommend these activities to make the most of your trip: BIKE! you can rent on the island. Little traffic and it gives you easy access to the Jekyll Island resort section. The eastern side has beautiful views of the ocean while the western side winds through tree studded scenery. Driftwood Beach is a nice example of its genre. JI Club Resort has a good history of the "Elite Patrons" where some of the wealthiest used the island as their private getaway. Also the chapel has work by Tiffany. Sleep on the cheap at the campsite. Well maintained. Some RVs stay all winter. Book well in advance. Dine alfresco by the numerous oceanside restaurants or picnic by the beach. Skip the island if... you are looking for shopping or swimming (strong undertow).

Visited in mid October and it was a relief from the heat because it was in the 90's in Florida The fee was 10$ for a one day pass Basically the island is one big beach on the east side Its perfect for beach lovers Bring what you need for the day , the prices are high except gas 3.09 Very cute shopping area I stayed for 4 days in the campground I saw lots of hotels along the road in but not overly commercial Trips out to the pier and Driftwood beach were very windy A beautiful sunset from the pier The fishing was good around four but was slow the next day Get your license online as few people sell them The trees and sandy beaches are the highlight and Driftwood beach is only a 2 minute walk from the road The cool October weather left me wishing it was warmer weather

Historic, lovely, relaxing and suited for families with keiki as well as couples. So much to do that i can't list everything here. I recommend the North Pond with its "Waldenesque" serenity and beauty so conducive for meditation, and filled with native wildlife (watch the alligators though). The beach is very unique with the old drift trees and sections of mangrove logs. Played mini-golf (a.k.a., putt-putt) with my granddaughter and life is good! The skating rink was a big disappointment.... there's no ice only sheets of polycarbonate plastic that they put down, so you're in essence sharing on plexiglass. There's a significant difference in friction coefficients between plexiglass and 0 deg C ice! Guess which one is higher? That's correct... but still even with this modification it seemed like the "skaters" were still having fun snd in the end, that's what matters! Come check it out! And mahalo for reading my review!

It was ok I guess but I had a bitter taste in my mouth because the woman @ the gate overcharged me $12 instead of the $5 that it has always been. I have a van and its nowhere near the oversized vans that I see here. The beach was decent I guess and it wasn't too crowded.

We love this little island low key great place to visit good rates , plenty of places to eat. We love it here

It costs $6 to get onto the island. We went just as twighlight was starting. Went up to the driftwood beach on the north end of the island. Tide was out. Very interesting remnants of the forest that was there. Headed into the village for a quick supper. Sunset or sunrise grille. Not bad. Not good cell coverage on island. No WiFi in restaurant. Maybe that's best. Overall a good visit. Recommended

I absolutely love Jekyll Island, although I'm on a travel restriction and haven't been able to go since COVID started. This island is beautiful! The beaches, live oaks, moss. I absolutely love the Sea Turtle Hospital and Driftwood beach. One of my favorite gems in Georgia!

A well planned tourist area. Areas for shopping, some eating, hotels, homes, historical buildings and nature.... Surrounded by beach the island is protected by being a state park. Turtles, driftwood, sand, marshes, ocean....something for everyone. The daily parking fee goes towards protecting the natural areas. Great for a day or a week full of adventures.

Jekyll Island is one of our favorite day trips from Jacksonville during January and February. The island hosts a real treasure hunt and you can take the kids and search for hand blown glass globes during the Island Treasures event.

Jekyll Island is the place to be if you want a state park setting, enjoy nature, and desire a quiet relaxing vacation. If you are looking for white sandy beaches, your choice of 100 restaurants for dinner, and nightlife, you will not be happy in Jekyll! A condo with an ocean view and an adult beverage can do wonders for your attitude!

Our tour group spent the day at Jekyll Island which consisted of an extensive tour of the Historic District and a brief visit to the beach. The Historic District (once known as the "Millionaire's Club") began at the Visitor's Center and Museum where we boarded a tram for the Landmark Tour. A unique feature of the tour was the use of individual receivers which fastened around the ear so that everyone could hear the guide clearly--great idea! If you've ever been on a tour where you're straining to hear the guide, you would greatly appreciate this considerate feature. Our first stop was the vacation home of William and Almira Rockefeller. It's beautifully restored and visitor's have the run of the entire house. It's directly across from the Jekyll Island Club where the Rockefellers were members for 36 years. On the property was the telephone used to make the first transatlantic call; an unexpected bit of history. The tour wound around all the stately summer homes, about half of which are still in the original families, until it reached Faith Chapel. Frederic Baker, a resident and Jekyll Island Club member wanted it to be "worthy of the island." And worthy it was: the architectural whimsy of its animal carvings, terra cotta gargoyles, and Tiffany and Armstrong stained glass windows make it truly a hidden gem that will please the architectural and art buff alike. If you visit the island, I cannot recommend the Landmark Tour enough. It's more than worth the price ($20.00 as of this writing). The day ended with a trip to the beach, which wasn't on our itinerary--a nice treat, courtesy of our tour guide. It's beautiful and relatively unspoiled. At the entrance, there are concrete walking paths which wind among beautifully maintained trees and shrubs. Peg is a "beach nut," and loved this unexpected stop. With her arms spread, she declared, "I'm Jonathan Livingston Seagull!" Yep, she was; all she needed was feathers! And with the smell of the salt air in our nostrils and a bit of sand between our toes, we left for our hotel. But we'll be back!!!

Pretty island with lots of different restaurants to go to. Not many vegetarian food options but the restaurants are nice. The beach is pretty and the boardwalk goes on for a long time.

There is no more that can be said about this perfect piece of nature along Georgia's southeast coast. We usually come here a few times a year to bike along the beautifully well maintained trails. The trail runs from one end of the island to the other end. Turn around and experience all the natural beauty again. Total bike ride is about 21 miles. The trail runs from the beaches, through the intracoastal area, and includes some of Jekyll Islands most historic sights. You can end your ride with some well deserved food and drink at any of the islands great bars and restaurants. Spending a day on the island is one of our favorite family outings.

This place was super good! We had the Grilled chicken sandwich, Pork tacos, and the Pork sliders. All the food was super seasoned. It has a nice vibe and pretty location. Our server Cory was great and very helpful.

Jekyll is a nice island for a day or two.. but after than we got bored, quick. Enjoy a weekend, stay by the beach, bring a bike, and eat in Beach Village or Tortuga Jacks.

I am not sure what to say about my visit to Jekyll Island. We decided to come here to do something different from what we normally do, which is go to Myrtle beach, SC. The first thing I noticed was that you have to pay a fee of $8 a day to park on the island, even though we were staying at a hotel on the island. As far as the experience goes, there is not really much to do here. There are few restaurants, one putt putt course and some nature activities. The hotel where we stayed was nice. We had a bit of a time finding breakfast in the mornings. Do your research before coming here to make sure you know what is here and if it is what you are looking for. It is nice if this is what you want. It's just not my cup of tea.

This place is WONDERFUL! So homey and peaceful. No fighting crowds non stop, lots of nature to see and history to explore. We can't wait to visit again!

There are two sides to Jekyll Island: 1. Eastside: ocean beaches, modern hotels, water park, more restaurants, more things for young people and families. 2. Westside: historic district near/on the bay where wealthy people built summer "cottages" (can you imagine their mansions up North?) in the late 19th and early 20th century. Tram tours. Things to do, places to stay and eat that appeal to an older, quieter group of people. But you'd be a fool to choose one side exclusively. This is a tiny island of about 1000 people, only 7 miles long and 1 1/2 miles wide. If you are in even halfway decent shape, go hiking or biking. If not, it's a very short drive anywhere on the island. We visited in late April and both sides of the island were serene and lovely (before summer crowds).

The Jekyll Island Authority is a self-supporting state entity. The JIA Board of Directors and a Chairman consist of members appointed by the Governor to serve four-year terms. They own the entire island. You could think of them as a private company as a private entity; they charge $8 to enter the island daily. The JIA is distinctively running a marketing scam describing Jekyll Island Beaches as a wonderful and safe family-retreat. Well, they are NOT. The Jekyll Island beaches are mudflats with no waves. The deposition of the bottom of the ocean is made of silts, clays, aquatic animal waste. The mud (not sand) in question stains the skin and bathing suits. It's very sticky. There is little to no breeze or wind on the beaches. Except for the coldest winter months, the beach parks and the public areas surrounded by bushes and shrubs are plagued with gnats, horseflies, deerflies, mosquitoes, and horseflies. One could imagine Jekyll Island beaches as swampy (saturated soils with many biting insects, which can spread disease). However, the items mentioned above are not the most significant omission of veracity when describing these beaches by the JIA Group and the area's hotels-resorts. The coastal beach is contaminated with potentially harmful bacteria named enterococcus. The bacteria comes from animal and human waste, stormwater, river runoff, and boating waste. Beaches are tested on a weekly basis. But it does not help much. The risk of illness comes from contacting beach water in ingesting water while swimming, getting water in the nose, eyes, and ears, or getting water in an open wound. Do not get in the water if you have an open wound. Jekyll Beaches won't be closed due to the bacteria. The beach water will be placed under advisory, meaning that increased levels of bacteria were found in the water and your children, and you should swim at your own risk. First-time visitors who arrive at Jekyll Island are shocked and disappointed to find all of this. Visitors tend to OVERuse the resorts swimming pools and hot tub, resulting in crowded swimming pools, filthier water (with sand and mud bacteria particles from the beach), and difficulty maintaining and keeping up with the swimming pool and hot tub minimum code by resorts and hotels in Jekyll Island. You may do a google image search on children covered in mud at Jekyll Island. Please do not go by the reviews of people who actually visited Jekyll Island to explore its history, ride horses along the beach or spend their days at a hotel swimming pool.

This place is great!!!! We discovered it this summer and we love it. We all feel completely 100% at home everytime we go here. However, the Wi-Fi if you can get any on the Island is horrible. Please plan everything before going to the island. The 1st stop should be the Visitor Center. They will give you a map and help you see what tippy want to see. After a few hours you won't need the map but in the beginning you'll be happy to have it. The Turtle Center is a must see but book the behind the scene tour in advance. See the museum on the first sign of rain. Driftwood Beach is something you will remember the rest of your life. The Love Shack restaurant will give you the best fried shrimp you will ever eat. Sprinkles ice cream, also in the Jekyll Market, is homemade ice cream at its best and the perfect desert after fried shrimp. The owners are great people. The Waterpark is a nice change of pace. All the beaches are fun and most are pet friendly. The historic area is a great place to see history and the Horton House will teach you about Tabby. I hadn't rode a bike in 25 years but this place has some trails that make even me want to pedal. This place is a great place to escape the world at the level you feel necessary. Completely or a little. You can also fish or net shrimp and crab. I love this place!!! $6 a day to park. What a bargain.

You'd think Jekyll Island is a town, village or city, which it is, but it's more actually a State Park with independent authority to oversee the management of the island. Though technically it is a state park with an admission fee of $6.00, it is like no other state park you've ever seen as it has a resident population of about 1,000 and the island is steeped not only in natural beauty but history. It was once the hunting club and playground of the rich and famous with family names such like Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Morgan and Pulitzer, to name a few. Their homes along with their horse stable building, cottages, hotels and dining halls remain intact and perfectly preserved to this day. It offers all sorts of guided tours, which are nice, but it is an area one can easily view and tour on your own. Not to be missed is the Historic District along with the Jekyll Island Resort Club as it offers a visual toss back in time, of the elegance of the past, the era of the Robber Barons and the ultra-successful industrialists. I'd also suggest diner or lunch as the food here is some of the best on the island. Then there are plenty of beaches with pristine shorelines, walking paths, a marina area, nature areas and bicycling paths.

Wow i cant believe how much they have raised prices on the houses to rent.Its bad enough with the cost of gasoline the price on food and inflation in general and they have to stick it to the renters. have been coming here since the early 80s as it was what i considered a affordable vacation for me and my faimly.Its a thousand mile drive one way and im sure other people make it a long trip.So its not affordable like it used to be.Not to mention they have been steadily been building and ruining what the island once was a few years back.

Growing up on the Pacific beaches and enjoying crystal clear water, you're definitely not going to get that here. What you will get instead is lots of beach, almost empty for you to claim, quiet little spot for you to enjoy. The village has everything you need and lots of hotels to choose from for every price range. This is our first visit and we will definitely come back. It's a hidden gem.

Entry fee for the island- the first time I visited I did not know that, so I wanted to put it out there for anyone wanting to visit. They label the island a state park- and charge $6.00 per vehicle for parking- which is subject to surcharge during special events (up to $10 per vehicle). They offer day/week/year passes- just fyi. The island is quaint, has some standard shopping you would expect near the beachfront in the center of the island (as you come in- literally in front of you at the traffic circle. There is a historic district (west side of island- north of the entry road)- with plenty of artsy fartsy and history to take in. North end of the island has the driftwood beach and a fishing pier- where they also have horse stables. The campground is at the end too and on the NW side is the historic site of the original owners- remnants of a house and a graveyard. Travel south on the island and you'll eventually find a park on the SW side with picnic tables, continue around on the west side for a water park and a boat ramp. I didn't see everything on the island- but I did drive most of it and popped out to explore at many points. All the parks are well maintained~ shops are cute- but geared for the tourists. If you are attending any of their special events- go early and expect traffic- it took 2 hours to get into shrimp and grits fest 2 years back- very slow moving. That was at 2pm ~I thought mid afternoon would be safe between meal times- hahahahaaaa- NO. Have fun and enjoy!

Gorgeous island views of Jekyll island, laid back charm. We enjoyed the Driftwood Beach and the putt putt golf course. There is a relaxing vibe for November beach visiting. We went for the morning & had a great photo session at Driftwood Beach during low tide. Then we went to putt putt golf and enjoyed the old timey fun of the course. I never actually swam since it's November but it's charming.

My home away from home. Love coming here and spending time in the Ocean. Revives my soul. Various types of beaches to choose from. Popular or more private. Various hotels. A wonderful camp ground able to accommodate class A to tent. Horses to ride and electric cart rental. Sunscreen is a must no matter how much melanin you have. Oh there is a golf course and mini golf and a small water park too. They are building another hotel which breaks my heart. I wanted it to stay less like Tybee. For now I love it.

We had a short window of no rain and decided to do a quick visit to Jekyll Island. We encountered our first expense when we realized it was $8 per car to enter the island. We headed straight to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. This was another $9 each per adult. We missed the guided tour of the hospital, but we were able to walk around the area by ourselves. It's not a large space, but I'm sure having a tour guide talk about the individual turtles or watching a surgery would have made that small area very interesting. In the educational space we were able to look and listen in on a turtle's recovery from surgery and another turtle's checkup. If you can catch one of the guided tours (call ahead for times) or see something being done in the educational space, you will be glad you visited. We also made a really quick stop at the driftwood beach. I was able to snap a few pictures before the rain started and we decided to leave. I imagine on another day, it would have been a cool area to explore. We checked out a few of the shops in the historic district and because we are a 4-H family, I decided we had to at least drive to the camp and check it out!! I was a tad bit jealous of how impressive the facility seemed compared to the old cabins we stayed in back when I was a kid in Missouri. On a nice day, you could easily find a variety of things to do to make your trip to the island an enjoyable one!

Hidden gem! Very peaceful & relaxing. Dog friendly, clean and very quiet. Must visit.

We loved Jekyll Island our stay was 6 days of camping at the camp grounds. We were able to enjoy 3 of the beaches ... Drift wood, clam Creek and Ocean view. It would have been so much better if we had been more prepared for the many many many mosquitoes, they made the camping experience a bit on the annoying side of thing, but that's nature. We also had a visitor every single night. A raccoon and his merry men of squirrels. We purchased a cooler that was not easy to open thinking the raccoons would not be able to open it either. We were sadly mistaken. He lifted the lid with no difficulty at all. One night we look out of our tent to find him standing in front of the cooler his hands on the lid lifting it up and down as he peered over the lid to watch for us. It was like watching a cartoon, very comical and surreal at the same time. Jekyll Island Camp grounds is so peaceful and Beautiful so very quite. It's as though you are so far away from your cares. This is a place we plan on returning to.... very much better prepared for the mosquitoes. If you have an opportunity to go ... you 100% should.

After hearing about and seeing the island on TV, I was expecting something much different and nicer. Not necessarily fancier or anything, but just better. The driftwood beach was neat and we didn't have any problems or anything when we did our day visit, but was underwhelmed is the best way to put it. The turtle hospital was nice, and a great cause, don't get me wrong, but if I lived in the area I'd know of no reason to over go out there.

Great place to visit. Wonderful beaches and wildlife. Many places of solitude to sit and relax. Good restaurants, golf courses and historical locations.

My family spent the day here and we loved it. It's a great little get away with lots of historic sights and natural scenery to enjoy.

Fee increased to $8. Bring a bike, dog, or picnic. If you are lucky you will see dolphins off the coast. Lots of trails to bike or walk.

Jekyll Island is a visit all in itself. Especially at sunset.The band at the Wharf Club Restaurant was a joy to listen to and service was pretty good. But the drive around the island was spectacular as the sunset and the deer and other animals came out. I hadn't seen that many deer and so close up and tame in my whole life. Jekyll Island Wharf Restaurant is a great stop if your in the area. This is definitely a place to take the family for a history stop and to take in all the beauty and wild life especially at night. I wouldn't mind going back.

A great getaway at reasonable prices. Not overcrowded. See the Turtle Center. Avoid the Holiday Inn associated restaurant. The Days Inn is great, with large ocean view suites. Inexpensive ans accessible.

Jekyll Island is a beautiful island right outside of Saint Simons Island and Brunswick, rich in beauty and history. The island was formally a private island and was named in honor of Sir Joseph Jekyll by General James Oglethorpe. Soon the island became a playground to the rich; families like the Rockefeller, Morgan, Vanderbilt, and Pulitzer families began to flock to the island. In the early mid-1900's the island was no longer private and was established as a state park. Today the island remains under control of the park service, but the downfall is the cost for visitors to come to the island. Vehicles can purchase a daily pass for $6 or weekly pass for $28; There is also an annual pass for $58. To me the island is worth the price. Today in addition to natural beauty the island has a water park, restaurants, bars, hotels, shops, convention center, and other attractions for visitors and residents alike.

Some friends and I came here recently for a few days for a friend's wedding. Having never been to the southern US before, I was already enjoying the flora and fauna that was a stark difference to that back home in eastern Canada; very lush and green, even when plants were barely blooming back home. Jekyll Island definitely seems to target an older crowd. There's only a handful of things to do if you're a young family or just young - the beaches (which are gorgeous, especially Driftwood beach, although the tides greatly affect accessibility), mini-golf, the sea turtle center (which I regret missing), hiking/cycling trails, and a small water park that I caught sight of on the way in. Given a tight schedule with my groomsman obligations, I didn't get to explore the island as much as I would have wished. There's a few different golf courses, and the restaurant McCormick's at one of them really showed how many senior citizens come to the island; there were high-waisted shorts and boring golf shirts everywhere. Everywhere. There's a handful of restaurants, but the hours aren't the best. Driftwood Bistro at Villas by the Sea is only open for dinner service, which leaves you SOL if you're staying there and want a quick breakfast or lunch without having to drive to the main part of the island, and they all shut down at 9 or 10pm. I did hear that the food at the Bistro was great though, from my fiancée and friend's wife who were able to go there, which almost makes it worse that I didn't make it there. The Grand Dining Room at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel did have a fantastic brunch though, and at a very reasonable price given the amazing location, quality of the food and high end service. Most of the business are located more centrally near the Historic District and the road to the rotary. The tap water throughout the island is very sulphurous smelling well water, it tastes horrible and even smells bad when you're showering, so I'm not sad that we didn't go to the water park. Definitely go for a walk around the beautiful Historic District and check out the ghost tour, which while not particularly scary, does give you a good history lesson on the island. If you're looking for a relaxed vacation, Jekyll Island is a beautiful spot to go. However, if you're looking to have a lot of things to do at all times of day, especially if you're young, you might find yourself somewhat limited in options, especially on an extended stay.

Peaceful, relaxing island away from the hustle and bustle of the "real" world. I think Jekyll may become my #1 vacation spot.

I love this place, drift wood beach is my favorite. I can get lost there all day, usually meet a few people from out of town to chat with. Be in the look out for festivals and events, my favorite is the shrimp and grits fest. I'm not one for grits but during the festival I'm killing it. During January/February they hide glass ball around the island and if you find it you can keep it. If I'm not mistaken take it to the welcome center and they will authenticate it with the artist that made it. The Water park is a hidden jewel also and full of family fun.

Being raised in Georgia for 15 years, I've never stayed at Jekyll Island. I've heard nothing but positive comments from friends and family. Finally I got to experience this beautiful place. Jekyll Island is an island off the coast of the U.S. state of Georgia, in Glynn County; it is one of the Sea Islands and one of the Golden Isles of Georgia. The first thing you notice is the gateway and the turtle crossing. You drive 5-6 miles before you get to the visitors center which everyone is very friendly and knowledgeable. For a day's pass you pay $6.00 (in and out privilege for 24 hours). You are able to purchase a weeks pass required. There are signs to reach your destination. Island is very clean and quiet. There is so much to do. Bike trails, waterpark, picnic area, beach area (we went to Great Dunes Park), mini golf, Historic District Shoppes, Museum, Turtle Center, and more. I now reside in the Midwest (going on 10 years), when you visit the south, the Moss trees to me is what stands out- landscape wise. That's what I miss the most. When you are on the island there are restaurants, hotels, a convenient store and even a gas station. Overall a great experience and recommended for all ages. If you want to go to a quiet and intimate island, this is the place. Love it here, gorgeous and peaceful.

On the way back home from High Springs, FL, we decided to stop by Jekyll Island. Living in Georgia for majority of our lives, we haven't had the chance to visit till now. Jekyll Island reminds me of a smaller version of Hilton Head. Perfect getaway for families; this place is packed with playgrounds and shopping facilities. There are a lot of activities to do here as well. Biking, paddle boarding, horseback riding, etc. They also have a sea turtle center! Daily pass to enter the island is $6 and allows unlimited entries into the park till the next day. We opted for Driftwood Beach; their map is linked here (http://www.jekyllisland.com/jekyllislandwp/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/JI_Map.pdf). It's approximately a 2-4 mile drive from the guest center. Another place to check is is the Great Dunes Park. Great place to stop by after a quick meal at Tortuga Jack's.

Beautiful place but I have been to many places around the world and this is the only town I've had to pay ($8) to enter it! I guess the tourists have to pay for the up-keep of the billionaires' mansions.