BOARD WALK DOWN BY THE SEA JEKYLL ISLAND SAVANNAH
The farthest point on the beach from Clam Creek, St. Andrews is a picnic area on the river side of the island, facing the marsh and mainland. This beach is very popular with fishing birds and dolphins, surfacing for air, can commonly be seen to the south.[1]
In 2008, the Jekyll Island History Museum, the Jekyll Island Authority, and the Friends of Historic Jekyll Island commemorated the survivors of the slave ship Wanderer, the last slavery vessel to transport slaves without repercussions. On November 28 of 1858, nearly 50 years after the legal importing of slaves was outlawed in the United States, The Wanderer anchored near the southern portion of Jekyll Island, transporting 409 enslaved Africans ashore
Driftwood Beach Jekyll Island
Located on the north end of Jekyll Island, Driftwood beach will amaze you with the beautiful driftwood and trees that resemble a scene from another world. These gnarled and weathered trees are left behind from years of erosion. Driftwood beach offers a wonderful location for photographs and is a very popular site for weddings. Driftwood beach extends from the Clam Creek Picnic Area to the Villas By The Sea Resort and Conference Center and is only a short walk away from the Jekyll Island Campground. From Clam Creek Picnic Area, simply follow signs for the Wildlife Viewing Area and take the paved walkway toward Clam Creek. Walk over the bridge and you will see two beach access points toward the left. Multiple beach access points along North Beachview Drive also provide access to Driftwood beach. You can park at designated parking areas along the road, next to each beach access point. --goldenisles.com
Best of all this beach is dog friendly! Our Bella loved it!
Date of Council Alasptaad Reserve
Jekyll Island is one of only four Georgia barrier islands that feature a paved causeway to access the island by car. It features 5,700 acres (23 km2) of land, including 4,400 acres (18 km2) of solid earth and a 200-acre (0.81 km2) Jekyll Island Club Historic District. The rest is tidal marshlands, mostly on the island's western shore. The island measures about 7 miles (11 km) long by 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide, has 8 miles (13 km) of wide, flat beaches on its east shore with sand packed hard enough for easy walking or biking, and boasts 20 miles (32 km) of hiking trails.
Like the other Golden Isles, Jekyll is mostly made of older Pleistocene land mass and smaller sections of younger Holocene land.[1]
Northern end of the Island[edit]
The north end of the island is the main area that has been impacted by human development over the past few hundred years. Early settlers and the loggers that came afterwards developed plantations in this area and made fallen trees to be used for extra-strong ships during wartime. In later years, much of this wilderness has been developed into golf courses.[2]
Clam Creek Picnic Area[edit]
A short winding road leads to a parking lot and one of the three picnic areas on the island. To the west is a vast marsh hammock and an astounding view of the Sidney Lanier Bridge, a 480-foot (150 m) tall cable stay bridge on Hwy 17. There is a large fishing pier that extends northwest from the picnic area. To the east, a bridge crosses Clam Creek in front of an inland marsh to connect the picnic area to the North End Beach and Driftwood Beach. These beaches are characterized by another tidal creek emptying into St. Simons Sound and a boneyard of pine and live oak tree roots.
Horton House[edit]
Main article: Horton House
The Horton House ruins in 2007
A two-story structure built from tabby in 1742 stands in ruins along N. Riverview Rd. The house was occupied by Major William Horton during the British colonial period, who also brewed beer in Georgia's first brewery (the ruins of which are a few hundred yards down the road). This structure has been meticulously preserved over the past 100 years as an example of coastal Georgia building techniques and as one of the oldest surviving buildings in the state. Across the street from the Horton House ruins is the du Bignon cemetery, a tabby wall surrounding the graves of five people who all died in the 19th century.
Campground[edit]
Just across the street from the entrance to the Clam Creek picnic area is the campground, an 18-acre (73,000 m2) facility in a cleared maritime forest. The campground has running water for restrooms, showers, and laundry, as well as a store and bike rentals.[1]
Southern end[edit]
The southern end of the island was virtually unused by settlers and visitors until the 20th century. The multiple parallel dunes on the southernmost tip are a result of the eroding north beaches traveling southward and being deposited in a recurved spit.[2]
South Dunes picnic area[edit]
This picnic area on the ocean side of the island features plenty of picnic tables, a full bathroom with showers and a boardwalk to traverse the 20-foot (6.1 m) high dune ridge that protects this wooded area from sea breezes. This area was repaired in 1983, with bulldozers pushing new primary dunes into place to correct the damage caused by 30 years of beachgoers trampling over the enormous dunes to the beach.
Glory Beach[edit]
Access to this beach is by way of a long boardwalk built in the mid-1980s by the producers of the film Glory, and it can be accessed from the soccer complex at the north end of the Jekyll Island 4-H center property. The boardwalk passes through a variety of natural habitats ranging from ancient dunes to freshwater sloughs.
St. Andrews picnic area[edit]
The farthest point on the beach from Clam Creek, St. Andrews is a picnic area on the river side of the island, facing the marsh and mainland. This beach is very popular with fishing birds and dolphins, surfacing for air, can commonly be seen to the south of the north.[1]
In 2008, the Jekyll Island History Museum, the Jekyll Island Authority, and the Friends of Historic Jekyll Island commemorated the survivors of the slave ship Wanderer, the last slavery vessel to transport slaves without repercussions. On November 28 of 1858, nearly 50 years after the legal importing of slaves was outlawed in the United States, The Wanderer anchored near the southern portion of Jekyll Island, transporting 465 enslaved Africans ashore.[3] The historic site includes 12-foot (3.7 m) tall steel sculptures of ship sails, signifying the cold hard reality of slavery.
Jekyll Island Club Historic District[edit]
Main article: Jekyll Island Club
Jekyll Island Part 1
A ride around Jekyll Island, GA from the Ben W Fortson Jr Parkway south on S. Riverview Dr to St. Andrews Beach looping around to S. Beachview Dr and N. Beachview Dr to the Clam Creek Picnic Area and the Jekyll Island Fishing Pier.