Jekyll Island

Understand

Jekyll Island's reputation as a vacation destination was prefaced by a time of status and prestige. For over four decades in the late 1800s, the island belonged exclusively to the renowned Jekyll Island Club – the winter retreat for some of the most elite families in America. The Morgans, Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Pulitzers and several other families, reputed to hold over one-sixth of the world's wealth, established the Jekyll Island Club and built a group of large cottages along Jekyll Creek. Jekyll Island was sold to the state in 1947, five years after the club was closed.

It is now one of the largest ongoing restoration projects in the southeastern United States.

Get in

By car

The only route on or off of Jekyll Island by automobile is by the Downing Musgrove Causeway (GA State Route 520). The Causeway can be accessed from Brunswick via US Highway 17 South and from I-95 by Exit 29 and travelling north on US Highway 17. A $6 daily fee($28 for a week) is charged for each entry to Jekyll Island, and annual passes are available (Jan 2019).

By plane

• There is also a small general aviation airport, 09J, on the island. Due to its extremely small size, there are no commercial flights, but aerial tours do operate from the airport.

• The nearest major airports are (SAV) to the north, and (JAX) to the south, in Florida. Each is about 1.5 hours away by car on I-95.

By boat

The goes through the Jekyll Creek, although the conditions are not the greatest due to lack of maintenance by the Army Corps of Engineers and the fact that the creek is quite sediment-heavy due to being at the confluence of many rivers. There are 2 marinas on the Jekyll Creek (west) side of the island which can be used by transient boaters, although it's best to contact before docking.

Get around

By car

If you are on the island, you most likely already have a car to travel in, but in the rare case you don't,

By bike

There are more than 25 miles of well-paved and well-maintained bike paths crisscrossing the island. Via these paths, you can easily access all of the major points of interest as well as experience the natural beauty of Jekyll Island. These paths are evenly wide and wide enough for multiple cyclists to comfortably pass each other, and the geography of the island ensures that the paths are very flat and easy to bike across. Free maps can be found at the , or the Bike Barn (see listing below). You can rent a bike from many hotels, or a dedicated agency.

By foot

The island is quite pedestrian-friendly, and you can use both the extensive network of bike paths and nicely-paved sidewalks at your own leisure. Jekyll Island is not very big, and you can expect to take 3-4 hours to walk from the southern to northern tips of the island (depending on your pace), since the paths are quite flat.

Stay safe

As it is a small town, Jekyll Island has quite a low crime rate. As always, use common sense and don't leave your valuables alone while enjoying the beach. At night, be careful of cars when traversing the roads due to the lighting regulations, and have reflectors of some kind if you are riding your bike at night. Also, like with many other beaches along the Atlantic Coast, there is the possibility of rip currents, so always check weather advisories and be sure to not walk too far into the water.

Stay healthy

Make sure to bring water if you plan to be outside during the day, as the relative humidity ranges from an average of 60% in February to a muggy 80% in August. Sand flies are active on parts of the beach in the early morning, so cover skin and wear bug spray to avoid the painful bites they can cause.

Go next

• Brunswick and Saint Simons Island to the north
• St. Marys, Cumberland Island, and Amelia Island to the south