We had a chance to visit Great Dunes Park a couple of weekends ago. This is definitely the beach to…read morecheck out if you want to avoid the crowds at Tybee Beach or even Hilton Head, although it will require about an hour or so drive south from Savannah and similarly, north from Jacksonville. They also charge a toll to get into the beach community with state residents paying I believe six dollars or so and out of state residents paying closer to 10. However, it's definitely worth it as there is plenty of parking along the entire island beach strip, including a really great fishing pier at the end of the island that also has a bait and tackle shop located within the park. We found the beach to be clean, the facilities to be well kept, and more importantly, not overly crowded. The beach here is well traveled, however so this is not soft, supple sand, but much more hard packed, which allows for running, bike riding and recreational activities in general. There were several families fishing in the same vicinity of other families playing in the water which could present a bit of concern with regard to potential hooks and fishing tackle in the surf, but it didn't seem to bother anybody. This is definitely going to be our go to beach for the foreseeable near future.

Amazing beach on Jekyll. The bathrooms are always clean, and the pavilion area is perfect for…read morefamily activities. There's also a place to rinse off and a water fountain. We love to get here early to find a good spot, but be mindful that the beach can get busy during peak season. Either way, this beach never feels super packed, and is one of my favorites in the region. Love that it's dog friendly, just be mindful of the on and off leash times that coincide with peak season.

We stopped here on the way back from visiting the Horton House Ruins and the du Bignon cemetery…read more It's not far away off the main road. We came here to see their fishing pier, not realizing that it's also a venue for horseback riding. But the signs say this as you are entering the area. This is one of the few really buggy places we encountered on island. In fact, the buggiest. We were glad we had some spray on. So, plan ahead if you're coming here. We drove in on a very narrow road along with a few of the bicycle riders. We passed some of the picnic areas with tables and grills. We parked along the water in the small, paved lot next to the bait and tackle shop/convenience store (it seems to have a bit of everything). We took a walk part of the way down the pier. It is quite large and T-shaped with a straightaway section that's open air and a partly covered area further out into the water. We stopped and talked to some of those who were fishing. We were curious to see what they were catching, if anything. We were told flounder and sheepshead. (Just a note: both are tasty fish, and we were surprised to find no restaurants on island serving either of these fish.). It was delightful with a slight breeze. The park is located across the road from a campground so that may be why there were a lot of bike riders here. In addition, there is a jogging trail which we didn't explore. Supposedly you can see some ships from this pier, as well, but we didn't see any at the time we were there.

This is a cool park at the northern tip of the island. It is located directly across the street…read morefrom the Jekyll campground. This area features a fishing pier, a bait & tackle / convenience shop, picnic areas, grill areas, public restrooms, beach access, views of the sunset, bike and hiking paths, and pens from which the horseback rides embark. This is a very cool place, but i experienced two drawbacks. One was the gnats. Nowhere else on the island did I get gnats than here. I was all over the island, all times of day and night, and honestly this was the only spot where i felt any bugs! I presume it's because of the fish being caught everywhere, but still it's unpleasant. I wish the parks department would look into insect control. If toxins are a concern, natural solutions like nematodes and bats are great at controlling bugs. The other issue was some of the people who consistently hung out at this location. I definitely felt safe everywhere on this island, but I did feel a little intimidated at this spot with some of the fishermen. It seemed like people were casing one another, for what, I do not know. But there was this weird anxiousness and paranoia going on for a lot of the fishing people. Maybe they were competing with one another for the best spot to fish? Just kind of pacing past one another, giving dirty looks. Odd. Or maybe they were just losing their minds from the bugs? People were definitely on edge any time I visited this place. I smiled at many, no one smiled back. Just odd. So those things aside, I recommend you plan to wear bug repellent and just keep moving around as you visit this place. Idk how people were grilling and having picnics with those gnats. Good for them. But my advice is to just make your rounds to see everything and hike it outta there to anywhere else on the island if you want to just sit and chill!

Real cool bait and tackle shop located at the Jekyll Island pier. They carry a wide variety of bait…read moretackle and accessories, especially those needed for fishing on the beach off of the pier and in the local area in general. They also have a couple of local fisherman either in or around the store or up on the pier that have been fishing in the area for years and can provide you with some general advice on bait to use and types of fish that are actually hitting in the area. Definitely would recommend starting here first if you are intending to do some serious fishing. They also have several picnic tables with barbecue grills and an outdoor bathroom that is really clean. They also have a beach area if the kids wanna hang out which also seems to serve as additional areas for shore fishing.

Located in Clam Creek Picnic Area, at the northernmost point of the island, Jekyll Fishing Center…read moreis a fairly priced store that is PACKED with merchandise! They have everything from souvenir Tees and shot glasses, to seashell wind chimes, to anything you need for fishing, to beachy home decor, and even some higher end outdoor supplies (relevant to the campground across the road from Clam Creek). Souvenir items the same as what is sold at Jekyll Market, were 20-30% cheaper at Jekyll Fishing Center. One family member bought some expensive outdoor gear and was very happy with the price. It wasn't anything needed, but the deal was too good to pass. Staff was really friendly and attentive. Vibe in the store is welcoming and unobtrusive. Will be back next trip!

We came out to Jekyll Island to do as a outing for the day. The island is small, but we were…read morevisiting towards the end of the day, so it wasn't a bad visit we took the scenery road ended up on one side where the beach was and spent some time out there and had fun. We also went into a tiki hut type bar place and had some drinks and sat on the bar side, so you got to overlook the ocean overall it was a great time and we had fun.

Note: I created this local flavor listing specifically for the Old Bridge Fishing Pier on Jekyll…read moreIsland, but Yelp admin changed the title to just Jekyll Island so my attraction is now unsearchable & confusing with 2 other listings for the island as a whole, titled "Jekyll Island" (latter 2 are dupes of one another, which Yelp admin refuses to correct). It is one of many actions by Yelp designed to block users from accessing local info on this destination, which keeps Yelp users ignorant if they use Yelp instead of Google, who has it all! * * * * * * The former drawbridge access bridge onto Jekyll Island from its causeway was built in 1954, decommissioned in the early 1990s, and turned into a fishing pier once the metal drawbridge was removed. As a kid, I first visited the island via this bridge, just a couple years before it was decommissioned. At that time, toll to visit the island was $1/day, now it's $10/day. I have visited both sides of the pier. The causeway side is longer and fishermen there had some decent catches. This water is the river side of Jekyll Island, so it's briney, and you're liable to catch just about anything saltwater or freshwater in there! A family fishing was kind enough to let my child use their rod and within minutes caught a little fish (too small to keep). But we saw their cooler and they had a stockpile of a catch, including a huge trout, and on the ground was a ray they had caught, which they couldn't save to return to the water. A bald eagle nearby was perched ready to clean up the discarded seafood as soon as the fisherfolk left. I know from rangers that the eagles had two eaglets this year who are still in the nest, so the unused catch went to hungry birds. On the island side pier, I often see it used by cyclists hoping for a breeze and a view along their route, but it's not as long, so less useful for fishing. There is a large parking lot on the island side, which is pretty hidden from tourists, and a great parking anchor spot for daytrippers when the island is crowded. The causeway side has places to park alongside it, but no real designated parking lot. Its access road is where the GA state patrol sits in wait for speeders at night and pretty much all weekend. All in all this is a very cool spot for fishing, picture taking, sunset watching, birding, etc. my only negative was on the island side, there is a sidewalk at the very end, that raises the concrete up too high to be a safe height with the railing. This is super dangerous, and ought to be safeguarded somehow. Otherwise, a little-known spot for seasoned visitors!

Blackbird Charters Company took us on the boat today and give us a great A tour from a boat it was…read moreinteresting to tour the inter coastal waterways, we got to see the ship that turned sideways and they showed us some sea-life up close.

For one of the best experiences of your life choose Captain Raven. Whether you're interested in…read morefishing, dolphin watching or just seeing the Golden Isles from the ocean or the rivers and creeks you will be glad you booked with her. Two of us went out for about two hours and saw so much including Dolphins and an alligator, as well as learned a lot about the islands. You will not be disappointed with Raven's knowledge and abilities.

Prices are a little higher than normal, hut they are right next to the pier and sell everything you…read morewill need. They also will give you tips/tricks and recommendations if you start a conversation with them.

I purchased two fishing set ups and worker helped me find everything I needed to start fishing, and…read morewas very helpful to show me what the different setups did. I would definitely recommend to anyone.

My wife and I were visiting SSI for the first time in late July. We spent a few days on the Island…read moreand then decided to book a charter fishing trip. We contacted Jeff Stokes at Reel Stoked Charter Fishing and booked a half day trip fishing in the backwater. We showed up at the Pier and were greeted by the Captain. We got settled in the boat and took off for what ended up being a GREAT day of fishing! We used fresh shrimp as bait and casted slip bobbers up stream and used the current to drift them to the holes where the fish were at. We caught spotted trout, redfish, and my wife even caught a bonnet head shark! We fished on points and also casted and drifted over some oyster beds. It was pretty cool too to hear Tarpon jumping and splashing off in the distance. We enjoyed getting to know Jeff and had some very pleasant and engaging conversation during the day. Jeff has a really nice and clean boat that can fish three guests comfortably. The boat is equipped with up to date electronics and GPS technology and all the necessary safety equipment. The only drawback, and it is very slight, is that there is no overhead canopy on the boat or toilet. So make sure you wear a good sized hat and sunscreen and use the toilets at the pier before you depart. This was my first time fishing for these species of fish and we had a blast! Next time we are in SSI, we will be going out fishing again with Reel Stoked Charter Fishing and Captain Jeff Stokes! A nice plus too is that he accepts major credit cards including AMEX!!

From the owner: Fishing charters in St Simons Island and the Golden Isles of Georgia.read more

I've been a client of Capt Mark's for 10 years, and there's nobody I'd rather fish with. Captain…read moreMark doesn't just put you on fish, he's constantly teaching you how to be a better fisherman.

Best Captain in the south He fishes to win! He is so passionate about fishing and wants others to…read moreexperience the excitement of catching fish..whether for dinner or just to release! Don't pass up an opportunity to fish with him! He is awesome!

Beautiful and serene. So relaxing. Right by the pier village so plenty of shops, restaurants and…read morebars.

Great views of the water and lighthouse. Pier was clean and in good shape…read more Lots of fisherman hanging out as to be expected.

This is an amazing evening. It's a great time. We take appetizers and beverages. The crew and band…read moreis always top notch. We saw the Cumberland island horses and several deer. The sunset was gorgeous. It couldn't have been a better night. I would highly recommend to anybody.

It was a great day on the water with the Amelia River Cruises & Charters company at the helm…read more It was my first time visiting Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach and wanted to get an overlay of the area and the river cruise seemed like the perfect thing to get an overview of the area. And I wasn't wrong! The tour lasted about 90 minutes (and it leaves promptly FYI) and takes you along the shoreline of Amelia Island - past the shrimping boats and past a Civil War era fort - before heading towards Cumberland Island National Seashore. This is where the true fun of the tour was for me. I had no idea really the history of the island and found it fascinating how the Carnegies and Rockefellers and more of the country's elite used this random Georgia seashore as their private escape. The history of both Cumberland and Amelia Islands is incredibly fascinating and the guides for both the Florida and Georgia sides respectively were well informed and personable. Plus - you'll very likely see a ton of great wildlife throughout including dolphins and wild horses and pigs. It's a great way to spend an afternoon in the area and a fabulous introduction to Cumberland Island National Seashore/Park.