Explorations of one of Georgia’s Golden Isles!
Jekyll Island is one of the many barrier islands along the Atlantic Coast. It is known for its mild winters, beaches and marshes. It’s also the weirdest state park I have been to in a while. The entire island is technically owned by the state of Georgia, but its run independently by an governing body. It’s more of a resort. In fact, a bunch of rich guys founded the Jekyll Club on the island. There are major chain hotels, houses, restaurants, etc. It’s an obvious resort area. Not my normal cup of tea, but the nature side of the park was fantastic.
The Jekyll Island Campground was also great, but only the tent sites. If you take a trailer or RV, expect to be packed in like sardines. I probably only got a reservation because I use a tent to camp.
I picked the perfect time to go. It was soooo foggy. I love it. I rushed out in the morning to get to the shore before the fog lifted. I was not disappointed. The entire island is ringed by a bike/pedestrian trail. I took that trail north from Driftwood Beach through the marsh and looped back by the beach.
Jana Irving Foggy days at the marsh are perfection.
Jana Irving Dead trees in the marsh.
Jana Irving Just some Ibis chilling out in the marsh.
Jana Irving This is only cool looking because of the fog.
Jana Irving Gorgeous.
Jana Irving Mirror like water.
Jana Irving Maritime forest.
Jana Irving Can’t be coastal Georgia without some Spanish moss.
Jana Irving Creek through the marsh.
Jana Irving Made it to the beach. The beach is littered with stumps of dead trees.
Jana Irving Willet looking for food.
Jana Irving Adorable little Sanderling.
Jana Irving A dolphin came out of nowhere near the shore. This was the best picture I got.
Jana Irving No fog on this side.
Jana Irving But the sun and fog make some cool visual effects on this side.
Jana Irving Stumps from trees long gone.
Jana Irving Very cool.
Jana Irving A forest disappearing.
Jana Irving Just a bit creepy looking here.
Jana Irving Very eerie.
Jana Irving Moving inland. I pulled into this parking lot to turn around, but checked out Horton Pond first.
Jana Irving A gator chilling with some turtles.
Jana Irving The historic Horton House, home of Major William Horton, the first English resident of the island. The house was made from tabby, a type of shell and sand mixture used in construction where stone was hard to find.
Jana Irving There’s a short trail that connects Horton Pond and Horton House.
Jana Irving Some good Spanish moss.
Jana Irving Came across this Whitetail deer. Looking closely at the photo, it seems that he has very small antler buds. I saw him again when I turned around.
Jana Irving The Old Plantation Road.
Jana Irving Even though it was a short trail, it was a gorgeous one.
Jana Irving Before lunch, I stopped and explored the Historic District a bit. This is where the club and its rich members had houses. I think this one was similar to a hotel.
Jana Irving Indian Mound Cottage.
Jana Irving The Jekyll Island Club.
Jana Irving Dubignon Cottage.
Jana Irving St. Andrew’s Beach on the south end of the island.
Jana Irving Which is also covered with dead trees.
Jana Irving The Jekyll Sound was super calm.
Jekyll Island was a great visit. I chose Jekyll Island because it had an opening in the campground last minute. I’m glad I went. I needed some nature therapy and this was a great place to get it. If you are into riding bikes, you will also love this island.
Check out my next update where I find myself in Rome!
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Explore other parks or public lands!
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