Parent’s Guide to Golden Isles Beaches
“The sand may brush off. The salt may wash clean. The tans may fade away. But the memories last forever.” -Unknown
Nature’s best playground? The beach.
Nature’s best healer? The beach.
Nature’s cure for a cranky kid? The beach (and snacks… and a nap… then more snacks).
It’s not lost on us that we get to call the Golden Isles home, and we hope never to take our access to the beach for granted. Between all the islands that make up the Golden Isles, we have over 20 miles of beaches to choose from. We are beach pros at this point and feel more than qualified to provide you with a breakdown of the Golden Isles beaches, including tips for parents bringing their kids.
You may even spot us on Sunday morning with coffee at a St. Simons Island beach with our kids. It’s become a ritual and is our favorite part of the week.
St. Simons Island Beach Guide
Before we break down St. Simons beaches, here are some helpful links and resources. Note that all St. Simons beaches are pet-friendly, with different rules for different times of the year.
- St. Simons Island beach rules and safety Guidelines - the rules for pets on the beaches can be found here.
- St. Simons Island beach access points - There are many more access points than mentioned below. Note that many of the other access points have limited parking.
- St. Simons Island beach access map
Coast Guard Station/East Beach is the most popular St. Simons beach. The parking lot is the largest beach lot on the island, so is your best bet for finding a parking spot (except for holidays - you’ll need to get there EARLY). This beach is WIDE, so it can be a hike to get to the water. We’d recommend bringing a wagon to make hauling everything easier.
- Parking: Yes, a large parking lot.
- Showers: Yes
- Picnic tables/pavilions: Yes
- Worth it for families bringing kids: Yes. Remember to bring a wagon to make your life easier.
The Massengale Park beach access is a great option for families looking to spend a day at a St. Simons beach. Within the park is a playground with plenty of shade and picnic tables. Again, this beach is WIDE, so it can be a hike to get to the water. Bring a wagon to make hauling everything easier.
- Parking: Yes, a large parking lot.
- Showers: Yes
- Picnic tables/pavilions: Yes
- Worth it for families bringing kids: Yes. Bring a wagon for hauling all of the beach things. Visit the playground before or after the beach and enjoy a picnic at the shaded picnic tables.
We’ll start by mentioning the small parking lot at Goulds Inlet. If you’re coming here during summer or over the weekend, be prepared to wait for a spot to open up. Since this is an inlet and the tides in the Golden Isles are quite dramatic, note that the water here moves quickly. This wouldn’t be the safest spot for swimming (in fact, we won’t let our kids swim in the water here).
This is an excellent beach for spotting wildlife and watching the paddleboarders surf at a nearby break. There are many vacation rentals in the neighborhood near Goulds, so it’s popular for morning and evening beach walks for those staying nearby.
- Parking: A very small parking lot.
- Showers: Yes (more like a hose)
- Picnic tables/pavilions: A few benches
- Worth it for families bringing kids: We’d recommend this beach more for walks or if your kids don’t like going into the ocean water.
The 5th Street beach access point is convenient for the many vacation rentals nearby. It’s less crowded than the other beaches, but parking is limited. This narrow beach makes getting to the water and sand from the parking area easy.
- Parking: Limited
- Showers: No
- Picnic tables/pavilions: No
- Worth it for families bringing kids: Yes, especially if you’re renting a golf cart and staying nearby.
Jekyll Island Beach Guide
Jekyll Island has over 10 miles of beautiful and picturesque beaches. With many different types of beaches present on the island, we broke them down for you below.
Before visiting a Jekyll Island beach, read through Jekyll’s general rules and safety tips. You can also view the ADA-accessible beach points here.
Oceanview Beach Park is our go-to Jekyll Island beach. It’s a bit further down from Great Sand Dunes Park. The parking lot might fill up during the summer weekends if you arrive too late. We always try to get there before 10 am because we also miss the traffic getting onto the island.
- Parking: Yes, a decent-sized lot right at the beach access. Includes seven electric vehicle charging stations.
- Bathrooms: Yes
- Showers: Yes
- Picnic tables/pavilions: Yes
- Pet-friendly: Yes. All pets must be kept on a leash no longer than 16'.
- Worth it for families bringing kids: Absolutely. This beach is where you can load up the umbrella, boogie board, games, snacks, and all the beach toys and spend the day.
Great Sand Dunes Park is the most popular Jekyll Island beach. It’s conveniently located just North of the Beach Village, and across the street is a newly revamped playground and mini golf.
- Parking: Yes, a giant parking lot spans from the Convention Center to Tortuga Jacks.
- Bathrooms: Yes
- Showers: Yes
- Picnic tables/pavilions: Yes
- Pet-friendly: Yes. All pets must be kept on a leash no longer than 16'.
- Worth it for families bringing kids: Yes. Great beach for kids and families.
Corsair Beach Park is near the south end of the Jekyll Island Beach Village. If you’re staying at one of the hotels near the Beach Village, this is the most convenient beach for you.
- Parking: 123 parking spots adjacent to Beach Village. Parking might be difficult to find during certain times of the year.
- Bathrooms: Yes
- Showers: Yes
- Picnic tables/pavilions: Yes
- Pet-friendly: Yes. All pets must be kept on a leash no longer than 16'.
- Worth it for families bringing kids: Yes. Stop at the Beach Village for ice cream at Fuse before or after the beach.
Driftwood Beach Jekyll Island is undoubtedly the most well-known beach on the island for its picturesque backdrop of large trees lining the shore. It’s almost otherworldly and seems like a beach you’d see in the Pacific Northwest. Driftwood Beach Jekyll Island is a must-see for anyone visiting the area, although it’s more for strolling, taking pictures, and exploring the tide pools than loading up all your beach gear for the day.
- Parking: Limited along the street. It can get busy, so be mindful of bikes and cars when crossing the road.
- Bathrooms: None
- Showers: None
- Picnic tables/pavilions: None
- Pet-friendly: Yes. All pets must be kept on a leash no longer than 16'.
- Worth it for families bringing kids: Yes. Leave all the bear gear except for a bucket and net for the tide pools. Remember no bathroom facilities, so if you’re like our family, you’ll make a trip or two into the bushes for someone to pee.
South Dunes Beach Park is a heavily shaded park with a freshwater pond on site (be careful of alligators). There’s an elevated boardwalk that lines the 20-foot dunes. This park is more for picnicking than loading your car full of beach gear and hauling it onto the sand.
- Parking: Yes, plenty.
- Bathrooms: Yes
- Showers: Yes
- Picnic tables/pavilions: Yes - open and screened-in options
- Pet-friendly: No
- Worth it for families bringing kids: Only if you plan to walk the beach after a picnic in the park. Make sure you bring bug spray.
Glory Beach is a wide beach located on the southern tip of Jekyll Island. The beach access is next to the soccer complex.
- Parking: You’ll park in the same lot as the soccer complex
- Bathrooms: None
- Showers: None
- Picnic tables/pavilions: None
- Pet-friendly: No
- Worth it for families bringing kids: Sure. This isn’t our go-to but is a nice option.
St. Andrews Beach Park is on the south end of the island on the marsh side. There’s a two-story wildlife viewing platform for viewing birds and dolphins. Sunset viewing would be spectacular at this beach.
- Parking: Yes, plenty.
- Bathrooms: Yes
- Showers: Yes
- Picnic tables/pavilions: Yes
- Pet-friendly: Yes. All pets must be kept on a leash no longer than 16'.
- Worth it for families bringing kids: Bring the kids to watch the sunset and look at the wildlife. Choose another beach if you plan to spend a day with all of your beach gear.
Sea Island Beach
Sea Island offers five miles of private beaches. Access to these beaches is limited to guests of The Cloister, The Lodge, or The Inn at Sea Island. Beaches here will be less crowded than on St. Simons or Jekyll since access is limited to guests of the resort. Note there is a great playground right on the beach and near the pool at the Beach Club.
When you're done spending the day on a Jekyll Island beach or a St. Simons Island beach, head out for a delicious, family-friendly meal at one of our local restaurants.
