Things to Do and See in Jekyll Island
Jekyll Island, off the coast of Georgia, is a place where the history is absolutely fascinating. It was once known as the richest and most inaccessible club in the world. It’s now a destination attracting people looking for a quiet Oceanside vacation.
When visiting, you can’t miss seeing the Historic Landmark District. This is where some of America’s most influential and powerful men, including, J.P. Morgan, Joseph Pulitzer, William Vanderbilt, John Rockefeller and other elite lived seasonally on the island. As members of the exclusive Jekyll Island Club, it became a place for an escape and winter retreat with entertainment like hunting, shooting, tennis and biking. Here, these men worked on gas, railroad and steel deals and it’s even where draft legislation was written to create the U.S. Federal Reserve.
Today, you can see 34 of the structures that remain, including cottages that belonged to America’s wealthiest. A Tram tours is one of the best ways to see the area, and includes a look inside Rockefellers’ Indian Mound, where I was most captivated by the wrap around porch on the three-story home.
You will also drive by places like the Faith Chapel, a small gothic style wooden church built in 1904. The front and back are illuminated with stained-glass windows, one of which is a Tiffany original.
It’s a given that the island has miles of beaches but the coolest part is that all 5 of the beaches here have their own personality.
Anyone you talk to in town will tell you not to leave without visiting Driftwood Beach and one step onto the sand here and I could instantly see why. Here, massive washed up live oaks and pines consumed by the sea line the beach, showing the effects of erosion on the barrier island.
Another must see, is Glory Beach, which is accessed by a long wooden boardwalk built to protect the dune ecosystem. It’s one of the most isolated on the island, so very well could be just you, who you came with, the sand and waves.
Aside from beaches, sea turtles are one of the most distinguishing factors on the island and the Sea Turtle Center aims to increase awareness of habitat and wildlife conservation for the endangered animal through educational exhibits.
The center includes a hospital where hundreds of rescued sea turtles; gators, birds and snakes have been rehabilitated before being released back into the ocean.
One of the best ways to explore Jekyll Island is by bike where there are more than 20 miles of trails winding along the ocean on one side and the marsh and Intracoastal on the other.
One of my favorite places I cycled by is the Horton House Historic Site, place built by Major William Horton around 1740. The site also includes the cemetery of the DuBignon Family, which owned Jekyll from 1790 to 1886 and lived in the Horton home until they sold the island to a group of Northern investors.
With so much deep history that backs this island, I expected to find areas to be overcrowded with tourists but it has turned out to be one of the most peaceful places I have visited. Head to JekyllIsland.com to plan your trip.
