Located off the Atlantic coast of Georgia, Jekyll Island is a truly magical place within the Golden Isles and the perfect place to explore with your four legged companion! In case you aren’t familiar, the Golden Isles is made up of St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Little St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island and the mainland connecting area of Brunswick, Georgia. It is a part of Georgia that is often overlooked, because it is in such close proximity to Savannah. But it has so much to offer!
Amanda recently spent some time exploring Jekyll Island with one of her dogs and has put together this dog friendly guide to Jekyll Island so you can easily plan your own trip to this stunning island with your furry bestie!
Be sure to check out our Best Items For Traveling With Dogs guide to ensure you have all the things you need to be prepared for your big adventure!
Disclosure: Some of the links in this dog friendly guide to Jekyll are affiliate links. That means at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission from purchases made which will go toward bringing you more travel tips, tricks, and tidbits!
Getting There & Some History
Jekyll island is easily accessible with the nearest airports being the Brunswick Golden Isles Airport (30 minute drive) & Jacksonville International Airport (1 hour drive). Savannah, GA is only a 1.5 hour drive north and Atlanta, GA is a 5 hour drive northwest.
There is a vehicle entry fee to Jekyll Island that can be purchased online in advance or at the entry gate upon arrival on the island. Single, multi-day, and annual passes are available depending on the length of your stay. The current car parking fees are $10.00 for one day and $100.00 for a 12-month parking pass.
Jekyll Island has an interesting history, but one of its most famous talking points is the families that vacationed there in the early 1900s. The private Jekyll Island Club membership roster included families like the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts and the Morgans to name a few. This elite group represented over one-sixth of the world’s wealth at the time. The private club closed in the early 1940s and Jekyll Island was purchased by the State of Georgia in 1947. You can learn more about the full history of the island, starting in the 1700s HERE.
Enough of the basics though. Let’s dive into what you’re looking to know – things to do and places to eat with your furry companion!
Picnic on the beach
What cuter way to start your visit to Jekyll Island than with a picnic on the beach? You can either pack a picnic before leaving the house, or do like we did and stop at the Jekyll Market and pick up sandwiches and other snacks to fill your basket!
Located in Beach Village, this market boasts a wide selection of items from typical grocery store finds to gourmet selections – Amanda was VERY tempted by their unique salsa & hot sauce section! They also have souvenirs, a diverse choice of alcohol, and four to-go restaurant / dessert options – all in one cute market!
We did not bring our dog into the market, so depending on the time of year, you may need to plan accordingly to coordinate shopping & your four legged traveler patiently waiting.
Once you have your yummy treats the next thing to do is go find the perfect beach picnic spot!
Luckily, most of Jekyll Island beaches are dog friendly with just a couple of simple guidelines:
- Pets must be on a leash at all times, and the maximum length for leashes is 16 feet.
- No pets are allowed on the beach between South Dunes Picnic Area and 2,000 feet northeast of St. Andrews Picnic Area.
Jekyll Island has 7 beaches (ooohhhh the options!) that include the following: Corsair Beach Park, Driftwood Beach, Glory Beach, Great Dunes Beach, Oceanview Beach, South Dunes Beach, and St. Andrews Beach. During our first dog-friendly trip to the island we had a lunch picnic at Great Dunes Beach Park – but the choice is truly yours depending on your plans for the day!
At Great Dunes Beach, there is a large parking lot with plenty of spaces, public bathrooms, picnic tables, and a washing station to get the sand off as needed. These are all located in front of the beach.
After filling up on delicious sandwiches, splashing in the waves, and playing fetch with your four legged companion, the next stop should be Driftwood beach at the northern portion of the island!
Things To Consider: Driftwood beach is covered in gorgeous oak trees and giant rocks. It is a beach that MUST be explored but not a beach to do activities on, because of the trip hazards (see more on Driftwood beach below).
St. Andrews beach is the only beach that faces west, so it has PRIME sunset views, while the other beaches would be great sunrise or stargazing options!
Driftwood Beach
You may be thinking, why does Driftwood get its own mention, aren’t all the beaches the same? Wrong. When Amanda stepped out onto Driftwood Beach, her mouth literally gaped in awe of the scenery surrounding her.
Driftwood Beach is famous for its hauntingly beautiful landscape of ancient oak and pine trees that drape across the shoreline. You are forced to weave around these massive natural driftwood sculptures as you make your way down the beach exploring this seemingly never ending beauty.
Your dog will love exploring the plethora of smells within the driftwood, meandering across the rocks near the shoreline, and jumping over low hanging branches on the sand!
Driftwood Beach was listed as the 3rd Best Beach on Tripadvisor’s Best of the Best Beaches in the United States in 2023!
Exploring The Trails
Jekyll Island has over 20 miles of paved trails throughout the island that cross the marshlands, follow the shorelines and weave under shady live oaks! You can go for relaxing long walks on these trails, discovering the wildlife and history that the island holds, or for the more athletic furry companions, bike rides!
Amanda loves exploring on her bike, and her dog loves getting to run alongside her! Jekyll is the perfect place for this with its extra wide paved trails and diverse landscape to keep the ride interesting along the way. There is also no shortage of benches to sit and rest as well as restrooms along the paths.
The best section to bike or run with your dog will depend on your experience level and comfort – but below are some tips and info to help you choose where to start:
Beach views – Starting at South Dunes Beach, ride north to Oceanview Beach. You can stop at Tortuga Jack’s just before reaching Oceanview and relax on their dog friendly patio and enjoy yummy tacos and margs before heading back to South Dunes Beach. The route is approximately 6 miles roundtrip.
Marsh & Beach Views – Starting at the Clam Creek Fishing pier, take the bike path over to Driftwood beach, around Horton Pond, looping around to the Horton House & Dubignon Cemetery before heading back to the fishing pier. This route is roughly 4 miles roundtrip with excellent picnic spots along the way!
Forest & Beach Views – Starting at The Wharf, take the path to the Bald Eagle Nest site so you can stop and try to spot the Bald Eagles in the area before continuing on to the Beach Village. Take a left to venture north along the oceanview trail towards the Jekyll Island Mini Golf. You’ll then loop back towards the historic district on the shell road trail, cross stable road, and continue back towards The Wharf on pier road. This route is also roughly 6 miles roundtrip.
If you’d like to add on seeing the Plantation Oak to your itinerary, it is only a quick detour north once you’ve arrived back at The Wharf. When your adventure is done, having a sunset dinner on the dog friendly patio of The Wharf is a must!
Need to rent bikes during your visit? Beachside Bike Rentals, Jekyll Wheels, and Jekyll Island Bike Barn are all great options to choose from!
Restaurants
Jekyll Island has no shortage of restaurants, and thankfully there are multiple dog friendly options to choose from!
Beach House – fresh seafood, artisan pizza, burgers & more along with an extensive beer menu. They have an outdoor uncovered patio and a covered wrap around porch for dog friendly enjoyment! It is located just north of Oceanview Beach.
Doc’s Snack Shop – known for their hotdogs, they also have delicious sandwiches, wraps and nachos. Limited covered seating but a great casual stop while exploring the Historic District.
The Wharf – diverse seafood menu with select offerings of non-seafood items. Located in the historic district and the best restaurant on the island to watch the sunset on their covered and semi-covered patios. Frequently has live music on the patio as well!
Tortuga Jack’s – Baja mexican fare that includes fajitas, burritos, enchiladas, tacos and more. Excellent margaritas and a very fun atmosphere under their covered outdoor patio / tiki hut!
Zachary’s Riverhouse – seafood, salads, sandwiches & burgers. Located on the southwest side of the island with a covered patio and excellent sunset views overlooking the water.
Shrimp & Grits Entree & Sunset view from the dog friendly patio at Zachary’s Riverhouse
Places to Stay
Amanda was living nearby when she visited Jekyll with her dog, so she didn’t need dog friendly accommodations this time. But if you are looking for pet friendly places to stay, check out this comprehensive list of pet friendly hotels put together by the Golden Isles Visitor Bureau! You can also book through booking.com and filter your options to only show pet friendly locations or choose to go camping on Jekyll, so many options you truly can’t go wrong!
We hope you’ve enjoyed this dog friendly guide to Jekyll Island! If you’ve visited Jekyll with your dog, we’d love to hear about your experience in the comments below!
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I have not been to Jekyll Island, but it looks like such a great place for a long weekend getaway. I love how dog friendly it is!
I’ve never heard of Jekyll Island but have been reading about the Gilded Age. I’m putting it on my list to visit and another plus is that there are some great dog friendly places!
What a wonderful place! What time of the year have you been there?
We’ve been in January & February so far! While it’s too chilly to get in the water (for humans!), it’s very low crowds and feels like a private island.
Wow it looks stunning and so good there are so many dog-friendly options. I would love to visit Driftwood Beach
What a gorgeous place and it looks so relaxing and dog-friendly! My kinda place.
We took a day trip to Jekyll Island and would love to return. I need to check out all those walking paths and the beaches.