Jekyll Island State Park

Jekyll Island carries the tag line Georgia's Jewel. It's one of the barrier islands protecting the coast of Georgia and Florida. In the late 1800's it became a winter resort for the rich of New York, including the Rockefeller's, Pulitzer's, and Carnegie's. In 1942 the US government ordered everybody off. In 1947, the state purchased the entire island, leased home sites and permitted limited commercial development. Over 60% of the island remains undeveloped.


The Jekyll fishing pier

Today Jekyll sports hotels, homes, 10 miles of beach, a marina, shops, 63 holes of golf, and a fabulous 240 acre historic district which is centered on the Jekyll Island Club Hotel, including the cottages of the rich. There are miles of bike trails, an airstrip, and a fishing pier.




Sunset over Brunswick

And of course, there is a campground. This has become one of our favorite places to go, and we'll make our 4th stop there in March 2007. This time, we only stayed 2 days there. But we enjoyed it immensely.




Sidney Lanier Bridge

The campground is sheltered by a crown of live oak and pine trees, meaning that there is filtered sunshine during the days. The oaks produce buckets of acorns, and the acorns keep the squirrels fat and happy. And Thumper loves to chase squirrels, even if it's only to the end of her tether. A little squirrel barking goes a long way.

Across the bay to the northeast is the Sidney Lanier Bridge, a beautiful cable stayed design, and Georgia's longest span. The bridge provides access to Brunswick, Georgia, noted for it's fishing fleet, and for providing a major deep water port, a destination for luxury cars inbound from Europe.

Across to the northeast is St. Simon's and Sea Islands. Both have interesting history, and are the current resorts for the rich. To the south is Cumberland Island.

Jekyll lies 5 miles off the Georgia coast, much of that distance filled by saltwater marsh. A causeway provides direct access by car (or motorhome). There is a $3 parking fee charged to all vehicles entering the island.

The campground features large open spaces for RVs, with full hookups. Cable TV and free wifi are provided. Daily rates in the winter are $33/day, with weekly and monthly rates available. The campground is home to a large population of snowbirds, many of whom stay all winter.