Jekyll Island Campground Review

During the early part of December 2017, I visited Jekyll Island on the Georgia coast. Unlike Fort McAllister State Park near Savannah, which was located in the middle of a marsh, Jekyll Island has a nice white sandy beach. (I know it's hard to tell in this cloudy photo) The island was used as a hunting club and a winter playground for the rich and famous of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Jekyll Island Club Resort was the primary residence for most of the hunting club members, while a few others built cottages (huge homes) on the riverside of the island. The state of Georgia now owns the island, so there is a park entrance fee you have to pay to get to the campground. I paid $28 for a week of park access. Then the Jekyll Island campground site was another $41 a day.

The sites were set up a little close to each other, but there were a few trees and shrubs in between them that helped to create a sense of division. Each site had full hookups (electric, water, sewer, cable, and free Tengo Internet Wi-Fi) I also had access to a bathhouse with flush toilets and shower. Another building had a nice laundry room. The staff was helpful and one of the hosts escorted me to the site and helped me to set up.

During my visit to Jekyll Island, I had a visit from my friends, Jennifer and Ben. Jennifer and I worked together in Washington, DC before we both moved this fall. We took the Jekyll Island Historic Homes trolley tour. I would say that it isn't really worth the money, but if you like supporting historic restorations, then go for it. The day was "SO COLD" that we wore our winter coats. It was great to see them both.

If you decide to camp on Jekyll Island don't miss a chance to go down to Driftwood Beach. This part of the island looks as if 100 years of hurricanes and storms have battered it and dumped debris there. The trees have been twisted into wild and mysterious shapes. I wouldn't swim in this area of the island but it was definitely an interesting beautiful place to walk.

I will most likely come back to camp on Jekyll Island again as my mother's ancestors lived in the part of Georgia in the 1700s and there are lots of stories and genealogical records to find.  I am also curious to see what the island is like in the warmer months.