From 1886 to 1942, over the course of fifty-six winters, the rich and famous of America faithfully came south to Jekyll Island. Today, Jekyll Island remains a playground, although no longer restricted to the wealthy. Open to the public are its picnic grounds, water park, and facilities for tennis, golf, jogging and biking. The island is lined on one side by miles of Atlantic beaches, and picturesque live oaks and the intra-coastal waterway on the other.
Wild turkey and deer inhabit the interior forests of magnolia, pine and live oaks veiled in moss. Herons, egrets, pelicans and sandpipers roam the gentle surf. The clean and mostly uncommercialized public beaches are free and open the year-round. Bring a camera to Driftwood Beach where the photographic opportunities are amazing. It is here that you will get a firsthand look at the snarl of tree trunks and limbs, and the massive and dramatic root systems of upturned trees, which offer an intriguing yet eerie picture of the slow and steady power of nature. At the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, visitors on holidays to Georgia can view turtles rescued from the sea and learn their stories. And the Colonial Coast Birding Trail is a string of sites designated as important birding areas, with over 300 avian species to watch out for.