Jekyll & St. Simons Islands

Camping on Jekyll, with a day exploring each island

We got to Jekyll Island and set up camp early enough to do a little exploring (only day that wasn’t totally COLD). We checked out the Wanderer Memorial Trail, which tells the story of one of America’s last known slave ships, the Wanderer. It’s located at Saint Andrews Beach, where the ship illegally came ashore 160 years ago (50 years after the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade was abolished) with more than 400 enslaved Africans. It was very well done. We also caught a gorgeous sky.

St. Simons Island Day

We spent most of Saturday off Jekyll, on St. Simons Island, first priority on the north side of the island was to…

Visit 1 new National Park Site (first one in 2026): Fort Frederica National Monument (#311), where James Oglethorpe established a Fort in 1736, to help protect the British colonies from the Spanish in Florida. Fort Frederica illustrates the story of the War of Jenkins Ear (1739-1748) and how its British defenders fought off the Spanish Army. Today, archeology has uncovered the story of the 1,000 people that once lived here. We spent a few hours there, including 3 Ranger talks/walks around the fort and town remains.

Heading down Broad Street in Frederica, heading to the fort, on our first Ranger Walk.
Margaret Davis Cate Oak…Big Live Oak at Fort Frederica, named for the woman who helped establish the park
Only remains of the actual Tabby Fort, with well in the front and Storage Buildings to the left and right
Remains of the Barracks at Fort Frederica
Rermains of the Candlemakers home, notable for its 2 fireplaces and an oven.
Current excavation at Fort Frederica (started 2018, almost done) is at the site of Archibald Sinclair’s tavern and house

Then back to the south side of St. Simons Island to visit 2 sites, related by their Coast Guard connection:

the World War II Home Front Museum, in the Historic St. Simons Coast Guard Station, built in 1936. It had exhibits about coastal Georgia during WW II and the Coast Guard Serivce stationed there.
the St. Simons Island Lighthouse Museum, where we climed the 129 steps to the top of the lighthouse and checked out the museum in the old Lighthouse Keepers house.

World War II Home Front Museum
St. Simons Island Lighthouse Museum
St. Simons Island Lighthouse from the St. Simons Island Pier

Jekyll Island Day

We spent much of yesterday exploring some highlights of Jekyll Island:

Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum & Trolley, where we learned the basice history of Jekyll Island and took a VERY COLD Trolley tour of the Historic District and toured 2 of the “Cottages”.
Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Georgia’s only sea turtle education and rehabilitation facility, where we learned about (re-learned) Sea Turtles in the museum and then visited the “Turtle Hospital”.
Faith Chapel, briefly, to see the gorgeous Tiffany and Armstrong stained glass windows.
Horton House, one of the oldest tabby (Concrete made of lime, sand, & oyster shells) buildings in Georgia, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Short stop, still VERY COLD.

Jekyll Island Historic District Dubignon Cottage, one of the earliest cottages, was built in 1884 by John Eugene DuBignon, founder of the Jekyll Island Club
Jekyll Island Historic District Indian Mound Cottage, built by businessman Gordon McKay in 1892, bought by William Rockefeller Jr. in 1905, who made extensive changes to the house
Two turtles being rehabilitated at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center
Faith Chapel Tiffany Window
Faith Chapel Armstrong Window
Jekyll Island Horton Tabby House