Jekyll Island Visitor Guide: The Parking Fee, Beaches, Sea Turtle Center and What’s Free

Jekyll charges $10 per car per day, covering every beach including Driftwood. Sea Turtle Center $10–$12, Mosaic $10, 24+ miles of bike paths, and the dog rules by beach.

By Hank Whitlock·Updated September 21, 2026·10 min read

Every car pays $10 a day to drive onto Jekyll Island ($15 if it’s over 8 feet tall, $100 for an annual pass), and that one fee covers parking at every beach, including Driftwood Beach. Walking and cycling in are free. The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is $12 for ages 13 and up and $10 for ages 4–12, open daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m., and Mosaic, the island museum, is $10 for anyone 4 and over.

Jekyll is a state park run by the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA), which gets no state operating money and runs on that fee. Figures below come from the JIA’s pages and the bike-rental operators (checked September 21, 2026). Jekyll is about 319 miles and 5 hours 6 minutes from Atlanta, going by our Jekyll Island vs St. Simons guide. Still choosing an island? That page and Tybee vs Jekyll do the comparing.

What does a day on Jekyll Island cost?

What each operator publishes (checked September 21, 2026). Admission prices exclude sales tax and booking fees.

What	Price	Hours	Good to know
Island parking fee (per vehicle)	$10 a day; $15 over 8 ft; +$5 on special-event days	Valid until midnight	Covers every beach and public lot. Bikes and pedestrians free
Annual parking pass	$100; $150 over 8 ft	One year from purchase	Online only; tied to one plate; no event surcharge
Georgia Sea Turtle Center (214 Stable Rd.)	$12 ages 13+; $10 ages 4–12	Daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m.	Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and during the Shrimp & Grits Festival; 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Christmas Eve. No pets
Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum (100 Stable Rd.)	$10 ages 4+; 3 and under free	Daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m.	Tickets sold in person. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. No pets
Landmark Trolley Tour	Not published on the tour page (online ticketing only)	Departures 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., hourly	60 minutes from Mosaic; includes one cottage, Mosaic Gallery and Faith Chapel
Summer Waves Water Park	$30 Mon–Thu, $33 Fri–Sun (2026 season)	Closed until May 2027	Last 2026 day was Labor Day, Sept. 7
Beaches, Historic District grounds, bike paths	Free once you’re on the island	—	No admission fee is listed for the Wanderer Memory Trail or Horton House

How does the Jekyll Island parking fee work?

You pay at the entry gate on the way onto the island, or online beforehand. The gate reads your license plate, so a pass bought online (the JIA suggests at least 30 minutes ahead) opens it automatically. If a bike rack or trailer blocks the plate, use the lane’s help/intercom button, staffed 24/7 (checked September 21, 2026).

Day rate: $10 per vehicle, valid until midnight. Hotel and campground guests pay too: one day per night on the island, nothing for the day you leave.
Event days: daily passes cost $5 more on Independence Day, during the Shrimp & Grits Festival and for Holly Jolly Jekyll. Annual passes don’t pay the surcharge.
Annual pass: $100 ($150 over 8 feet), bought online, registered to one plate. At $10 a day it pays off on the 11th day.
Discounts: only disabled veterans (free annual pass), CCGA students, state government vehicles and school buses. Seniors, military and National Park or Georgia State Parks pass holders get none.
No overnight parking in any public area, beach lots included.

The Guest Information Center (901 Downing Musgrove Causeway; Mon–Sat 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.–5 p.m.) has maps and restrooms. For how Jekyll’s one-time fee compares with Tybee’s hourly meters, see our Georgia beach parking comparison.

Which Jekyll Island beach should you go to?

The JIA lists seven beach parks along 10 miles of shoreline. The four people ask about most (checked September 21, 2026):

Driftwood Beach (north end): the bleached fallen trees along the shore. Parking is just off Beachview Drive. The JIA lists no restrooms or showers here. Leashed dogs are allowed.
Great Dunes Beach Park (mid-island): the JIA calls it the island’s most popular family beach. The 20-acre park has restrooms, showers, pavilions with grills, play areas and an accessible crossover (#32).
St. Andrews Beach Park (south tip): a marsh-facing beach near Jekyll Point and a spot for migratory birds, dolphins and sunsets. Shaded parking, restrooms, a two-story viewing platform, an accessible ramp to the hard sand and the Wanderer Memory Trail.
Glory Beach (south end, next to the soccer complex): a wide beach backed by dunes and sea oats, where parts of the film Glory were shot. No pets: it’s a sanctuary for resting and nesting birds.

When is the best tide for Driftwood Beach?

The JIA doesn’t publish one. It warns of “large tidal differentials” and to use caution on sandbars, and its only tide advice is to check tide charts before walking to the unmarked shark-tooth beach near Summer Waves. For Driftwood photos, its tip is sunrise.

Beach rules to know

No glass, fires or grilling on the beach, stay out of the dunes, and fill in holes; anything left overnight is thrown away. From May to October, flashlights are banned on or near the beach unless they’re turtle-safe (amber or red), because of sea turtle nesting. Free beach wheelchairs can be delivered to accessible crossovers 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (call 912-635-2648; photo ID required).

Can you bring a dog to Jekyll Island beaches?

Yes, on most of them, all year. The JIA’s rules (checked September 21, 2026): dogs must be on a leash no longer than 16 feet and physically controlled at all times, and an e-collar doesn’t count as a leash. No pets on the beach between the South Dunes Picnic Area and 2,000 feet southeast of the St. Andrews Picnic Area. The JIA’s beach pages also mark both South Dunes and Glory Beach as no-pet beaches.

The Sea Turtle Center, Mosaic and its trolleys, and Summer Waves allow service animals only. The Shrimp & Grits Festival asks people to leave pets at home. The campground is pet friendly.

How much is the Georgia Sea Turtle Center?

General admission is $12 for ages 13 and up and $10 for ages 4–12, plus tax and fees; the price list doesn’t mention under-4s. It’s open daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (checked September 21, 2026). It is Georgia’s only sea turtle rehabilitation facility, treating patients since 2007, per the JIA. Behind-the-scenes tours and summer beach programs cost extra.

Note the closures: Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and the whole Shrimp & Grits Festival (October 23–24, 2026), when the festival’s accessible parking is at the Center.

What does the Historic District cost?

Walking the 240-acre Jekyll Island Club National Historic Landmark District, with its 34 historic structures, is free. Paid options run from Mosaic (checked September 21, 2026):

Mosaic Gallery: $10 for ages 4 and up, free for 3 and under, daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Tickets are sold in person.
Landmark Trolley Tour: 60 minutes, leaving Mosaic hourly from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., including one historic cottage, the Mosaic Gallery and Faith Chapel. The tour page doesn’t publish a price; it appears only in the JIA’s online ticketing. Tours can sell out.
Faith Chapel: free 10 a.m.–noon for prayer and meditation; $5 walk-up 12:30–5 p.m., or included with any Historic District tour.

Can you bike around Jekyll Island?

Yes. The JIA says the island has more than 24 miles of paths and trails, with downloadable path maps. Helmets are required for riders 16 and under (checked September 21, 2026). Rentals:

Bike Jekyll (N. Beachview Dr. at Shell Rd.): bikes, surreys, baby seats, trailers and small dog trailers; daily 9 a.m.–8 p.m. Prices not published on the JIA page.
Beachside Bike Rentals (at three Beach Village hotels) and the campground: prices not published on the JIA page.
Jekyll Wheels (behind the Jekyll Island Club): for the general public, a 1-speed or kids’ bike is $10 an hour, $33 a day or $99 a week; tandems and adult trikes $17/$56/$163. Not for use on the beach. The JIA lists its hours as 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; the resort’s page says 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

Can you camp on Jekyll Island?

Yes, at the JIA’s Jekyll Island Campground, 1197 Riverview Drive, about half a mile from Driftwood Beach. It has 179 wooded sites, none on the water. Rates (checked September 21, 2026): full hook-up back-in sites from $51 a day, pull-throughs from $54, tent sites from $36, yurts from $125. Pets are a one-time $4 each at tent and RV sites. Three-night minimum on Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day. The $10 daily island fee is charged on top.

What can you do on Jekyll Island for free?

Every beach and the Historic District grounds, once you’re past the gate (or free entirely on foot or bike). Faith Chapel is free 10 a.m.–noon.
The Wanderer Memory Trail at St. Andrews (no fee listed), which tells the story of the Wanderer, one of America’s last known slave ships. It has a UNESCO Slave Route Project “Site of Memory” designation.
Horton House (no fee listed), rebuilt in 1743 and one of Georgia’s oldest tabby buildings, on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Shrimp & Grits Festival: free admission, October 23–24, 2026, though daily parking goes up by $5. See our Shrimp and Grits Festival guide.
Island Treasures (January–February): volunteers hide globes around the island that finders swap for handmade glass floats. The JIA hasn’t posted 2027 details as of September 21, 2026.

What should you do in your situation?

With small kids: Base the day at Great Dunes, then go indoors at the Sea Turtle Center when it’s hot or wet. For two adults and two children aged 4–12, the Center plus the island fee comes to $54 plus tax. Skip South Dunes with a stroller: the JIA says its stairs over the boardwalk make strollers and wagons “not ideal.” Summer Waves is closed until May 2027.
With a dog: Driftwood, Great Dunes and St. Andrews on a leash of 16 feet or less. Not Glory or South Dunes, and follow posted signs on the closed stretch between South Dunes and St. Andrews. Pets can’t go into the Sea Turtle Center or Mosaic, so take turns or skip them. Bike Jekyll rents small dog trailers.
Day trip: One $10 fee covers everything. Driftwood Beach at sunrise, the Sea Turtle Center when it opens at 9, the Historic District and a trolley tour mid-day, then Great Dunes or St. Andrews for sunset. From Atlanta, at about 5 hours each way, it’s a very long day.
Weekend: Budget $10 per night in parking on top of the room or campsite; nothing is charged for your departure day. Rent bikes and leave the car parked.
Off-season (fall to spring): The Sea Turtle Center and Mosaic stay open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Summer Waves is shut until May 2027. Avoid October 23–24 if you want the Sea Turtle Center. January–February brings Island Treasures.

Carrying on down the coast? Our Georgia coast road trip runs from Savannah to Cumberland Island, and every Georgia beach and barrier island, compared covers the rest.

FAQ

How much is the Jekyll Island parking fee?

Jekyll Island charges $10 per vehicle per day, valid until midnight, or $15 for vehicles over 8 feet tall. An annual pass costs $100 ($150 oversized). Daily passes cost $5 more on Independence Day, during the Shrimp & Grits Festival and during Holly Jolly Jekyll. Pedestrians and cyclists enter free (Jekyll Island Authority, checked September 21, 2026).

Where do you pay to get onto Jekyll Island?

At the entry gate on the way onto the island, or online beforehand. The gate reads your license plate; the Jekyll Island Authority recommends buying online at least 30 minutes before you arrive. Annual passes are sold online only.

Is Driftwood Beach free?

Driftwood Beach has no separate charge, but every car pays Jekyll Island’s $10 daily parking fee to reach it. Parking is just off Beachview Drive.

How much are Georgia Sea Turtle Center tickets?

General admission is $12 for ages 13 and up and $10 for ages 4–12, plus tax and fees. The Center is open daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and during the Shrimp & Grits Festival (checked September 21, 2026).

Are dogs allowed on Jekyll Island beaches?

Yes, on most beaches year-round, on a leash no longer than 16 feet; an e-collar doesn’t count. No pets between the South Dunes Picnic Area and 2,000 feet southeast of the St. Andrews Picnic Area, and none on Glory Beach or South Dunes, which are bird sanctuaries.

Is Summer Waves open in 2026?

No. Summer Waves Water Park’s last 2026 day was Labor Day, September 7, and the Jekyll Island Authority says it is closed until May 2027. In 2026 daily tickets cost $30 Monday–Thursday and $33 Friday–Sunday; 2027 prices were not announced as of September 21, 2026.

How many miles of bike trails are on Jekyll Island?

More than 24 miles of paths and trails, according to the Jekyll Island Authority. Helmets are required for riders 16 and under. Jekyll Wheels rents 1-speed bikes to the public for $10 an hour or $33 a day.

How we checked this guide: Dates, hours, admission and parking prices, and access details were verified against the official sources listed below on September 21, 2026. Operators change schedules and raise prices without notice, so confirm anything time-sensitive before you drive. The figures in this guide also feed our Georgia Attraction Transparency Index and Family Day-Out Cost Index.

Sources

About Hank Whitlock

Hank Whitlock is the pen name of the It's Georgia editor. Every guide is built around the questions a busy family actually asks before a trip: how long is the drive, what does parking cost, can the stroller make it, are dogs allowed. Details are checked against official park, city, and venue sources, and each guide shows the date it was last updated.