10 Things to Do at Jekyll Island Club Beyond the Dress Code

Jekyll Island Club Resort gets a lot of attention for its history and its dining rooms — for good reason. This is the clubhouse where the first transcontinental phone call was placed, connecting the island to President Woodrow Wilson in Washington and Alexander Graham Bell in New York, and where a small group of financiers quietly drafted the framework for what would become the Federal Reserve in 1910. That's the kind of history sitting behind what's now a resort croquet lawn.

But the club itself also sits on 10 miles of pristine Georgia beach with enough going on that dress code and history shouldn't be the only things you're planning around. Here's what to actually do once you've packed the right outfits.

Quick Answer

The best Jekyll Island Club activities beyond dining and dress code include biking the island's 20 miles of paved paths, driftwood beach photos, a shuttle over to Corsair Beach at Jekyll Ocean Club, nighttime s'mores by the fire pits, croquet on the Clubhouse lawn, horseback riding through the maritime forest, a guided picnic, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, shopping at Beach Village, and the resort's rotating calendar of history tours and live music.

Traveling with a dog? Jekyll Island Club is pet-friendly, but with real limits: only 4 designated rooms in the Sans Souci building allow dogs, up to 30 lbs, for a $150 non-refundable fee — and pet-friendly rooms can only be booked by calling reservations directly. See the resort's pet policy FAQ for details. The Wharf restaurant has a shaded, dog-friendly deck, and dogs are welcome on Jekyll's beaches on a leash under 16 feet.

1. Bike the Island's 20 Miles of Paved Paths

Jekyll Island's paved bike network winds through maritime forest, along the riverfront, and through the historic district. The resort rents everything from beach cruisers to tandem bikes through Jekyll Wheels, and a resort map will point you toward the best loop for the time you've got.

If you want to go beyond the obvious Driftwood Beach stop, a few routes are worth building your ride around:

• The North Loop winds through quieter maritime forest and marsh, with better odds of spotting wildlife and a more secluded, slower pace than the busier parts of the island.
• The South Loop passes St. Andrews Beach, a good stop for birdwatching and the occasional dolphin sighting just offshore.
• The Ocean View Trail runs about two miles right along the coast, winding through dunes with open beach views the whole way — an easy add-on to loop into whatever ride you're already doing.
• Shark Tooth Beach is the real local secret: a lesser-known stop where you can hunt for shark's teeth and other small treasures that wash up as the tide goes out. It doesn't get the crowds Driftwood Beach does, which makes it worth the detour if you're out early.

2. Photograph Driftwood Beach

The tangle of sun-bleached driftwood trees along the north end of the island is one of the most photographed spots in the Golden Isles — and it's earned some real Hollywood credibility along the way. Driftwood Beach has stood in for the post-apocalyptic setting in two seasons of The Walking Dead, and more recently provided the eerie, deserted-island backdrop for The Menu (2022) and a childhood scene in The Color Purple (2023).

The trees themselves aren't planted or staged — they're there because of erosion. The north end of the island is slowly wearing away and depositing sediment on the south end, which strands whole trees on the sand and leaves them to bleach in the sun over time. It's an easy stop whether you're on a bike or on foot, and early morning or golden hour light is worth planning around if you want the shot.

3. Spend a Day at Corsair Beach

Guests of the Jekyll Island Club can take the resort's complimentary shuttle over to Jekyll Ocean Club, where beach chairs and umbrellas are set up steps from the sand at Corsair Beach. It's the easiest way to get real beach time without giving up your room at the historic Clubhouse.

The name has more history behind it than it looks like at first glance: the beachfront restaurant now known as Eighty Ocean Kitchen originally opened under the name Corsair — after the yacht J.P. Morgan sailed in on his own trips to Jekyll Island. The restaurant's name has since changed, but Corsair Beach kept the connection to Morgan's yacht alive.

4. S'mores & Stars by the Fire Pit

Officially called "S'mores & Stars," this is one of the resort's signature evening experiences — a riverfront or oceanfront wind-down built around fire pits, stargazing, and poolside lounging. Grab a DIY kit from the bar at Eighty Ocean Kitchen (no reservation needed) and build it yourself: graham crackers, dark chocolate, marshmallows, and a long skewer for roasting over the flame. Classic build, no flavor twists — this isn't trying to be fancy, it's just done right.

It's included in the resort's daily fee along with things like beach chairs and pool towels, so there's no reason to skip it. Fire pits are set up at both properties — riverfront at Jekyll Island Club, oceanfront at Jekyll Ocean Club — so the setting shifts slightly depending on where you're staying, but either way it's the kind of low-key evening that's easy to build a whole night around.

5. Play Croquet on the Clubhouse Lawn

The croquet lawn sits right at the center of the resort, in front of the historic Clubhouse — and it's not a modern addition. This is the same lawn where the club's original Gilded Age members played, back when the Jekyll Island Club counted J.P. Morgan, William Rockefeller, Joseph Pulitzer, and the Vanderbilts and Astors among its members — a group that once represented roughly one-sixth of the world's wealth. They played properly dressed, in crisp white attire, which makes the resort's dress code less of a modern inconvenience and more of a tradition you're stepping into.

For a bit of trivia: the club was so private that Pulitzer, a newspaper publisher himself, was reportedly the only member of the press ever allowed on the island. Time slots and equipment can be arranged through the front desk.

6. Ride Horseback Through the Maritime Forest

Departing from the Clam Creek Picnic Area, guided rides take you through the island's maritime forest, past the salt marsh, and back along Driftwood Beach — the same iconic stretch worth seeking out on a bike, now from horseback.

If you only book one ride, make it the sunset ride. It comes up again and again in reviews as the highlight of people's entire trip to the island, and the timing lines up perfectly with the light hitting Driftwood Beach's weathered trees. Guides match each rider to a horse suited to their experience level, and with around 50 horses on-site, availability isn't usually an issue even for larger groups.

A couple of practical notes before you book: the outfitter runs year-round, seven days a week, though rides can be affected by weather, tide, and heat index. They don't accept cash, so book online in advance — rides do sell out, especially during peak season.

7. Book a Guided Picnic

Officially called Pantry Picnics, this is one of the resort's more direct throwbacks to the club's original era. Members and their guests have been picnicking on the grounds and beaches since the club's opening season in the late 1800s, and the resort leans into that tradition on purpose — you can rent a bike from Jekyll Wheels and cruise the island with your provisions packed in the basket, the same way members did in the early 1900s. The resort will point you toward its favorite historic spots to set up, including the Riverfront Lawn or under the old live oak in front of Villa Marianna, one of the original Gilded Age cottages.

8. Visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center

A short trip from the resort, the center is dedicated to the rehabilitation and education around the island's local sea turtle population — and the story of how it got there is worth knowing before you visit. Before it opened in 2007, injured sea turtles found along the Georgia coast had nowhere nearby to go; they had to be transported to facilities in Florida or South Carolina, costing critical time in emergencies. The center itself was built on a reclaimed brownfield — the former site of the island's coal-fired power plant, which had contaminated the property with industrial toxins. What's now a rehabilitation hospital for injured turtles used to be one of the most polluted spots on the island.

It's a good stop for a slower afternoon, especially if you're traveling with a group that wants a break from the beach.

9. Shop the Beach Village

A short walk from Jekyll Ocean Club, Beach Village is the island's main shopping stretch — small enough to cover in an afternoon, varied enough that everyone in your group finds something. Here's how to break it down:

For swimsuits and resort wear Splash Resort Wear and Brittney's Closet are your two stops for anything you forgot to pack or want to buy fresh for the trip — swimsuits, cover-ups, sundresses, and beach-ready basics.

For gifts and coastal finds The Collection Boutique and Tonya's Treasures are worth browsing for jewelry, home accents, and the kind of small, well-made souvenirs that don't feel like souvenirs. Whittle Gift Shop is the go-to if you want something classic and Jekyll Island-branded to bring home.

For sunglasses Seaside Sunglasses is the spot if you show up without a pair or want to upgrade — worth a stop even if you already packed a pair, since beach glare on Jekyll is no joke.

For snacks, drinks, and groceries The Salt Table and Jekyll Market cover Georgia-made sauces, jams, and grab-and-go groceries — useful if your room or rental has a kitchen. Jekyll Beverage Center is the stop for anything you want to bring back to the room for the evening.

For kids and family Maxwell's General Store and Cutie Patooties round things out if you're traveling with kids — general store staples and children's apparel and gifts.

10. Catch a Live Music Night, History Tour, or Special Event

The resort runs a regular calendar of events — weekly staples like live music and daily history tours, plus bigger events like Libation Series dinners and comedy nights. Worth checking before you lock in your dates so you can build a night around whatever's on.

If you want the history tour version of the "who's been here" question, skip celebrity sightings and go straight to the club's best true story: in November 1910, a sitting U.S. Senator brought five of the country's most powerful bankers to Jekyll Island disguised as a gentlemen's duck hunt — specifically to dodge the press. On the train down, the men addressed each other only by first name so staff and strangers couldn't identify them, and one banker reportedly brought a borrowed shotgun just to keep the cover convincing. That secret meeting produced the plan that became the Federal Reserve. No documented proposals or duels on record, but a covert banking conspiracy dressed up as a hunting trip is a pretty good substitute.

Bonus: Build Your Own Boatkin for the Weekend

If you're planning this as a girls' weekend, we're putting together a Boatkin DIY party box — a build-your-own kit that lets everyone decorate their own Boatkin tote with beach-themed iron-on and glue-on patches. It's a fun way to kick off a group trip before you even hit the sand, and it doubles as the one bag that'll carry everything from Driftwood Beach photos to a poolside s'mores night.

We'll ship the box straight to your hotel so it's waiting for you when you check in — no need to pack anything extra or coordinate pickup once you're already on vacation.

FAQ

Do I need a car to get around Jekyll Island Club Resort? Not really. The resort's complimentary shuttle connects the Jekyll Island Club, Jekyll Ocean Club, and Beach Village, and the island's paved bike paths make most attractions easy to reach without driving.

Is Jekyll Island Club good for a girls' weekend? Yes — between the beach, biking, croquet, and evening fire pits, there's enough low-key, group-friendly activity to fill a weekend without needing to leave the resort's footprint. If you're planning a Georgia coast trip more broadly, our Sea Island weekend style guide covers the dress code and packing list for The Cloister, about an hour up the coast.

What's the best time of day to see Driftwood Beach? Early morning or golden hour, when the light is softer and the beach is less crowded — it's one of the most photographed spots on the island for good reason.

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Between the beach, the bikes, and a build-your-own Boatkin waiting in your room, Jekyll Island Club makes it easy to build a full weekend around more than just dinner reservations.