Driftwood Beach

Driftwood Beach

Driftwood Beach
4.7
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
Driftwood Beach is an escape to another world. Ancient driftwood monuments line the waterfront, creating an unforgettable backdrop.
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  • JustineXSemple
    Stone Mountain, Georgia17 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fascinating and almost other-worldly, this beach is a do-it-yourself experience. We went twice: mid-day at low tide and sunset at high tide. Although we encountered greater crowds at sunset, the setting was stunning and we think we got better photos then. Definitely wear comfortable shoes (we didn't try it barefoot). Definitely bring a camera. At low tide, you can walk among MORE of the trees. At high tide, there's less beach to walk on. At sunset the sky made the scene totally amazing. Some people said they were being bitten by mosquitoes at sunset. I didn't have a problem. This is truly exquisite for mature folks who appreciate natural beauty. No shops. No water to drink. No bathrooms. So come when you can take a walk, appreciate the sights, and be amazed!
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written August 18, 2024
  • chandelle
    Pensacola, Florida222 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    I dislike the artificial, planned vibe of Jekyll, so I've been putting off this visit for years. Bad idea. Driftwood Beach is GORGEOUS. Yes, there are bugs an it's crowded, but the scenery is just beautiful. Wear some bug spray and learn how to erase other people from your photos in Lightroom, and you'll have an album you can be proud of.
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written July 31, 2024
  • Mark Hornyak
    Chagrin Falls, Ohio5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This was the coolest place to visit on the island. It was somewhat apocalyptic to see the enormous trees that were almost prehistoric in nature. I would make this a “must see” for anyone coming to the island. Easy access and fairly close parking.
    Visited March 2025
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 20, 2025
  • juliet t
    Leeds, United Kingdom109 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very interesting place as is most of Jekyll Island. It isn’t Driftwood per se, it is from the sea encroaching on the land and killing the trees. Still spectacular to see. Be advised, it costs $10 a day to get on the Island.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 6, 2024
  • Alison S
    Springfield, Massachusetts1,048 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lovely spring day when we walked in to this beach. (Unmarked, near the northeast tip of the island - ask the locals.) Parking free alongside the road. Hundreds of busy little land crabs at work under the sandy path and in surrounding marsh. Walk from road to beach is easy and short. The beach is very cool. Over the years, the beach has eroded leaving behind trees that have turned to "driftwood". All long the beach, these trees create endless photo opportunities and also many little semi-private nooks for laying down your beach towel. Beach is flat and hard therefore bike-able. Very pretty spot.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 7, 2024
  • slalemand
    Auburn, Maine496 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Love this place. It’s just so freakin cool a photographers dream and a great place to capture memories. I’ve been here 3 times now and I as well as the people who brought here have enjoyed it very much. It’s a bit like being on another planet (I’m guessing) - kind of erie and all but very cool for sure. I’ve not been here for a sun raise or sunset but can only guess it’s spectacular
    Visited February 2025
    Traveled with friends
    Written March 9, 2025
  • Cleanhotels
    Columbus, Ohio506 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Absolutely a must stop, if on Jekyll Island. The dead trees lining the beach are beautiful and picture worthy. Be cautious, the rocks are difficult to navigate and a fall out not be a great addition to your trip.
    Visited December 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written December 28, 2024
  • Kathy P
    26 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    I’ve been forever wanting to go to Driftwood Beach and finally got my chance! It felt like walking into another world. It was the most unusually beautiful place I have ever been. The enormous pieces of driftwood and trees on the beach with the ocean in the background was stunning. Really wished we had taken chairs to sit and enjoy the scenery a lot longer. Next time…
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 2, 2024
  • gramma P
    Escondido, California160 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    What an amazing place to visit! When our daughter said she wanted to take us to see Driftwood Beach, I pictured it as a nice beach with some pieces of drift wood strewn about. What a suprise to walk on to the beach and see miles of actual dead trees that had become weathered, some uprooted, and battered by erotion over many years. It was almost unearthly to see the beauty and stark contrast to all the lush growth on the rest of the island. It's a great place for a photo op. Apparently the access to the beach is dependent on the tides, so check the timing of high and low tides before visiting it. Highly recommend this on your visit to Jykell Island.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written June 11, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.7
4.7 of 5 bubbles3,112 reviews
Excellent
2,454
Very good
482
Average
134
Poor
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Terrible
10

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람보
Seoul, South Korea285 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Family
The atmosphere is really nice and great for taking pictures. You have to go inside Jekyll Island to access it. The admission fee is $10 as of today, and there is no additional charge once you go inside. There are no restrooms around the beach, so be sure to stop by the visitor center or Ocean View Beach Park on your way there.
Google
Written October 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Carrie D.
Cleveland, OH2,444 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Friends
Driftwood Beach was like something from another world—it was simply breathtaking. We came in the mid-afternoon and it was very hot. It was also very, very crowded, which made taking photos a challenge. We were so glad we came because it was truly a spectacular thing to see, but next time we’d come earlier in the morning when it was a little cooler…and hope for smaller crowds!
Written November 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brian M
Luxembourg City, Luxembourg558 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Couples
Visited the beach both during full sun light and again at sunset and sunset is definitely much better. The play of light and the contrast between water, sky, twilight and the dead trees are views that is only comparible to that of Namibia in my mind. One of a kind and a must for those into photography.

Excellent visit, recommend. Easy to get to from the road.
Written October 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

pthomas156
Newport, RI1,504 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020 • Couples
We stayed at Jekyll Island on our way to Florida specifically to see this beach, which is known as one of the best driftwood beaches in the country. Jekyll has extensive bike trails, but you’d never know this beach is there from going along the trail nearby. You have to go in on one of the beach access paths to see all the magnificent toppled trees that lay like twisted sculptures all over the beach. This beach faces East so I’d suggest going earlier in the day than we went, which was about an hour and a half before sun set. At about 2, we had checked out St Andrews beach on the south end, and the light was great for photography there as that beach surprisingly also has quite a bit of driftwood. We were on Jekyll Oct 30-31, and it was not very busy, happily for us. I could see parking being a problem at busier times, especially at Driftwood Beach, which has no actual lot.

Our bikes, which are road bikes, could not go on the path around the north end because we encountered too much sand on the path (not sure if that eventually clears up; we gave up). But in any case much of the interior of the north end is roped off for dune protection, so it’s best to take your bike in at the first beach access sign after you pass Villas By The Sea Resort. Driftwood Beach is between that access point and the Clam Creek Pier on the west side. We walked a portion of the beach (which is hard-packed by the way) and then got back on our bikes and biked on the actual road til the entrance to Clam Creek. The sunset there is beautiful; we also watched a giant car carrier making its way into port.
Written October 31, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

momE1
Front Royal, VA347 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Friends
Oh my - this is an absolute MUST stop! Honestly the driftwood is beyond description - I've never seen anything like it. Easy walk to the beach, and easy walk on the beach. These huge live oaks and palm trees that are on the shore are nature's artistry at it's most interesting. Definitely worth the trip!!
Written March 2, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dog_Trainer24-7
Greater Cincinnati155 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2022
If you are lucky enough to be here when the tide is out and the sun comes up, you will see a spectacular show by Mother Nature! Don't forget your camera! Just be aware that the dark stuff along the shore that looks like rock, may be super slick mud! Yup, I went down and was covered in it. Managed to cut my finger deep, on a shell filled rock, and bled all the way back to the vehicle. OUCH!
Written February 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JudyMetroNYCarea
New York City, NY2,022 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Couples
We tried to time our trip to Driftwood beach at low tide as close to sunset as possible and it was perfect. We actually stopped here twice on the same day and each time was better than the first. The tide was coming in on the last visit which was exactly at sunset.

You could spend hours photographing all the trees. Really quite amazing.
Written September 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lifetraveler1
Atlanta, GA171 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021
As an avid photographer, one of my favorite places to go on the Georgia Coast, is Driftwood Beach. It is located on Jekyll Island, Georgia, at the NE corner of the island. Because it is a distance from the main beach parking lot, this place is usually never very crowded, even on holidays like this past Memorial Day Weekend.

There are three main attractions in the area. The fishing pier for the island is located here. There is a beautiful marsh like swamp nearby, which when it is hit correctly by the sun, creates some beautiful color. Lastly there is a Driftwood Beach. Which is a beach that has lots of petrified looking driftwood on it. Oh there's also a horse rental stable nearby, so that you can ride a horse along the beach...

The location also is a good spot at the moment for watching the demolition of the Golden Ray, the car carrier, which sunk in the channel leading out to the ocean.

Parking- You only have to pay an $8 parking fee to get on the island, after that you can park almost anywhere. Driftwood Beach, however, does not have a lot of parking. So you should get there early if you can. Otherwise, you have to park out on the main road and walk on down to the beach.

Note-The bathroom facility at Driftwood Beach was 'closed' this past weekend. However, there is a campground across the main road and you are allowed to use their facilities.

Summary- Looking for a quiet beach where you can walk a short distance and pretty much have that part of the beach to yourself? Then head on over to Driftwood Beach. It's quirky driftwood art will surprise you.
Written June 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tonya R
Carlsbad, NM312 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020 • Couples
Showed up for sunset and then sunrise the next morning. Sunset was ok but getting there way before sunrise to pick our spots was amazing. Quiet: relatively isolated- other photographers were there but everyone maintained their distance/
Gorgeous photos brilliant sky uncluttered beach (well, other than the driftwood!)
Plenty to explore, fun for all ages. Tons of access points.

Definitely was on our list as it’s a photographers’ dream! We watched weather reports for sunrise and sunset times and got there about an hour before each time so that we could explore and enjoy!!
Written September 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ronald N
Pittsford, NY299 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Friends
On the northern part of island. This beach has an amazing collection of large , and many intact, driftwood trees. It’s an eye- catching site. There are a couple different Entrances from the main road and plenty of areas to park your bike (it’s a good idea to bring a bike lock).
Written February 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Driftwood Beach (2025) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Reviews)

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