East Beach, or St. Simons Island Beach, provides a wide range of beach activities from swimming and tanning through shelling and birdwatching to surfboarding and kiteboarding. It’s not commercialized and ‘touristy’ at all and the only reason why this beach sometimes looks crowded in high season is its rather small size.
The beach is located in a beautiful neighborhood good for picnicking or bird watching and not far from eateries. If you take a stroll around the neighborhood, you are quite likely to see some turtles or even rabbits.
Not a ‘Tourist Trap’
It’s a wild place, in some sense, and you’ll hardly find numerous hotdog stands, or bike rentals, or restaurants on site. Nevertheless, all such things are easy to find further up the road in case you may need them.
Practically deserted in low season, the beach is a fabulous place for a family outing or for a calm walk alone or with a date – the ocean and the dunes have a wild and relaxing look. If you’re a dog owner, don’t forget to take your pet with you since East Beach permits access with dogs!
There are no trash cans at every turn but the beach is neat and clean. Although there aren’t many tourist activities available on the island itself, it’s just an hour's drive north to Savannah or south to Jacksonville where you can enjoy much more varied entertainment opportunities.
All Standard Amenities
East Beach is almost never too crowded, although sometimes it may look otherwise in high season. Despite the fact that it cannot boast numerous tourist attractions, it’s a nice and cozy beach with a lifeguard station and all the standard amenities like bathrooms, rinsing showers, changing areas, and locker rooms.
If you go by car, you can use a free parking lot. It’s ample but make sure you come early enough to find a space on holidays or weekends in high season.
Long Sandbars And Shallow Water Pools
There is one thing about East Beach that many of its visitors find amazing – long, up to ¼-mile sandbars running off the shore into the sea during low tide. At the same time, shallow tidepools appear – a perfect place for kids to safely play in the water, which is especially important on windy days when the waves are strong.
Driving Time
- 5 minutes from Downtown St. Simons, GA
- 1 hour 20 minutes from Jacksonville, FL
- 1 hour 30 minutes from Savannah, GA
Hotels and rentals
If you're considering staying for one or even a few nights, there are plenty of options available near the beach. Chose your preferred accomodation type and your favourite room provider:
- Nearby rentals from VRBO.
- Nearby rooms and properties from Booking.com.
Beaches nearby
Additionally, there's a number of beaches near St. Simons Public Beach (East Beach) which you can visit:
- Gould’s Inlet Beach (1 mile)
- Jekyll Island Fishing Pier Beach (3 miles)
- Driftwood Beach (3 miles)
- Jekyll Island Oceanview Beach Park (6 miles)
- Great Dunes Park Beach (7 miles)