A popular camping destination, the Golden Isles off the coast of southeast Georgia is group of barrier islands in the Atlantic Ocean that includes St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Jekyll Island and Little St. Simons Island as well as smaller, uninhabited islands. Part of the Sea Islands, the Golden Isles offer mild weather, forest and beach landscapes and outdoor activities on and off the water.
Where To Stay
St. Simons Island is the most developed of the Golden Isles. Find many campgrounds in the town of Darien, including the Darien Inland Harbor Campground with full hook-ups and the Tall Pines Campground with 45 campsites. Jekyll Island offers 199 campsites for RV and tents and Tybee Island provides RV and tent sites. The town of Brunswick on the mainland makes a good camping base for a trip to the islands but more remote campsites include those on Little Tybee Island.
Facilities
If you want fully equipped camping, many options are available in the Golden Isles. The commercial campgrounds provide full hook-up facilities, restrooms with hot water showers, laundry facilities, picnic tables and paved roads. The campgrounds generally have separate areas for tents and many offer pull-through sites for RVs. Group campsites, such as the one near the beach on Sapelo's Cabretta Island, offer restrooms and hot showers. Golden Isles RV Park in Brunswick has a pool, as does Rivers End Campground on Tybee Island.
Water Sports
Go deep-sea fishing for king mackerel, grouper, snapper and amberjack -- you'll need a fishing license and there are limits on catch. Take a kayak or canoe into the waters of the Golden Isles. Popular kayak trips include the journey from Sapelo Island to Blackbeard Island, which can only be accessed by boat, and kayak tours around St. Simons Island. Further sports from St. Simons include surfing and windsurfing, sailing and scuba diving. Gray's Reef, 17 miles from Sapelo Island, is a National Marine Sanctuary and a prime dive spot.
Land Activities
The Golden Isles is a hot spot for golf and features two public courses on St. Simons Island and courses in Brunswick, Oak Grove Island, Jekyll Island and Sea Island. Take a hike or bike ride around St. Simons Island and beach walks on many of the Golden Isles shores. Jekyll Island has 20 miles of paths for biking and hiking and the Tidelands Nature Center offers guided shoreline walks in the summer to search for sea turtles. Jekyll Island has a fully equipped tennis center.
Weather
The Golden Isles has an average annual temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit, making it a good year-round camping and outdoors activity destination. A camping trip in the summer gives you the warmest weather. August temperatures reach 82 degrees and in fall the temperature is at an average of 78 degrees, so it's still warm enough for tent camping. December is the coldest month with an average temperature of 53 degrees.
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