| |
St. Simons Island Activities & Attractions
St. Simons Island activities offer plenty of ways to enjoy the sun, surf and sand, plus a few historical and cultural attractions to explore as well!
In addition to the characteristic sea island activities golf, tennis, biking and boating to name few - St. Simons Island activities also offer new and different ways to explore the island tour St. Simons by helicopter, sail on your own Hobiecat, and explore battlefields, the lighthouse, and many more historic landmarks.
St. Simons Island Golf
Golf enthusiasts have a few public courses to choose from on St. Simons Island. These options include:
Hampton Club 18-hole, par 72 course. Located within the Hampton Plantation at the northern end of St. Simons. Tel: 912-634-0255. Sea Island Golf Club Offers two 18-hole public courses, The Seaside Course and the Plantation Course. Because this gold club serves the Cloisters resort on Sea Island, expect to pay steep greens fees for these scenic links. Located at the southern tip of St. Simons Island. Sea Palms Golf & Tennis Resort Offers three public 9-hole courses, the Tall Pines Course, the Sea Palms West Course, and the Great Oaks Course. The green fees are the least expensive of the options listed here. Located at 5445 Frederica Rd. Tel: 912-638-9041.
Guests of the King & Prince Beach & Golf Resort have access to the courses belonging to that hotel.
Also keep in mind that the Jekyll Island golf courses are only 15 minutes away!
St. Simons Island Tennis
Tennis is easily accessible to guests of the island's resorts. A couple public courts are available if you hotel or resort does not offer tennis courts.
These resorts offer tennis facilities for guests (and members) only:
King & Prince Beach & Golf Resort: 2 complimentary outdoor Har-Tru courts. Instruction is available. The Sea Island Resort: Eight Har-Tru courts including one stadium and 4 lighted. Eight more Har-Tru courts (four lighted) are available at Retreat Tennis Center. Sea Palms Golf & Tennis Resort - Tennis & Fitness Center: 3 clay courts, state of the art fitness equipment and personal trainers on staff. These courts are open to the public:
Epworth Park: Located on Lady Huntingdon Street, Epworth Acres. 2 Laykold courts (not lighted). King Park: Located on Mallery St., 2 Acrylic courts lighted until 11pm.
For those looking for more a professional tennis facility and do not have access to Sea Island, Jekyll Islands Tennis Center is only 15 minutes down the road and is an excellent facility offering various instructional programs for adults and children.
St. Simons Island Biking
Explore the island and the St. Simons Island Village by bike or ride along the hard-packed sandy beaches. There are two bike rental shops on St. Simons:
Benjy's Bike Shop - Offering bicycle rentals and repairs. Located at 130 Retreat Plaza, in front of the Winn Dixie Shopping Center. Tel: 912-638-6766. Ocean Motion Surf Company - Offering bikes for the entire family, including infant seats and trail-a-bikes. Located at 1300 Ocean Boulevard, one block from the King & Prince Resort beach. Tel: 912-638-5225.
Be sure to ask for a map of the bike trails on the island.
» IMPORTANT TIP: Keep the bike shop's number with you as you ride. If you get a flat or need a repair while you're out, most places will come to you to fix it or bring you back to the shop. Check with the shop you choose when you rent to make sure they provide this service. You may not need it, but if you do, it can save your whole day!
St. Simons Island Horseback Riding
Enjoy the scenery of St. Simons Island at a slower pace. Only one riding stable offers trail rides on the island:
St. Simons Island Kayaking
Get up close to the native plants and animals in St. Simons' wetland ecosystem. Tour the marshes, cross the sound and stop to enjoy a Jekyll Island beach for the afternoon, or paddle across Village Creek and picnic on Little St. Simon's Island. Explore St. Simons' waterways and the wildlife that calls them home.
To rent a kayak and/or take a kayak tour, check out:
Barry's Beach Service: Rents kayaks and offers regular kayak tours. Also rents HobieCats (small catamarans) to take out yourself, after a lesson, or with a captain, as well as boogie boards, and windsurfing. Located on the beach in front of King & Prince Beach & Golf Resort (420 Arnold Rd). Tel: 912-638-8053. Ocean Motion Surf Company: Located at 1300 Ocean Blvd. Tel: 912-638-8053. SouthEast Adventure Outfitters: Offers several tours that vary by route, activity, length and expertise required.
St. Simons Island Boat Tours & Excursions
Get out on the water to watch dolphins frolic, enjoy the romance of a sunset sail, or feel the thrill of deep sea fishing. The tour companies below offer different types of excursions on the water and depart directly from St. Simons Island:
Salt Marsh Nature Tours: Offers 1, 2 and 3-hour rides on a 26-foot pontoon boat. The 1-hour trip navigates the marshes and the 2-hour ride follows the Hampton River where, at low tide, guests can get out onto a sandbar and look for shells. Children are often invited to steer the boat. The 3-hour excursion takes you to see the sights, including the old Couper Plantation, Little St. Simons Island, Sea Island, and Musgrove Plantation.
Salt Marsh Nature Tours also offers a 2-hour dolphin watching cruise and a sunset cruise. Tel: 912-638-9354. Capt. C Charters: Offers sunset cruises. Tel: 912-638-7646. Captain Larry Kennedy Tours: Offers marsh and birding cruises, led by Captain Larry Kennedy, a naturalist who specializes in ornithology. Tel: 912-638-5454.
St. Simons Island Charter Fishing
Fishing is popular among the Golden Isles for the Grouper, Kingfish, Spanish mackerel, Snapper, Sea Bass, Amberjack, Tarpon, Redfish and more that teem in the waters just off the coast. Here are a few charter fishing operators that will take you out for a day at sea:
Coastal Island Charter Fishing: Tel: 1-888-288-5030. Ducky II Charter Boat Service: Offers deep sea fishing, Gulfstream, fly fishing, shark, and tarpon charters. Located at 105 Marina Way. Tel: 912-634-0312. St. Simons Island Fishing Charters: Offers inshore and offshore fishing nearly year-round with Capt. Richie Lott. Tel: 912-617-1177.
Many more tours depart from nearby Jekyll Island as well.
St. Simons Island Water Sports
St. Simons Island offers plenty of water sport rentals, some of which like Hobiecat (a small, personal catamaran) rentals - you won't find on most of the other sea islands.
Here are a few options where you'll find plenty of fun to have on the water:
Barry's Beach Service: Rent a HobieCat to take out yourself, after a lesson, or with a captain. Also offers kayaks and kayak tours, boogie boards, and windsurfing. Located on the beach in front of King & Prince Beach & Golf Resort (420 Arnold Rd). Tel: 912-638-8053. Coastal Watersports, Inc.: Waverunner rentals. Reservations accepted. Located at 101 Marina Dr. Tel: 912-638-7245. Island Dive Center: Full service dive center offering snorkeling and scuba lessons, rentals, and charters. Located at 101 Marina Dr. Tel: 912-638-6590.
Natural & Historical Tours
Have fun exploring historic St. Simons Island and its rich, coastal habitat! You can tour the island by trolley, horse-drawn carriage, or on foot.
Driftwood Education Center: Educational nature center offering programs, classes, and excursions including nature walks. Misty Oaks Carriage Company: Explore St. Simons Island the old-fashioned way by horse-drawn carriage. Located in The Village Area. Tel: 912-638-6181. St. Simons Trolley: Take an antique trolley ride while entertaining guides narrate more than 400 years of St. Simons history and legend. 90-minute tours offered. Walks in Nature: Explore the natural environment on foot. Reservations required. Located at 96 Village Green. Tel: 912-638-7652. Wood Stork Tours: Historical and naturalist tours of the Golden Isles and Okefenokee Swamp south of St. Simons Island. Also offers fishing, fly-casting, and saltwater fly fishing excursions. Located at 3405 Frederica Road. Tel: 912-638-5454.
Nature tours are also offered by The Cloister and The Lodge on Sea Island specifically for guests of that hotel. On Jekyll Island, the Tidelands Nature Center and Georgia Sea Turtle Center offer additional tours, including a Sea Turtle Walk.
St. Simons Island Historical & Cultural Attractions
These sights offer a deeper understanding of St. Simon's long history of naval and military significance as well as its modern artistic side. Here are a few of the sights:
Bloody Marsh Battle Site: Site of an historic British victory over Spanish troops attempting a conquest of Georgia in 1742. Located off Demere Rd. Tel: 912-638-3639. Coastal Center for the Arts: Regional art center featuring local artists in six galleries. Located at 2012 Demere Rd. Tel: 912-634-0404. Fort Frederica National Monument: Located on Route 9. Tel: 912-638-3639. Visitors can tour the remains of this historic fort built in 1736 to protect Georgia's southern boundary and explore the hiking and nature trails that wind through the park. Gascoigne Bluff: Historic Native American campground and later, during Colonial times, Georgia's first naval base. Live oaks milled here in 1794 were used in building the USS Constitution in 1874 and for the Brooklyn Bridge. Located on Gascoigne Bluff Rd. Tel: 912-265-0620. Maritime Center at Historic Coast Guard Station: Learn about the long history of this historic Coast Guard Station built in 1935 under the authorization of then President Franklin D. Roosevelt. St. Simons Island Lighthouse: After the first lighthouse built in 1810 was destroyed in the Civil War, a second was built in 1872 and stands at 104 feet tall. The lighthouse remains an operative navigational aid for ships passing nearby. Visitors can climb to the top of the tower and visit the lighthouse museum.
St. Simons Island Helicopter Tour
A helicopter tour is another exciting activity not available on the other Sea Islands. Check out this unique way to see St. Simons Island:
Dragonfly Copters: Tours vary in length and in sights you'll see. You can take a tour of the Island and its historical landmarks, of both St. Simons and Jekyll Islands, or of the beautiful homes and mansions on the Sea Islands.
Kids Activities
St. Simons Island activities include a few programs intended to introduce children to the natural habitat and wildlife of the sea islands.
Driftwood Education Center: Educational nature center offering programs, classes, and excursions including nature walks. Honey Creek Coastal Encounters Nature Center: An interactive on environmental education center featuring salt marsh ecology walks, plankton labs, and summer camps for children among other programs. Located at 4201 First Street. Tel: 912-638-0221.
More activities, especially for the kids, are available on nearby Jekyll Island, where you'll find Summer Waves Water Park, mini-putt courses, Georgia Sea Turtle Center, and more.
You'll find plenty of St. Simons Island activities to enjoy during your vacation, whether you want to relax on the beach, play in the water, or explore this historic and beautiful island.
Return to the St. Simons Island main page to discover where to stay and dine while you enjoy these St. Simons Island activities.
|
