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St. Simons Island Lighthouse - GA Coast
Georgia's entire 100 mile long coastline along the Atlantic Ocean is comprised of barrier islands. It is a very unique coastline and unlike any other stretch along the eastern seaboard of the United States. The islands are composed basically of dune and beach-ridge sands. They were shaped—and are still being altered—by wind, waves, currents, tides, and a slowly rising or stable sea level. From north to south going from the South Carolina border down to the Florida border the barrier islands of Georgia are Tybee, Little Tybee, Ossabaw, Wassaw, St. Catherines, Sapelo, Wolf, Blackbear, Sea Island, St. Simons, Little St. Simons, Jekyll, Little Cumberland, and Cumberland.
Separated from the mainland by a four- to six-mile-wide band of salt marsh, tidal creeks, and estuaries. Georgia's barrier islands are under various types of ownership and management. Jekyll, Sea Island, St. Simons, and Tybee islands are developed and connected to the mainland by bridges and causeways. Much of Jekyll is a state park. The other barrier islands are accessible only by boat. Of these, Blackbeard, Wassaw, and Wolf islands are national wildlife refuges. Little Tybee, Ossabaw, and Sapelo are owned by the state of Georgia. The Cumberland Island National Seashore is managed by the National Park Service. Little Cumberland, Little St. Simons, and St. Catherines are privately owned. There is no continuous north to south highway that takes you along the water's edge like you might find in Florida or California. You have to ride or ferry east to each island, explore it, back track, head up the coast and then check out the next one. In a way I'm glad for this because it keeps human encroachment to the environment down to a minimum.
Most of these barrier islands are nature preserves and are protected sanctuaries for various types of wildlife from wide varieties of migrating bird populations as well as sea turtles. The local seafood is terrific, the constant sea-breeze is refreshing & the different micro environments you see are outstanding. Great bike trip to take with your significant other on to share.
Take your time, check out each island, get off the beaten path and see something new. This is the antithesis of riding to Daytona or Sturgis (Barf)...thank GOD!!!!
(Clickable Links Below) Places I would recommend you visiting are (Traveling North to South)
- Tybee Island
- Savannah (River Street Market)
- Savannah (Forsyth Park)
- Skidaway Island
- Fort McAllister State Park
- Darien, GA (Shrimping Fishing Village)
- St. Simons Island (Neptune Park)
- Sidney Lanier Bridge (Ride over it from Brunswick to Jekyll Island)
- Jekyll Island
- Cumberland Island
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