East Beach Reviews

While the beach was clean, the water is not very clear here. There doesn't appear to be an offshore break so the waves bring all sorts of sand and debris onto land.

Unspoiled beach that was not crowded. We didn't find shells but the area is gorgeous and makes for a peaceful day on the beach.

Was delightful -- few people around but those that were around seemed to have loose dogs. For my skittish little dog, that was a problem. All were friendly.

This beach is warm and clean with most accessories expected on a beach. Bike, kite, surf board rentals and scantily clad beach bunnies abound. Showers, changing rooms and free parking. Does get crowded on special days and weekends.

We rented a house in the East Beach neighborhood on 6th street. There is beach access at the end of each street. On the opposite end of each street is the marsh. Once you reach the 6th street access on East Beach, you still have a HIKE through a big field and across the dunes until you actually reach the beach. We really enjoyed the actual beach. Waves are calm. Water is shallow. During low tide there are sand fields where you can walk out quite a distance. We found 25-30 sand dollars, which we left. Excellent beach for sunrises and bird watching. We brought a picnic lunch because there are NO concessions or bathrooms, etc at this end of the beach. Our kids prefer a more touristy beach, but this was nice. The East Beach neighborhood is beautiful we walked/ran every morning and saw turtles and rabbits. Traffic was not a problem walking/running.

Spent New Year's day on this beach and it was a spectacular time! We lucked out with the weather, mid-70's and bright sunshine! The beach id soft sand and wide and deep at low tide and lots of space to set up for a day at the beach! Walk for as far as you'd like and enjoy the ocean view and the dunes! Parking is good but looks like it could be a challenge in high season - it was busy on our day, but parking was available.

There is easy access to the beach with a plastic walkway to ease the transport of beach accessories (wagons, chairs, umbrellas, coolers etc.) and the sand, while soft did not appear too deep so wheeling in your days supplies should be manageable! Great beach, best in the Golden Isles! Enjoy your day and get there early!

Words don't do it justice. I could tell you about the beautiful sunsets, but I'd bore you. You have to see it for yourself!

Not crowded on March 1. Made for a lovely long walk. Could walk on nice packed sand for several hours. Condos set back from the beach with hardly anyone on the porches.

The beach itself is great, very wide at low tide. What freaked me out though was a fisherman standing in the surf who caught a 3 1/2 foot long shark, then let it go back into the water. That was it for my wading! When I walked farther down the beach and saw a lady with her young daughter in the water I told her what I just witnessed and she said it was nothing new...that they catch sharks there all the time!

Easy to park and get on the beach. Not overly crowded like FL beaches can be. Took 3 kids including one in a stroller. If you need a beach day go here!

The pounding surf of high tide and the nostalgia of low tide, every day on East Beach is restorative, healing, invigorating. Great place to bike, walk, swim (at the appropriate times of day.)

There are several places to park and walk to the beach. Rocks in some spots and not much beach and expansive beach in other areas.

We stopped by to see beach. We didn't spend time on it, but it seemed well maintained. Large beach area, facilities and parking. Would recommend if you want beach day.

Very nice beach with gentle break, at least when I was there. Easy access through
Messengale park good parking as well.

The restroom are torn down under construction but the beach is still there.
The crew said they are rebuilding the restroom shower and concession
Beach is clean

You will get some fantastic photographs of the orange sky and pink clouds, One f my favorite snapshots is of the color of the clouds reflected off the lighthouse tower. Looks photoshopped bit isnt.

We spent one day as our family beach day on East Beach. Swimming, building sand castles, flying kites, throwing a football. East Beach is great for any activity you want to do since there is a mix of soft and hard sand. Make sure to check the tide chart to see when it is low or high tide. If you don't and it's low tide, you're going to be walking/carrying all your stuff WAY out to be near the water. There are shallow areas of water that are trapped on the beach once the tide goes out that make great swimming/play areas for kids.

We hunted for shells early in the morning at sunrise, which I highly recommend doing at least once. Don't expect to find a huge amount of shells, as that only happens after a storm. However, there are plenty of things to find and take home. We were fortunate enough to find three sand dollars and about 25 other shells.

No better place for a nice sunset walk along this beach - sand is clean and easy to walk on. Entire beach is very clean - goes for miles.

There is not much parking for East Beach so you shouldn't expect to see many people. The beach is clean and wide with inlets. There are a couple of benches close to the parking lot. There is a walking path behind the houses for viewing wildlife.

East Beach is a residential area on St Simons Island. It has the best beach on the island. It is wide and it is not tidal. Much of the beaches on the island are only usable between tides so you have to plan your day around the tides.

The sea was a bit rough that day, the water is a brackish color , apparently from the swamps emptying into it.
Water was clean though, no weeds or trash, very little shells visible.

Still a pleasant short outing.

East Beach is a small beach on St. Simons Island. Locals go to just look out at the surf and if you are lucky, enjoy the diverse birdlife. It is worth seeking out. The car park only has room for about 10 cars, but there are lots of side streets with ample parking. No charge for parking anywhere on the island. !!!!!!

We visit St. Simons multiple times each year, and I used to live here as well. East Beach at the old Coast Guard station is my no. 1 beach! First of all, it's wide enough that there is still some beach left at high tide. Second, dogs! Even when I don't bring my own dog, I love seeing dogs on the beach. Third, good amenities including a nice bathhouse, a concession place, and plenty of sand-washing-off spots. However, be aware that on holiday weekends, spring break, and sometimes just summer Saturdays, the parking lot fills up by 11:00 and the cars are lined up on the streets beyond the parking lot. Try to get there by 10 or earlier on such days or go later in the afternoon.

Good beach along the Atlantic Ocean. Small (width), but clean. Seemed to be adequate parking and small crowds. Enjoyed the visit.

So I usually go to another beach area when I am in town until I read about this one on here and decided to give it a try. So glad I did...we really enjoyed the wide space, lifeguards, the long walkway leading out to the beach was also nice. Also thankful for the close by bathrooms and rinsing area too.

The beach is wide, hard packed sand at low tide. No shade available, so you definitely will need an umbrella. Not much of a surf at this location, so that is a good thing or a negative depending on what you like at the beach.

You can walk for an hour in each direction from town or from the north end. Not crowded, nice birds, smells and looks great. Not many people except near old coast guard station.

We absolutely love this beach. It is just beautiful here. Very clean and access to restrooms, concessions, and showers to rinse off sandy feet. We will continue to visit here when we come back to Saint Simons.

This was out first visit to s.s.i. and first visit to this Georgia Beach. We loved it !!! It is easily accessible at massengale park which had great beach ammenities and bathrooms. I imagine it is very crowded during the summer and we were here in March. We still enjoyed the water because our two days here were like early summer time. We enjoyed ourselves here and will be back and do recommend.

I recently escaped a frost bitten NYC on a weekend trip to Georgia and spent some time taking in the sun on East Beach. The beach is obviously well cared for and I love that it's entirely public. Even in March, there were plenty of people jogging, playing with their dogs, or just relaxing with friends. Also, they allow beer on the beach which (assuming you can keep the number of obnoxious booze-bags to a minimum) I'm a big fan of.

Definitely worth a visit!

Great beach in the area..off the hidden path. Enjoyed our time there-found lots of shells. Will be there again

Every year we make at least 2 visits to SSI. Every year East Beach is vastly different from the year before. This year it has greatly improved. After this past winter the walk from the Boardwalk to the water is far less. Last year it was so far we turned around and went to Jekyll instead. Glad to be going back to East Beach since we stay on SSI

This beach has restroom facilities and plenty of parking. Concessions with food and drinks available near entrance to beach. Alcohol is allowed but no glass allowed.

Great beach, easy access, and didn't feel crowded even on a holiday weekend. Clean bathrooms and love the showers

Great clean beach on the island and free parking. Also has a clean bathroom area where you can rinse your feet after the beach. The water was still to cold when I went but great for walking and hearing the ocean. The strand is away from homes and the road so it feels like you have the place all to your self.

I visit a number of the Low Country sea islands and decided to give Saint Simons a try. I was not disappointed with the beaches, at all! Same great sand, good sized beach, and not too crowded. No dunes, where I stayed, down on the Kings Way Village area. Sea wall and jetty rocks hold back the tides. No real beach at high tide the closer you get to the pier. Good beach starts at 11th street access and goes northward. Loved being close to the harbor channel, watching all the boats & ships pass by. Plenty of dolphin sittings.

I loved this beach. It was roomy, clean, and just beautiful to see. It had a nice size parking lot with a concession stand and clean bathrooms.

We had no trouble finding this place. The parking lot was large and it had bath houses with showers. There was a little bit of a walk to get from the parking lot but not bad. The water temp. was nice and the waves were not really large the day we were there. There was a fair amount of people but not overcrowded. There were a few guys fishing and catching small sharks and other fish. At one point there were several dolphins swimming by.

Not much beach to enjoy when tide is up. Lots of people and dogs. Most people cleaned up after their dogs but some did not, so watch your step. No shells to be found. Debris (trees, bushes, dead wood) covered beach but oddly no shells. Decent bathrooms and showers to remove sand.

To-day we spent some time at the East Beach (off the Ocean Drive) on Saint Simons Island (between Savannah and Jacksonville). It is a nice beach with firm white sand (good for walking) and some rocks. There is ample parking and there are shower and restroom facilities. It was far from crowded and it is only one mile from the village center. Some of us went swimming and enjoyed it.

I love this beach for walking. It’s hard packed so easy to walk on. I walked miles every day, enjoying the sound of the waves washing up on shore.

East beach is a nice location. It is rarely ever overrun by visitors. The water is shallow and the sandy beach is nicely powdery. While we were there, we saw how a fisher on shore caught a small shark. This is apparently not a unique occurrence.

Walking on east beach with tide out and the sun rising is a moving experience. Park at the old coast guard station, head to the beach and walk east as the sands dry out. Then turn and walk South West toward St Simons town.The beach is not crowded on week days but dogs are not on leashes.

Goulds Inlet at East Beach is the perfect spot of tranquillity and beauty for spotting migrating birds, sunrises and sunsets, tide changes and Sea Island. It is one of my favorite places on SSI to marvel at God's glory. On a full moon night, the view is outstanding.

Pleasant place. St. Simons is an island off the Georgia coast. It’s known for its salt marshes and sandy stretches like East Beach. A museum traces the history of St. Simons Lighthouse, rebuilt in 1872 after it was destroyed in the Civil War. Anglers fish off nearby St. Simons Pier, which offers views of Jekyll Island and migrating whales.

I have traveled extensively throughout the Caribbean and East Beach is one of my favorite beaches ever. It is peaceful, beautiful, uncrowded and nature kissed. Can't wait to return!

This beach is a bonanza for so many types of visitors of all ages. Wide, clean, and well-maintained it offers opportunities for activities of all kinds. The amenities--easily accessible showers and bathrooms --make it a destination that should not be missed.

We are active seniors and my husband is an avid kite-flyer so it was a treat to have so much space to let them soar!

Don't miss a visit to this one!

This is one of the cleanest beaches I have been too. Dog friendly, sand is so very soft and fine. I got there early morning to watch the sunrise over the ocean and loved it. Very friendly people here and just loved watching the dogs play in the water.

My wife and I visited this beach to walk along the sand and water on several sequential evenings. Going fairly late made parking easy. The beach is very clean and the sand firm. It is a great place for an evening stroll.

Awesome. Dog friendly after memorial day to labor day! Shallow at low tide for great shelling, walking and even biking! Very low key beach, clean and good for swimming, boogie boards, wind surfing!
Great place to bring kids for day! Love it!

Visited the lighthouse. A MUST see! One of the better laid out lighthouses and museums. Beach was interesting! Gold speckled sand was beautiful.

This is an awesome beach, wide, clean and uncrowded. Soft but firm sand made it easy to walk. Dogs only allowed in certain areas.

Easy access. We always park by the coast guard. Pet friendly. People friendly. Great for walking . I recommend always checking when high tide is so that you have plenty of beach access

I am the beach person in our family. My husband agreed to spend an afternoon at East Beach. He surprised me when he said he really liked East Beach. Great parking, facilities, a blue carpet that made it easy to walk out onto the sand, and lots of room to spread out.

Public beaches can be iffy but this one was amazing. The public restrooms and rinse off facilities were clean each time. Parking does fill up quickly but the lot is large. Dogs were allowed at the time we visited and our little Chihuahua had a blast. Surprisingly, everyone with a dog was respectful of others and the beach was clean. We did look at the other public beaches and agreed East Beach was our favorite. The only negative was a sales company was there on Sunday with music blasting from their sales tent. Perhaps a noise ordinance for businesses would help??

All of the SSI beaches are similar: silt is carried onto the beach from the river to the north, so these beaches are dark and compare poorly to almost any FL beach. Still, as a casual walk, you can spend a pleasant hour.

This is nice public beach - lots of parking, wide beaches, and three life guard stations if you are there with the little ones.

You can walk for miles in both directions. I had forgotten how wonderful the beach is in November/December

What a secret jewel! walked right on to the beach, not crouded, very few there, and we walked for miles. Just beautiful!

This is a low tide beach. It only has a beach during low tide. The area has a large tide difference. About 6-7 feet between low tide and high tide. Very small beach near the pier, in front of Neptune Park. The water was very warm. Since it was so hot and humid, we preferred a pool. It was cooler.

Have visited this beach for over 30 years. Always seem to find sea life here. And it varies. Recent trip was marked by hermit crabs. Hundreds of them. Other times we have found dozens of horse shoe crabs, the next time it was sand dollars, another visit it was star fish. Great place for kids and those who just want to lounge around in the calm waters.
Parking can be an issue.

East Beach is THE popular hangout for locals, visitors and spring break vacationers. The miles long beach is wide at high tide, with tidal pools for the younger set and sand bars for long walks. The beach is especially popular with locals as a dog walking and running destination. Even the dogs have friends on St. Simons! Dogs, tongues lolling, race up and down chasing Frisbees and balls or just on jaunts with their owners. Responsible owners only leave footprints in the sand.

Loved the beach.

Awesome for Sunrise. Awesome for family activities. Cant fault it.

You can walk out a fair way as there are lots of Sands plains.

Would definitely recommend this beach, its alot quieter here

Only downside its a 5/10 min walk (depending where you seat) to the bathrooms and concession stand

Free Parking too

Beautiful beach with multiple access points. One of the public access points also has a very nice playground and picnice table (Massengale, I think).

This is our favorite location to sunbathe on the island. A bit calmer, and great views. Parking is tight.

We spent several days at this beach. It was clean and was Not crowded. You can access it from several different locations. It was really nice to have life guards on duty (just in case). We played in the water with boogie boards, flew kites, picnicked near by, had a great time. Didn't have any problems rude beach behavior like loud music, alcohol, etc. Nice family place to go.

Wide, long and beautiful. This beach doesn't have the sugary beaches of Florida, but is very pretty. There was great people watching, lounging, fishing, walking, running and biking. Would definitely return.

This beach is flanked by homes and only has a few spots with parking for 3 to 5 cars at a time. It is usually not crowded, but being so hard to access almost ruins the experience. There is usually a rounded slope down to the water at low tide and probably isn't suitable for the little ones because of this.

The east beach at the old coast guard station was the widest beach I have ever been on but it was beautiful. Very quite during the week but it did fill up on the week ends. Nice showers and a bathroom area. Free parking in a very well kept parking lot.

East Beach is a wide, beautiful, clean, and well maintained beach! It's so big that there is plenty of room to spread out and enjoy your day. We checked out three Saint Simons beachs and this was the best by far!

As a native from the L.A. area, I LOVED this beach in contrast to our Pacific. Warm water and soft sand...beautiful! Plenty of free parking (another perk we don't have) and facilities to rinse off. Check the tides to make sure you go at the right time. The tide moves fast!

This beach is beautiful and is different than most beaches , due to the tide and sandbars. Lots of places for young kids to play in shallow tide pools.
It was very crowded and there were a lot of dogs on the beach, which was kinda of gross. I just find it hard to believe that everyone cleans up after their dogs .
Some of the people were rude and didn't respect others.
We saw kids fighting! They were dragging each other through the water by the hair and finally the parents stepped in. Another parent was screaming and cussing at her very young children , in front of other families.
I would suggest getting there early or in the evening.

nice view to open water. from the shore was able to see several crabs, some dolphins off playing in the water and some sailboats were out being active.

The view was great and the water was cold at first but you get used to it. They have a nice sand volleyball court.

We toyed a short 5 min drive or 15 min walk from this beach. We brought sour two large dogs on this vacation and this was our morning exercise. From Sept to May dogs can be off lead on the beach. The beach is very very wide to lots of sale for dogs to run and not bother other dogs or people. Also this beach is the least affected by the tides so you can truly walk long distances at any time of the day.

Nice Beach with lovely views. We had to find a spot were the tides were not high. Still worth the the effort. Not place to relax

Clean with easy access and all sand and nothing to hurt your feet. Plenty of parking even today on a Saturday. Not over crowded and very peaceful!!

Beautiful, clean beach! Life guards on duty. Loved it!!! Parking is very limited so you have to be patient if you get there in the afternoon.

Great access and parking. Has plenty of wash off amentites and bathroom. Also saw has a little cafe shop for food including hotdogs and hamburgers. Which is nice because most tend to just have drinks, ice cream and/or chips. We will back more to this beach area for sure. Nice clean beach and tidepools during low tide make it easy for younger ones to hang out in water and not be bombarded by waves since while we were there was in windier side.

We come to this beach every summer. It is not as crowded as Tybee Island on most weekends. The only thing I would change is the making the tarp longer to enter the beach..the sand is very thick at the entrance which makes it hard to walk and pull a wagon.

Nice beach and ample parking. Really the only public beach on the island except for little openings and parks here and there. They also have a nice restroom area too.

Running the length of the island, the beach is wide with a gradual slope, making it good for wading and fishing.

We noted there appear to be several sand bars off the beach that reduce the waves, making for more tranquil waters.

Beautiful beach . Very shallow but no crowds. Great free parking. Lots of live hermit crabs and it is dog friendly.

This is considered a place to enjoy the peaceful beach atmosphere- one of a few spots with a beach a joggers / runners peaceful reunion with energy and spirit

My experience was at 6 pm on a Friday evening. I packed a picnic to eat on the beach. 4 different dogs from 4 different owners were in my face at 4 separate times wanting my sandwich while their owners watched in amusement. I love dogs. Who just lets the dog in a stranger’s face while they try to eat a sandwich? I think dogs with good recall skills and dogs who mind their business are fine off leash but this situation is mayhem. 2 of the dogs that were in my face for my sandwich were on a leash with the owner in tow. I don’t recommend.

Was here today for the first. It was low tide and basically rained 10 minutes after we arrived.

Was hoping for some nice shells and some sharks teeth, but found none of each.

Is nice to have free parking and a nice area to wash off the sand and change.

Not very crowded. Nice clean beach. Bathrooms, free parking, life guard on duty. We love when the tides goes out and there's lots of shallow water and a huge sand bar!

Had so much fun at the beach today. There's great parking and easy access to the sand. And it's super dog friendly. Highly recommend this beach if you're nearby.

Many people love to watch as nice sunset and I am one of them. However, the Real treat of East Beach is to get there early and watch the sunrise. You literally see that great ball of fire come out of the water to take command of the morning sky.

Beautiful beach! Not too busy, clean. Perfect spot for families! Great views and close to lots of restaurants and shops!

In my opinion this is the best beach around here. If you are looking for a real beach experience don't waste your time in Jekyll Island beaches. Beautiful sand, warm clear water and peaceful place.

Free parking, clean bath house, Italian ice served on the beach, snack shack near bathrooms, multiple showers and water hoses to rinse off sand. Short walk to the expansive beach, not too crowded during the week, great for families. Low tide and tide pools great for the kiddies. Life guards. Great beach experience!

Fun time looking for shells during early morning while low tide. Watching the little blue crabs playing peek-a-boo was a fun time. Night time was breath taking.

Visited the beach on a warm, breezy morning. We had our dog with us on a long lead; she really enjoyed romping in the waves. The beach is very long and wide; nice and sandy.

Great beach access area with free parking. Great area for fishing, picnicking, walking, swimming or just laying out and working on your tan. Many other attractions within walking distance of the beach.

This is pretty much the only beach on the island (at least that I could find), but long enough to make a very long walk, or to break into several walks. Not as crowded as the beaches on Hilton Head, but not nearly as uncrowded as the beaches on Jekyll Island.

Great beach but a lot of loose dogs. We have visited twice so far as we're staying the month of February while visiting from NH. On the first visit we found several poop bags near the entrance and when we left a couple of hours later, they were still there. The second visit this week a couple of loose dogs approached us at our blanket. I'm an animal lover and it's not the dog's fault but a I'm sorry from the owner when your dog steps all over a person's blanket would be nice.
The beach is flat and very powdery soft sand is wonderful to walk on for these snowbirds. Nice clean facilities and ample parking are also a hit with us.

My girlfriends and I stayed on St. Simons Island and went to East Beach our 2nd day. We came early and spent an entire Saturday. The sand and water was just as beautiful as Massengale Park which is where we were the day before. There seemed to be more sandbars and more wildlife here. I cannot decide on which beach was better. Either way, it was beautiful and peaceful. We had a fun and relaxing time.

Beautiful dunes; dog friendly (with some restrictions); very clean with garbage and recycling facilities; large beach on the Atlantic; lots of free parking.

While on St. Simons , you must go to the beach. East Beach has plenty of parking for beach access and has showers and bathrooms. Life guards on duty.

Incredible view. Peaceful. Information provided concerning turtles/ wildlife. Beautiful area of the beach.

Makes for a nice enjoyable day with the family at the beach . You’ll see pelicans, fish, crabs , jellyfish ( and feel ouch!), and dolphins. Also a a vendor going up and down the beach selling Italian ice. Take and umbrella, chairs, snacks / drinks and make a day if it . There are no changing facilities or restrooms. Bring a separate bag to put your garbage in as there are no garbage cans on the beach only at the parking lot entrance.

I believe the title tells it all. Just a great, laid back beach/island! Lots of good restaurants and things to see and do.

It wasn't warm enough for sunbathing or swimming when we were there, but it was nice to walk along the beach. Plenty of roads have access points onto it.

We arrived in the late morning, around low tide. The beach was lovely - though the sand is not sugar white and soft as at the Gulf of Mexico, it was fine and the water was inviting. But by 2 p.m., there was virtually no beach left at high tide. We were moving our things back and eventually clinging to the side.

Beautiful Georgia beach! We enjoyed walking, wading, sitting near the waves, looking for sand dollars and soaking up the sun!

At low tide, this is a really good beach for riding bicycles and dog walking. The sand is firmly packed and easy to ride on. The beaches on Jekyll Island looked like they might be nicer for sunbathing and enjoying the water.

Perfect beach for playing with the dog or for waking. Seen people on bicycles on the packed down sand riding. Never felt crowded while visiting.

We LOVED this beach! There was plenty of parking, restrooms, and it wasn't crowded! We went for spring break so we were very surprised that there was plenty of room on the weekend! We saw crabs, jellyfish, and other ocean creatures! We already have plans to go back!!

Great bath house and concessions at beach entrance. Very wide beach and not overly crowded even on summer weekends. Easy to find and lots of free parking.

We had a great time at the beach. We experienced both high and low tide. Swimming against the current during low tide was fun! It reminded me of an aqua spa. I would swim for about 45 seconds but only went 10-12 feet! We found a lot of beautiful seashells! We enjoyed our time at SSI! We will definitely be returning!

There is a large patch of sand before you get to the water, so there is plenty of room to spread out, relax, play some beach games, etc. The water was a dingy tan color and the ladies found that once you went a certain distance out, there was a tar like substance on the bottom.

I loved the chance to get up early and find my way to east Beach for a beautiful Atlantic sunrise. It's worth it!

We packed our things to stay the afternoon and evening at this beach and were not disappointed. Our vacation was during an uptick of the Corona virus in the area; but the beach had people on it but it wasn't crowded at all. It was breezy, quiet and beautiful. I have been to many beaches and was surprised by the color of the water. It is rich in nutrients for the ocean dwelling creatures so the water is very brown in color. It wasn't off-putting to me but I thought I would mention it if you were expecting white sand beaches with crystal clear blue water. We brought snorkels not knowing about the water color and left them in the car. Another thing that was nicely surprising is the amount of sand dollars on the beaches. I had never seen so many sand dollars in one place! This is a great beach to take a stroll. Lifeguards are on duty until 5 p.m. Alcoholic beverages are allowed outside of glass containers, floats are also allowed. Bring your own chairs and umbrella.

Went to the beach on a Thursday afternoon. There are bathrooms nearby but not on the beach area. The beach was clean. No drinks or food being sold at this time during the week. Maybe the weekends?

Very spacious sandy beach with sand bar during low tide. That was an awesome sight. Bath house a plus with water hose to rinse off. Free parking - excellent. Not crowdy. I am impressed.

East Beach is the best dog park on St. Simons. Dozens of dogs and their owners come to stretch their canine friends' legs.
It's a great beach for people, too. There is a hum and rhythm to the shifting tides. Dogs are banned during daytime Memorial Day through Labor Day, but they can come early for sunrise or late for sunset.

Such a nice clean beach. Soft sand, lifeguard stations and concession stands. Great for a family outing. Whether you're swimming, relaxing, tanning or people watching you can find it all at Coast Guard Beach aka East Beach.

We decided to give St. Simon's Island a shot after two visits to Jekyll Island, and we weren't disappointed. The entrance is lined with beautiful live oaks draped with Spanish Moss and traffic is fairly light. The location is convenient as well being just minutes off of I-95 at Brunswick.

The beach itself is wide enough at low tide to accommodate large crowds, but none were present during our weekday visit. Just offshore was a sandy bar which was easy to wade out to, and it was from here that we watched a group of about 8 dolphins frolic past! Definitely a cool experience. My wife and I spent a little time shell hunting, and we found hermit crabs in abundance. The beach was VERY clean and virtually free of litter of any kind.

If you visit, there are several public access points squeezed in between the rental condos which are not as busy as the main access near the shower house, but expect to walk if you need a restroom break. Overall, this was a terrific beach for a great family outing without all the environmental restricted areas like Jekyll Island has. Definitely a beach we will return to.

East Beach is a beautiful place for walking or for sitting down and catching rays. Folks are friendly and it's not too crowded.

My wife and I love this beach so much that we bought a house on St Simons to be able to come more often.

I love East Beach! I've never have trouble parking and it is rarely crowded. Also, at low tide especially, the beach seems to go on forever. If you get tired of walking on the beach, the neighborhood provides for excellent real estate gawking, as well.

Peace and Quwahn. If you like the movie Jerry McGuire with Cuba Gooding Jr. You'll know exactly where I'm coming from. This is where you go at 5am to commune with God and his awesomeness.

East Beach continues to grow with sand deposits especially on the north end. Convenient parking by the Old Coast Guard Station.

Do yourself a favor and make the trip to East Beach for a beautiful Saint Simons Island sunrise. You won't regret it.

East Beach is not for us. The water is murky and there are no waves.
It's more like a lake. St. Simons village is nearby and nice. Crabdaddy's has great seafood.

East Beach is definitely NOT one of those tourist trap beaches, like Myrtle Beach & some others. It's quiet, litter-free, lovely & a joy to sit out sunning yourself, go for a nice walk, or get some swimming in. During the off season, it's practically deserted, so if you don't like crowds, I'd definitely go early in the spring or late in the fall. But even if you do go during tourist season, again, it's nothing like Daytona or other similar tourist traps. The only thing that makes it seem crowded then is it's truthfully quite a small beach, so it doesn't take too many people for it to get crowded. It's conveniently located in front of the luxurious King & Prince resort, but even if you're staying elsewhere, such as the Village, you're only 5 minutes away, so it's very easy to get to & even during those times it gets crowded, it always seems to have plenty of parking. If you want to go to the beach to get away & relax, this is the place for you! And if you want to engage in tourist activities, there are not only some things you can do on the island, but it's only an hour south of Savannah & an hour north of Jacksonville, & slightly further from St. Augustine, which is a very nice place to visit. A very nice little beach.

The river sediment makes the water cloudy and gray. You will find better beaches elsewhere. Don’t go for pristine and clean beach environments.

This beach is fine sand, conveinent restrooms, ample parking and is one of the cleanest I've visited yet. Perfect for an Atlantic coast family vacation, family reunion or couple's get away.

We love to go to East Beach when on the island. The beach seems less crowded and a bit more family friendly on this end of the island.

Pets are allowed on the beach except from Memorial Day through Labor Day. There were very many there on the three different visits we made to East Beach. The beach is long and wide with plenty of room for running off leash. Our “girls” had a very nice time here - as did we.

Make sure you go during LowTide. There is so much more beach then. I liked the showers to wash the sand off. The parking was close. Even if the lot is full there beach is not.

This is a large (wide and long) beach with minimal crowds. The water is shallow for a long distance, making it a good fit for kids to play in the ocean. The sand is flat and well-packed for a considerable width, making it a good place to run or bike. The only draw-back is that the waves are not too big, so boogie-boarding or body surfing are not the best.

We loved east beach. It was an easy drive from any where on the island. Wonderful sandy beach. The kids loved it.

What a great job the town has done with this public beach.
And what an awesome place. Middle of the summer, no crowds. I loved it. Clean, great tidal pools and sand bars to play in, nothing to complain about on this great beach!

East Beach is a great place to start your mornings as you enjoy the sun rising. It is easy to park in the big lot in front of the Historic Coast Guard Station and walk out onto the beach. You might want to check the tide to see how much sand there will be, but normally there will be a wide beach and easy walking. Many people enjoy this area with their dogs in the early morning. The beach is easy to enjoy most of the day, not just early. You might see large car carriers coming in or leaving as they use Colonels Island. During shrimping season, you can also see shrimp boats. Enjoy!

Beautiful clean beach waves were wonderful it was a beautiful day the sky was blue in the beach is actually very clean and awesome

The bath house is well kept and we did not have any trouble parking. The beach, parking, and facilities are free and absolutely beautiful. There are no buildins just natural open beach.

I used to live in St. Simons and East Beach has changed. Nice waves, big beach, friendly people and oodles of dogs. Very clean and good parking.

The size of east beach varies greatly according to the tide level. Too many non-swimmers get stranded on the sand bar when the tide comes in. The beach is always friendly and the sand is hard packed for bicycles and runners. Don't expect the azure waters and coral sands of the Caribbean but the water is comfortably warm. Sometimes the jellyfish are too abundant. Avoid the beach during the Fla/GA football game weekend unless you enjoy being surrounded by drunken, littering hordes.

Loved the beach. Be sure to watch the high tide timing, as it really influences how far you can walk. The beach has such a different personality from low tide (no waves) to high tide. Very pet friendly area.

St Simon's IS continues to preserve its beaches (dunes, rocks, wildlife, etc.)
We have had giant sea turtles swim up beside of us, horseshoe crabs, etc.
This is not a commercialized beach, which brings us back time and time again.
If you are not familiar with st Simon's or Jekyll IS, please be mindful of the sand bars and RIP tides. Read the tide charts. As the tide rolls, waves are minimal and much of the beach and bars are exposed. Growing up around water, I appreciate and heed the watches and warnings posted. With that being said, I Love the coastal islands!! If I'm on their Atlantic coast, I'm usually here!

I’ve seen no mention of jellyfish among recent reviews, so just wanted to alert folks that during our visit on 4/28/19, there were tons of jellyfish. We walked for about an 90 minutes total (in both directions), and the jellyfish were everywhere.

Also saw people not cleaning up after their dogs - even though there are stations with plastic bags readily available. The worst example was someone who allowed their dog to take a dump right on the blue mat that people walk on to get to the beach.

We love this beach but due to the holiday it was full, no parking. Nice flat beach and great views. Very Dog friendly as all of St. Simons is.

Pretty beach with tide pools. There are lots of minnows, and I saw 2 types of crabs. It was fairly crowded on a bright weekend afternoon, but if you walk far enough, there are more secluded areas to set up. We saw a couple of surfers out on a point. In the evening, large V shaped formations of pelican flew overhead. They were beautiful.

Someday, I may get to Hawaii or the Caribbean and it may blow this beach out of the water...but for East Coast beaches this place is pretty sweet. People are great. This is not one of those super commercial beaches with trash cans every 5 feet and a million people but it still is busy enough to feel full of life. Lots of families but neither does it feel saccharine-it seems like there's a lot of local presence, as well. The beaches are clean, there's a nice small beach town feel with neat shops, restaurants and bike rentals that feel like part of the local flavor then solely tourism oriented.My favorite are the lovely sandbars that extend out into the water. At low tide there are even places where there are long "ponds" in the sand. This beach really hits the sweet spot and we always look forward to coming here.

Whereas we did not swim, we walked a short distance, for a family with kids and a safety concern, much of the time swimming would be relatively safe.

I do love East Beach. Shore birds, sand bar, sunshine, ocean and a beautiful beach make a great combination.

Lovely beach. Very wide beach, flat and unbelievably clean. Nice restrooms and outdoor showers available. We walked 4 miles and I was so impressed that I saw NO trash polluting the beach.

The beach was about 20 minutes from the hotel we were staying. It was the first place we went to on our vacation. It was a bit of a hassle to find parking, but when we did, it was a great spot near the beach. It was not a far walk at all. It was not very touristy so there were not a lot of people around. The beach was very nice and clean. It did rain every once in a while but they were just flare ups. After it did rain, the sky cleared up really nice for the rest of the day. I would definitely come back again.

It is a great beach to go to for relaxation, running, walking and biking. We love to walk this beach. Sometimes when the tide is low, we walk to the Village and back. It has hard packed sand so lots of folks like to run or bike on it. It is clean and the facilities are as well. Whoever cleans the restrooms does a fabulous job. We enjoy taking long walks and this is our favorite spot for that!

very clean beach access, with good amount of parking and clean restroom facilities and wash off area.

lined with rocks then turns into beach great views all around people like to fish this area just a small channel between you and sea island . great place to just relax

I live on St. Simons and have for almost 20 years. East Beach is considered "Old St. Simons" as is the area around the Village and Lighthouse. There are some old homes on East Beach but the most interesting and actually amazing aspect of the East Beach area is the changing topography. There are the Johnson Rocks (placed there by LBJ as a favor to our U.S. Congressional delegation at the time), huge chucks of granite brought in and placed on the shore to prevent the chronic erosion. One day you go to East Beach and you can climb on the rocks. A week later, the rocks are under a cover of sand. One day there is a sandbar that is long and narrow and the next day, it is gone completely. On another day, there may well be an inlet and the next day, no inlet. There are wonderful beaches to sun on and great places to swim or kayak. There are places to find shells, many varied types of birds and some families of mink and otters. Often quiet with benches to use to enjoy communing with nature and taking some time alone. Beautiful.

Big and beautiful beach! One of the widest beaches I have ever been on. I only wish all pet owners would follow the rules of _ leashing dogs. I love seeing pets on the beach but saw a couple of issues with dogs not getting along with one another.

This is a beautiful beach but please stay off the dunes. It is against the law. Please respect our beaches. Enjoy your walk it is lovely.

The MOST impressively low, low tide I've ever seen. Created great tidal pools to splash in (beware, the bottoms of these are pretty mucky with organic decay). The beach appeared very clean, free public parking lot, bike racks, outdoor showers, indoor bathrooms and a snack stand. The entrance even had a rubber mat to ease the transition over the super soft sand!

Nice, wide beach to walk, look for shells, sunbath, play in the sand, etc. There are lots of Public Access areas with signs identifying beach access. The Beach serves as a popular option because of the location adjacent to St Simom village. There are many condos, hotels and homes available to stay, either located on the beach or within easy walking distance.

If shell collecting is your hobby, you will have plenty to choose from. Some people were collecting "Sand Dollars". Be aware of the Jelly Fish that wash-up on shore, don't touch them!

I live on the marsh a few hundred yards from The Ocean on East Beach !
I grew up in Maryland so understand what beach towns are all about,,,Annapolis,St Michaels etc,
But there is nothing like St Simons and East Beach ,

So much to see and do without worrying about major highways !
Great beach , food and people!

We enjoyed long walks on the beach! This is a great beach for taking long strolls. It was not overly crowded. The sand is not too soft, but nice and firm which makes walking easier.

wide white sand with good parking near by make this a quality attraction. at low tide you can easily get to the off shore sand bar. but do not dawdle as the tide will come in as fast as it went out and you could find yourself in for a swim. clean, fun, free and its not far from any where on the island

We love this beach. We enjoy walking on it and enjoying the views. And it is wide especially at low tide. If it is low tide, you can walk to the village from here as well. But, you have to pay attention to the tide. The parking is convenient and they have bathroom facilities that are handy. The view is fabulous. And it is free...no entrance or parking fees!

This was a very clean and beautiful beach with plenty of room for walking, playing or just sitting. It was fun to both people watch and dog watch here. I even got to dolphin watch which was very cool.

East Beach is a well kept beach that can be crowded but not seem crowded. Parking is in the old coats guard lot ,the changing/restrooms are clean and there's plenty of showers . The beach is so peaceful and relaxing to me .I like to walk and get a few shells. I have found intact sand dollars also.

The beaches are beautiful (sand and dunes) but the water is brownish! We didn't expect the water to be Caribbean blue but surprised that the Atlantic could be this brownish! Don't let the color of the water distract you from the beach itself as it is quite beautiful!

Massive beach at low tide. Tons of little tide pools and just a unique experience compared to traditional beaches.

we visited over memorial day weekend and it wasn't over crowded. it is a lovely beach with a lot of sand to layout and for people to spread out. the changing room and showers were plenty and clean! our dog was with us as well :)

We went out two evenings and took long walks on this beach. Nice firm sand makes walking easy. Good time of day to take photos. The setting sun in the west perfectly lights someone with their back to the waves for good shots. We didn't really see any shells or much wildlife.

Our favorite area to walk the beach or just sit and relax. Friendly people as well as well behaved dogs. No trash or obnoxious behavior

St. Simons Island is about as perfect of a town to be as I have ever seen! There are so many things that I love about this island, especially the Village/Neptune Park area, but before I visited East Beach, I did have one concern. My first glimpse of a St. Simons Island beach was the narrow strip that fronts the village area near where the sound meets the ocean. At high tide, I had seen this stretch disappear all the way to the rocks, and I was concerned that perhaps the island's big drawback would be the lack of an accessible beach at high tide. Fear not! A short drive over to East Beach, even at high tide, will yield a vast swath of sand just waiting for you to sink your toes into. Not only is the beach very wide here, but there are actually a couple of low-rise resort hotels too, which are fronted by colorful cabanas and windsails, creating a scene one might expect to see along Florida's Gulf Coast. The beach was such a pleasant surprise! Our family's trip to East Beach really soldified St. Simons Island as our favorite day-trip escape!

Not a very long beach - approx 2 miles from the lighthouse to the North end. Extremely clean and only busy (but not crowded) near the King and Prince Hotel.

Lots of fun playing in the ocean body surfing. Really cool hermit and horseshoe crabs. Boys reeled in a sandbar shark about 4 feet.

The East Beach is the best beach in Georgia bar none. Free parking, restrooms, showers and locker rooms. Nice park for a picnic and not too far from eateries. Scenery is great if you like girls. It is not commercialized at all so no hot dog stands, bicycle rentals or any such right there but all that is just up the road if you must have it. You can get nearly 1/4 mile off shore on the sand bars.

room to roam on white sandy beach. clean adequate parking close by and far and away the best beach on the island

The beach is well kept and clean. The water is calm and great for young kids to wade in. Nice when the tide goes out, as an island forms that you can wade to. We collected great sea shells. Flat sands for riding bikes or jogging.

A beautiful, serene, expansive beach away from the very touristy Tybee Island. Walked for over a mile on the beach. Dog friendly. Water was clean and clear. Parking is free!!!!

My husband and I first visited East Beach in January and it quickly became our favorite beach on the island. Unspoiled, not crowded, the land and waterscape change dramatically with the tides and the weather. A great spot to walk, walk your dog, very clean and other residents and visitors very kind and friendly. Only drawback is there are no public restrooms at the 15th street entrance. Be prepared to drive back to the Worl War II Museum beach entrance to use the faciities.

We came here for a couple hours and the Tide was up making a pool on the backside of the beach. Our kids enjoyed finding hermit crabs, fiddler crabs, and snails in it. We swam in the ocean for a little while. There was a drop off where we were.

Weekend the beach is full limited parking. Dog friendly as all of St Simonds is. Get there early and pick your spot.

Best beach on the island open to the public. Easy access. Bathrooms nearby. Snack bar open during tourist season.

A lot of sandbars out there in the ocean. We got there around 7:00, and the tide was coming in. Took many great photos, watched the people walk back from the sandbars. Very pretty place.

From the white sands and the waves glistening in the sun. This beach has a lot to offer. A vacation really needs a nice relaxing beach trip like this one. I can say that people should really pay this a visit.

This beach is close to the Coast Guard station, is very wide, and a few tide pools can be found here. It's a very good place to take young children, although there are prettier beaches in the area.

The East beach section of St. Simon's Island is nice and wide and beautiful. Lots of room and sand to spread out on. Shore tapers off gradually, so it's nice and shallow and easy to play in the surf.

Not the best swimming beach by any means, the water is full of minerals and not clear, but the beach is great for walks and bike riding and just fine for sand castle building too. Pretty dunes and not slightly overdeveloped.

One of the better beaches we saw on our Southeast beach tour. It was very clean and easy to access. Not to crowed on a beautiful day