St. Simons Island, Georgia is an island rich in history and rich in natural marvels that will make you feel like you are the only person to have discovered this beautiful paradise. The shores of this haven of nature, abounds in sugar white beaches that offer you a tranquil, more private beach experience.

There are scores of private beaches on this 31-mile paradise. Many hotel resort communities have come in and snatched up glorious areas of once public beach making them their little slice of heaven. Obviously the only way in is to sneak into these areas and look like you belong, unless you plan on staying at one of the resorts. You must talk about the rooms and how wonderful they are, or just act aloof and completely ignore everyone else. The resorts have glorious beaches that are well kept, and looked after and have lifeguards monitoring the area. Of course they also have pools for their guests to swim at, so they really don't even need these prime beach locations.

But, there are four beach access areas that yes, people who don't stay at a resort can abide in.

1. St. Simons Beach also called Masengale Park has several miles of beach that is absolutely glorious. The sand is sugary white and practically falls off of you when it dries. The water is warm and wonderful to swim in almost all year. Masengale Beach allows drinking but it is a very family friendly beach with free parking and picnic areas. There is a playground for the kids to romp around on. There are on-duty lifeguards from June 1 until Labor Day. There are bathroom facilities with showers, and a bathhouse to change in. By the way there are also gorgeous old Southern trees here that provide some necessary shade. This beach is also great for water sporting activities such as jet skiing, boating, and fishing.


2. East Beach has a maritime museum located at the access point of this beach. Pretty cool huh? You can go to the beach and get a quick history lesson about this history- laden area. Magically enough this beach is located on the Eastern side St. Simons Island. The beach part of this trek is very family friendly, and it is packed down for riding family bikes together. It isn't as popular as the other beaches, but maybe that's because it is a smaller beach than the others. There are bathrooms and showers here and picnic facilities.


3. Coast Guard Station Beach is a very family friendly beach. This beach is a wonder to behold in that it has a large stretch of sand that seems to go on forever. This beach is great for shell collecting and sighting those playful dolphins. You can drink alcoholic beverages here while relaxing in the glow of the sun. There are bathhouses and showers here also.


4. Neptune Park Beach offers much more than just a beach, its an entertainment complex too! I guess you could call it that, there's a beach here, mini-golf and a live music venue. It's got everything! There's a pier here to fish off of and catch some small sharks, and watch the dolphins swim around seeing what trouble they can get into. Neptune Park Beach has picnic areas, and some of those gorgeous trees you only see in the South. Here you can enjoy the water to its fullest by participating in any water sport known to man such as windsurfing, kayaking, boating fishing, hanging on a raft, or tube.

St. Simons Island Beaches are a part of history dating back thousands of years, so enjoy your time spent in this rich island paradise. It's well worth the trip.

Brought to you by the beauty of the beach, Kate Johns.