Georgia's Otherworldly Beach

thegenxjourney (Atlas Obscura User)

Jekyll Island—Georgia state’s smallest barrier island—is a narrow sediment deposit that runs along the coastline. The unique geography of Jekyll Island has given rise to a lovely and surreal beach that doubles as a graveyard for trees.

Picture this: gnarly pine and oak trees litter a desolate beach, standing like twisted sculptures in front of a picturesque coast. Some of the trees remain fully exposed and some appear to emerge from the depths of the sand. Driftwood beach is a sight to behold, looking like a veritable graveyard for sun-bleached trees.

According to the Driftwood Beach website, “this is due to the north end of the island slowly eroding away and being deposited on the south end of the island.” In other words, the eroded soil became increasingly unable to support the trees, which then fell and decayed gradually over time, creating the beautiful and otherworldly sun-bleached formations of Driftwood Beach seen today.

Today, Driftwood Beach is a popular spot for amateur photographers, and a unique venue for local couples to tie the knot.

Know Before You Go

Driftwood Beach is a short walk east from the big fishing pier on the north end of Jekyll Island, but you can see it from the pier. For the best views, be prepared to walk about a mile from the parking area. Feeling adventurous? Just past Villa’s By The Sea, there is a place you can pull off the road and follow the unmarked path down to the beach.

You may also park on the road next to the beach. There is a short path through the trees to arrive at the beach. Google Maps was more accurate than Apple Maps for finding the exact location of the beach.