Clear water swimming/tubing in Southeast GA?

[hseII]

The springs in North Florida discourage reptiles as the 60 degree water is not their cup of tea. However, you couldnt pay me to get in any black water creek in Georgia. And since you are at Jekyll, a word of warning there is probably more alligators in the water there than in the Okefenokee, not to mention the massive amount of bacteria in the warm, pollution infested waters that can lead to a case of flesh eating bacteria.

And This.


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[Trouble]

Hey guys,
I'm headed to Jekyll Island and wondered if there are any cool swimming holes or clearwater tubing destinations in that part of the state.
I was considering going to the Ichetucknee river in FL but that is a 2.5 hour drive.
http://www.ichetuckneesprings.com/tube-ichetucknee-springs/

My girls are 5 years old and 2 years old and they love the water. I think they would get a kick out of that. I'm open to any other suggestions of what we should do down there

Anywhere I should go that is closer?

we drove 4 hrs to itcheetucknee. Well.worth it.

 

[Nate]

Haha, yeah I never really understood the beach anyway. I don't like the heat unless I'm getting paid, I don't like to sit idle, don't like sand, and I don't drink to excess. The beach is lame.

But it's getting more fun with the growing youngsters.

Tubing with gators doesn't sound like much fun. I'll take my chances with the muddy bacteria laden waters of jekyll.

Just wondered if there was a closer spring or something else I am missing.

Okefenokee is on the list for sure

 

[Nate]

Take them to the okefenokee,they have a boat ride thru the swamp they will enjoy.plenty of gators.

Is it worth doing a couple of days in the okefenokee? Or is a day and a boat ride enough?

When is the best time of year to go?

 

[robster31316]

Is it worth doing a couple of days in the okefenokee? Or is a day and a boat ride enough?

When is the best time of year to go?

plenty to do down at Okefenokee. In fact you could spend a week there camping, hiking and boating. However, if you think the beach is too hot. I would avoid the swamp during the summer months. https://okeswamp.com/

 

[gh1950]

When is the best time of year to go?

Any time other than the summer,

It will be hot, but especially with youngsters, I would have every one wear long pants, long sleeve shirts, some sort of kerchief on the neck, and a hat.

Run down some Avon Skin So soft, if you can't find it locally, most stores in Jekyll area will save it.

Industrial strength deet.

You may have thought you've seen mosquitoes before, but those little towny mosquitoes don't begin to compare to the A-10 version of mosquitoes in the swamp.


Old S. Ga. joke - dude was fishing on the St. Mary's River, and he was getting swarmed with mosquitoes. He could hear them buzzing around and talking to each other. One asked the other "do we eat him here or take him back to the swamp." Other one said, "eat him here, if we take him back, the big ones will take him away from us."

You can actually camp in the middle of the swamp on platforms. IMO. with a 2 and 5 year old, they will see all of the swamp they want to see in one day.

Back to the tubing idea, the flow rate of most SE GA rivers could be measured in feet per day, not the exciting thrill a minute of a NGA river.

 

[mfoster]

As mentioned with this heat I think a day would be plenty with those youngsters

 

[testdepth]

Any of you local guys down there have suggestions?

There is Summer Waves waterpark on Jekyl has a large area for little kids. St Mary's has a small waterpark but for the money Summer Waves is much better. If you want to hit the beach then Fort Clinch state park is nice and has a nice beach we go boogie board at and find shark's teeth. I live in Kingsland and the closest FL spring is about 2hrs south. If you are military then the Kings Bay base has a pool with slides and a kid area.

Also Summer Waves discounts their tickets if you arrive at 3pm I believe. That still gives about 3 hrs for the kids to play which is plenty for 2 and 5 year old. They have a large lazy river and several slides.

 

[testdepth]

And if you want a much better beach experience than the mud hole at Jekyll, Little Talbot Island State Park just north of Jacksonville is night and day better.

Jekyl beach is a mud pit and sucks. We drove up there and spent about an hour on their mud beach and then got back in the car and drove back down to Fort Clinch. Fort Clinch has a jetty area with little tidal pools that have hermit crabs, baby fish and lots of shells.

 

[Cruisers460]

I think there is a place in Folkston that has some water adventures on the St. Mary's river.

I swam in the St May's a lot when I was younger, that water is very dark from the tanic acid in it.