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Michelle Hornaday, Demand Media

Visit the beaches of Cumberland Island in Georgia. (Photo: Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images )

Visitors to Georgia's Atlantic Coast beaches can see an endangered leatherback sea turtle up to 8 feet in length during the late spring months. You can comb the sands for shells or build a sand castle while inhaling the salty sea air during a visit to the coast. Known as Georgia's Golden Isles, the barrier islands dotting the Atlantic Coast stretch 100 miles, providing beach access to residents and visitors alike.

Located 18 miles east of historic Savannah and just south of the South Carolina border, Tybee Island (cityoftybee.org) is a popular beach destination, with five miles of sandy beaches open to visitors. You can swim or beachcomb at one of the island's two access points: South Beach at the end of Tybrisa Street or North Beach behind the Fort Screven Museum on Meddin Drive. Lifeguards patrol the beaches of Tybee Island during the summer months, and visitors with limited mobility can access the beach over the dune areas using fat-tired wheelchairs on the Mobimat hard surfaces. Nature trails, a birding trail and parks, such as 8 1/2-acre Jaycee Park and 4 1/2-acre Memorial Park, are other recreational destinations for visitors to the island.

Visitors can climb 129 steps to the top of the 104-foot lighthouse built in 1872 on St. Simons Island. Operated by the Coastal Georgia Historical Society (saintsimonslighthouse.org), the lighthouse is open daily as a maritime museum. Spanning 31 square miles, St. Simons Island has golf courses, biking trails, shops, restaurants and miles of sandy beaches. Visitors can find several miles of public beaches at St. Simons Beach and Massengale Park near Ocean Boulevard at East Beach Causeway. A fishing pier is open to the public in the Village area of the island, and other public beach access points on the island include the East Beach Coast Guard Station and public crossover areas, which may have limited parking.

You can bike along 20 miles of paths or visit an outdoor waterpark on a visit to Jekyll Island, the southernmost of Georgia's barrier islands. A former winter retreat for wealthy financiers, the island has several protected areas managed by the Jekyll Island Authority (jekyllislandauthority.org) to oversee conservation efforts and control development. Spend the day on 10 miles of sandy beaches on the shores of Jekyll Island. Driftwood Beach is found on the island's north coast and is named for the prevalence of driftwood and trees in the area; you can walk the Glory Boardwalk to Glory Beach or head to the 20-acre Great Dunes Park (jekyllisland.com). Visitors should stop by the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (georgiaseaturtlecenter.org) to see the center's work with stranded sea turtles. To visit Jekyll Island, head east from the city of Brunswick over a six-mile causeway and stop at the Greeting Station. Boating access is also available at the Jekyll Harbor Marina (jekyllharbor.com).

You can collect seashells and sharks' teeth while combing the beach at Cumberland Island National Seashore (nps.gov). More than 50 miles of hiking trails lead visitors through wetlands, marshes and beneath a canopy of oak trees to sandy beaches, such as Sea Camp or Stafford. You can reserve a seat on the island's passenger ferry to access Cumberland Island beaches for the day or secure a campsite in advance to stay overnight at one of five campgrounds. Private boats may also access the island's beaches and four historic districts featuring 87 structures designated as National Historic Places are also open to Cumberland visitors.

Michelle Hornaday lives in Edmonds, Washington and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Washington State University and a Master of Education from Northern Arizona University. She is currently a freelance writer for various websites.

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Beaches Around Georgia | USA Today