"Outside of these summer restrictions, dogs are welcome on all beach areas as long as they remain under immediate control." That line is on Glynn County's beaches page right now. It refers to the stretch between 16th Street at Gould's Inlet/East Beach South and Mallery Street at the St. Simons Pier. From the Saturday before Memorial Day through Labor Day, dogs are kept off that sand from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Labor Day is behind us, so by the county's own published schedule, every beach on the island is open to dogs again.
The same page goes on to say, "If voice control isn't reliable, a 10-foot leash is required." The ordinance the Glynn County Board of Commissioners adopted on October 1, 2026 carries the off-season beach rule forward and sets it beside stricter leash standards for the rest of the island's public ground.
One Ordinance, Three Leash Standards
The commissioners unanimously adopted a full rewrite of Chapter 2-4, the county's animal control ordinance, at their Thursday, October 1 meeting. The county's October 2 press release lists "running at-large and leash requirements" among the provisions that changed. The adopted ordinance text, dated September 24, 2026, keeps the summer ban on the beach between Sixteenth Street at East Beach and Mallery Street. For the rest of the year, Section 2-4-26(a) says:
"The owner of an animal, whether leashed or unleashed, may take such animal onto the public beaches of St. Simons Island, Georgia, at times other than that prohibited by this subsection, but shall be required to keep such animal within his or her voice command and under his or her immediate control during all such times."
Other parts of the same ordinance treat other ground differently:
| Where | What the October 1 ordinance says | Section |
|---|---|---|
| St. Simons beaches, outside the summer window | Leashed or unleashed, within voice command and immediate control | 2-4-26(a) |
| Glynn County parks | Dogs must be leashed, and no leash may exceed ten feet; dogs may be unleashed in a dog park located in a county park | 2-4-26(c) |
| Any public property | Dogs may not run at large, and a leash may not exceed six feet | 2-4-4 |
| St. Simons Island Pier | No animals, leashed or otherwise | 2-4-26(d) |
The county's beaches page adds one detail the ordinance's beach section doesn't spell out, saying a 10-foot leash is required "if voice control isn't reliable." The press release says the final ordinance will be posted at glynncountyanimals.org once available. Glynn County is the authority on how the general six-foot provision and the beach and park sections work together, and the release lists a communications contact for the ordinance.
What Else Changed for Dog Owners on October 1
The leash line is one piece of a much larger rewrite, and a few other provisions matter for anyone walking a dog on the island this season. The press release summarizes them:
- Identification: a vaccinated dog or cat can be identified by a collar tag showing the county-issued license number, a current rabies tag from a veterinarian, or an implanted microchip registered with current owner information.
- Rabies age: required vaccination moved from 14 weeks to 18 weeks.
- Tethering: a trolley system remains the only approved form of unsupervised tethering. A dog may be left tethered outside alone for up to 30 minutes while the owner completes a temporary task.
- Impoundment: dogs and cats impounded for any reason must be microchipped before they are returned. Animals impounded for running at large must be spayed or neutered within 30 days after release, subject to the exemptions in the ordinance.
The adopted text also lists a dog that "defecates upon any public place" as a nuisance unless the owner promptly removes the waste. Section 2-4-26(b) applies that duty specifically to the St. Simons beach between the low-water mark and the dunes, and to every Glynn County park. Taken together, the at-large ban and the impoundment rules raise the cost of a dog wandering off-leash. That makes it more useful to know exactly where on St. Simons a leashed dog is welcome and where no dog is allowed at all.
Which Land Trust Properties Allow Dogs
Off the beach, the St. Simons Land Trust sets the rules on much of the island's protected land, and its default is strict. The Land Trust's recreation chart says that "only trained service animals are allowed on Land Trust properties," apart from the dog-friendly sites it lists. Read the chart against what each property offers, and dog access tracks size. The large, wild preserves are closed to dogs. The smaller, more neighborhood-scaled trails are open to them.
| Property | Dogs | What it offers |
|---|---|---|
| Cannon's Point Preserve | No; trained service dogs only | 608-acre north-end peninsula, open Saturday through Monday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., free |
| Guale Preserve | No; trained service dogs only | About three miles of trails from Middle Road, plus a Village Drive waterfront with a fishing platform and boat launch |
| John Gilbert Nature Trail | Yes | Half-mile trail and boardwalk on Frederica Road, ending at a marsh deck facing Sea Island |
| Correll Trail at Oatland | Yes, leashed, on a trial basis | Roughly one-mile trail reached from the Lawrence Road bike path |
| Gateway Property | Yes | About ten wooded acres beside Sea Island Road, next to Gascoigne Bluff Park |
| Alice Richards Botanical Trail and Frederica Park | Yes | Native-plant trail and county park on Lawrence Road |
| Historic Harrington School and Harrington Park | Yes | Walking, biking, picnicking |
| Lawrence Road Trail and Sea Island Road Trail | Yes | Walking and biking routes |
| Old Stables Property | Yes | Walking, birding, picnicking |
At Cannon's Point, the rule isn't a policy the Land Trust can loosen on its own. The preserve's FAQ explains that "the conservation easement does not allow dogs or other pets on the property." The easement is held by The Nature Conservancy. Guale's regulations page gives the reason in plain terms: pets are not native, and their presence "disrupts the behavior and health of existing native wildlife." It then lists island alternatives for dog owners: Correll Trail, Frederica Park, Alice Richards Botanical Trail, Harrington Community Park, John Gilbert Nature Trail, Gateway Property, and East Beach, with a note to check the county's seasonal rules.
Of those alternatives, John Gilbert has the newest work to show. The Land Trust reported on September 30 that nearly 40 volunteers with Living Lands and Waters planted the final 325 native plants needed to finish an enhancement of the trail's entry area. Most of the plants came from Florabundance Gardens, All the Buzz, and Southeast Nursery, and the Jekyll Island Authority donated 60 blue-eyed grass plants. Past the new plantings, the boardwalk passes "John's Oak," which the Land Trust describes as a 200-year-old tree at the trail's center. The Land Trust also counts the trail among the island's most visited spots, with hundreds of people stopping each week.
Correll Trail's dog access is still provisional. Its property page says dogs are permitted on a trial basis and must stay leashed. The trail runs under live oaks and along the edge of the salt marsh, just south of Cannon's Point on Lawrence Road.
Where a Dog Can Run Without a Leash
Section 2-4-26(c) of the new ordinance requires leashes in Glynn County parks, with one exception: a dog may be unleashed in a dog park located in a county park. The county lists two dog parks on St. Simons on its dog parks page:
- Frederica Park, 2201 Lawrence Road. On the north end, with shaded play areas, watering and clean-up stations, and separate areas for big and small dogs. County code lists Frederica Park among the parks closed to public use from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Epworth Park, 108 Lady Huntington Drive. Near the island's entrance, with a spacious fenced dog run, an exercise obstacle course, benches, and restrooms nearby on the larger Epworth Park grounds.
Frederica Park also appears on the Land Trust chart as dog-friendly, alongside the Alice Richards Botanical Trail that shares the grounds. A walk on the botanical trail and time in the fenced run can happen at a single stop.
A Leashed Parade on the Lighthouse Lawn
The island's next dog event follows the same leashed rule. The Coastal Georgia Historical Society is hosting Dog-Gone Spooky: A Lighthouse Halloween Story and Dog Parade on Friday, October 30, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. on the St. Simons Lighthouse lawn. The program opens by the Gazebo with the story of the Svendsen family's dog, Jinx, and the Lighthouse ghost. The parade then loops dogs and their people around the A.W. Jones Heritage Center and back to the lawn.
Costume entry is $15, and several dogs can register together if their costumes are meant to be judged as a group. Entering dogs must be leashed and friendly to people and other pets, and spectators attend free. Award categories include Keeper's Best Friend for dog-and-human pair costumes, Jinx, Junior for costumes tied to local history, and Waterfront Wheels for rolling costumes.
Patios Close to the Walks
Several restaurants near the dog-friendly routes carry a "Pet Friendly" tag with outdoor seating in the Golden Isles visitor bureau's listings. That covers Iguanas Seafood Restaurant at 303 Mallery Street in Pier Village and Brogen's South at 200 Pier Alley, a short walk from the parade route. Toward the middle of the island, Southern Soul Barbeque at 2020 Demere Road and Mellow Mushroom at 440 Kings Way carry the same tags. Patio policies can change by season and by day, so check with the restaurant before you bring a dog.
The county rules quoted here are general information, not legal advice. For questions about how the leash provisions apply to a particular beach or park, Glynn County is the authority to ask.
At Pitts Wilson, we track the island's rules on the beaches and trails as closely as we track its market, because both shape what daily life on St. Simons looks like. If you're weighing a home near Frederica Park, John Gilbert Nature Trail, or the beach accesses, schedule a free consultation and we'll walk you through that part of the island.
