Surf the pristine Atlantic shoreline of Fort Clinch State Park. The beach break is good on the right swell and wind. Please be careful when surfing at Fort Clinch. There are no lifeguards on duty and this is a popular swimming beach.
Swimming is available in the Atlantic Ocean south of the jetty. No lifeguards are on duty; swim at your own risk.
Visitors are reminded to pay close attention to the Beach Warning Flag Signs posted at welcome station and at the Atlantic beach access boardwalk. These flags indicate the swimming conditions at the beach. Swimming in all other areas of the park is prohibited due to dangerous currents and steep slopes.
Three distinct sections of beach shoreline provide a wide variety of activities for visitors to enjoy.
- The 0.75-mile section of Atlantic Beach just south of the jetty provides opportunities for swimming, surfing, sunbathing and surf fishing. Please pay attention to ocean conditions at all times, as the ocean always presents some degree of danger. The park displays a beach warning flag system at the designated entrance of the park that provides general conditions of the surf. Lifeguards are not on duty and swimming is at your own risk. Restrooms, dressing rooms and outdoor showers are located in both beach access boardwalks.
- The shoreline just north of the jetty provides for more relaxing activities such as sunbathing, shell collecting and surf fishing. Shell collecting is popular near the jetty rocks and along the shoreline. Visitors can view a wide variety of wildlife, including resting shorebirds, dolphins, and deer foraging in the dunes. Please do not disturb resting shorebirds as this causes them to expend energy that is necessary for their migratory journeys, and reduces natural habitat for resting and nesting activities. Swimming is not permitted north of the fishing pier due to dangerous currents of the St Marys Inlet.
- The shoreline near historic Fort Clinch provides ample opportunities for fishing, shark tooth hunting, nature and wildlife viewing, and more. Bring your binoculars and you might be able to catch a view of the wild horses foraging along the shoreline of Cumberland Island National Seashore, which lies directly to the north.
Fishing opportunities are ample adjacent to the jetty rocks for redfish, flounder, spotted trout and whiting. Shark tooth hunting is popular in this area as they are usually pumped onto the beach during dredging of St. Marys Inlet. Swimming is prohibited in this area due to dangerous currents and steep drop-offs associated with the inlet.