Is the Tybee Island Pier Free?

Yes, the Tybee Island Pier is free. The Tybee Pier & Pavilion is a public park run by Chatham County, and there is no charge to walk out on it. You can go any time the pier is open.

The costs sit around the pier, not on it. Parking nearby is paid. Fishing needs a Georgia license. Dogs are not allowed. This page covers each of those, so nothing surprises you at the rail.

Here is the whole picture in one place:

• Walking the pier: free, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Parking near the pier: paid, set by the City of Tybee.
• Fishing: free to do, but anglers 16 and older need a Georgia license and SIP registration.
• Dogs: not allowed, except service dogs.
• Pavilion events: booked through Chatham County Parks and Recreation.

The sections below take each one in turn.

The short answer on the pier itself

The county runs the pier and pavilion as a public park. It lists no admission fee. The state tourism site, Explore Georgia, also calls it free and open to the public.

The fishing pier is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. The restrooms and pavilion amenities open later, at 10 a.m., and close at 11 p.m. If you want a sunrise walk, the pier is open but the restrooms are not.

One note on the name. The county calls it the Tybee Pier & Pavilion. The pavilion honors Walter Parker, a former Tybee mayor, which is why you may see his name tied to it. The county's own page is parks.chathamcountyga.gov. It is the best place to check hours and notices.

Where the money goes: parking

Free pier, paid parking. That is the one surprise for most day visitors. Public parking near the pier is metered, and you pay by app or kiosk.

The City of Tybee sets the rates and the enforcement hours, and it can change them. The City's Parking Services page has the current numbers.

If you stay with us, this problem mostly goes away. Sea and Breeze is on Tybrisa Street, steps from South Beach, and the pier is a short walk down the same street. Parking on site is free, one car per room. Park once and walk. Our guide to whether Tybee Island is walkable covers how far that gets you.

If you plan to fish

The pier is free to fish from. The fishing is not free of rules.

Georgia does not exempt anglers on public piers. If you are 16 or older, you need two things:

• A Georgia fishing license.
• A free registration in the Saltwater Information Program, called SIP.

Plenty of visitors assume a public pier means no license. In Georgia, it doesn't. Georgia DNR carries the current rules at eregulations.com/georgia/fishing/recreational-fishing. Sort it out before you leave the room, since signal at the end of a pier can be poor.

We wrote a full guide to fishing on Tybee Island. It covers the other public spots and the charters out of Lazaretto Creek.

Dogs are not allowed

Chatham County's page says dogs are not allowed on the pier, with the exception of service dogs. That matches the City's rules, which keep dogs off Tybee's beach and the structures built on it. The pier counts as one of those structures.

The City's beach rules page lists the ordinance. Read it before you plan a beach day around a pet.

Who runs what

It helps to know who to ask, because three different offices touch a pier visit. Chatham County runs the pier and pavilion, so hours, events and park rules come from the county. The City of Tybee runs the parking and the beach rules, so meters, rates and the dog ordinance come from the City. Georgia DNR runs fishing licenses and SIP.

For any rule, go to the office that owns it. The three links above are those offices.

What a visit looks like

The pier is a long wooden walkway into the Atlantic, with the pavilion at the shore end. On a weekend in season, it is crowded with walkers, families and people with fishing lines. Early morning is calmer. Evening is the other quiet window, once the day crowd leaves the sand.

Bring sun protection, because the rail has no shade. If you carry a rod, keep your kit small. You share the pier with strangers, and a compact rig is easier to cast without hitting anyone.

Weddings and private events at the pavilion are booked through Chatham County Parks and Recreation. Rental rules belong to the county, so use the county page for those details.

What to do next

If you are building a day around the pier, start with our locals' guide to the Tybee Island Pier and Pavilion. For what to see on the walk back, see the things to do page. When you get hungry, the dining page lists places on the south end.

Planning your trip? Check availability and walk to the pier from our door.