No — dogs are not allowed
Dogs are not allowed on any Tybee Island beach, at any time of year. The City of Tybee Island ordinance makes it "unlawful ... to allow or take that dog or other pet upon the beaches or structures erected thereon" — which includes the beach crossovers and the pier — and the city's citation schedule lists a $300 fine. There is no off-season or early-morning exception: the ban is year-round. Certified service dogs assisting people with disabilities are exempt; emotional support animals are not. Your dog is still welcome on the island, just not on the sand: leashed dogs are fine on Tybee's streets and city parks, off-leash is allowed at the city's Tybee Island Dog Park (14 Captains View), and many rentals and outdoor restaurant patios are dog-friendly. Leashed dogs are also welcome at Fort Pulaski National Monument on the drive out. Rules can change — check cityoftybee.org before you travel.
Where dogs ARE allowed
Everywhere else on the island, leashed. The leash ordinance expressly permits dogs on public streets, lanes, roads and city parks when "held firmly on a leash"; off-leash is allowed only inside the city's authorized dog park (Tybee Island Dog Park, 14 Captains View, beside River's End Campground). Also: outdoor restaurant patios and pet-friendly rentals island-wide. Nearby on the way in, Fort Pulaski National Monument (NPS) and the McQueen's Island Trail allow leashed dogs. Note the ban covers "structures erected thereon" — the crossovers, decks and pier over the beach count as beach.
Managed by City of Tybee Island, Georgia (municipal government — the beaches are city-managed). Official pet policy. Checked against that page in August 2026.
We publish this because finding out at the trailhead is worse than finding out here. Rules change — check before a long drive.