Often overlooked for more easily accessible national parks, Cumberland Island National Seashore in Southern Georgia is a great option for your next camping adventure! While this park can be visited in one long day, you will be rushed and miss so much. At almost 15 miles long, the island is simply too big to see more than a small portion in one day. By slowing down and taking multiple days, you can really enjoy all that this beautiful island has to offer!
Cumberland Island is Georgia’s southernmost barrier island. It is (mostly) undeveloped, filled with lush live oaks and palmetto palms, tidal marshes, and miles of beaches and dunes. There are no roads to this island, and the only vehicles on it are permanent — either shuttling Park Service workers to various projects, tour vehicles (there are some seasonal tours available for a fee), and a few private vehicles belonging to some of the few private properties on the island. Cumberland Island is wild, beautiful, and peaceful.
Day 0: Reservations!
Before you can consider this multi-day adventure, you will have to make reservations. Camping reservations often need to be made in advance — in fact, they open reservations six months out! If you don’t make plans that far ahead (we don’t!), don’t fret! If you’re flexible, the reservation system allows you to “build your itinerary” with the number of campers in your group, and it will show you availability at all the sites for you to choose what works best for your schedule. Campers can stay for up to seven consecutive nights. Remember to consult the ferry schedule before finalizing your booking, especially in winter (there are no Tues/Wed ferries Dec 1 to Feb 28). Camping fees will be paid online. If you have an America the Beautiful Pass (link), you can enter that number while making the reservation for 50% off camping fees at individual sites! Be sure to review the NPS camping page
for helpful information before making your reservation.
There are multiple campgrounds available, but we like Sea Camp! This campground has potable water, toilets, and cold showers. It’s about a 1/2 mile from the ferry dock. Carts are available (for a fee) to get your stuff moved, thus allowing you to be a little more generous with your gear, food, and drink choices! You are also close enough to the ferry dock to buy more ice if you need it, or to rent bikes for the day, if you choose!
Stafford Beach Campground offers toilets, cold shower, and water (must be treated), and is 3.5 miles from the ferry dock. You *cannot* use their carts to move your items here. The remaining three campgrounds are in Cumberland Island’s Designated Wilderness. They are 5.5, 7.5, and 10.5 miles north of the ferry dock.
Step 2 is to make a ferry reservation. Your return to St. Marys will be on the 10:15 a.m. ferry (if you’re camping at Sea Camp). If you’d like to take a personal bicycle, the ferry now allows a limited number of bikes, and you can book this at the same time as your ferry ticket. Be aware that bikes are not allowed everywhere on the island — they are mainly allowed on the roads and on the beach *between* the Sea Camp and Dungeness Beach Crossovers. You will want a bike with wide tires (like a beach cruiser), as none of the roads are paved. If you’d prefer not to haul a bike with you, you may be able to rent a bike on the island. As of this writing, the bike rentals were unavailable, but they may be again in the future.
Park entrance fees will be paid when you check into the ferry on Day 1. Be sure to print a copy of your camping permit and keep it with you at your campsite.
Day 0 plus 1 (since you’re still traveling, we won’t count today into your 3 days!!!)
Arrive on the morning of your scheduled ferry with a confirmation or printed ticket. Visit the museum and gift shop to learn about the rich history of the island. Check in begins 1 hour before ferry departure. Be sure to check in and then unload your camping supplies. Once your vehicle is unloaded, overnight parking is available one block west of the Visitor Center (staff can direct you to location). Don’t leave valuables in your car! NPS and ferry staff will direct you to load your supplies (and bikes, if applicable) onto the boat, followed by loading all passengers. If you’re taking the 11:45 a.m. ferry, pack a small cooler separately and have lunch on the ride over! The ferry has booths with large windows, so you can enjoy your food as well as the leisurely backwater ride from St Marys to Cumberland Island! The ferry ride is about 45 minutes each way. Sometime during the ride, switch your phone to airplane mode – this will allow you to take pictures of the beauty all around you over the next few days, and to really be present with your family, friends, or whoever you came camping with! Besides, nobody wants to hear a cell phone ring in the middle of a forest or on a deserted beach!
Upon arrival at the island, you will unload your supplies from the ferry, decide if you’d like to purchase firewood for tonight (you should!), then proceed to move your supplies to your designated campsite. The easiest way to do this is with the use of one of the island’s carts, rented for a fee and returnable in an hour. These carts allow you to bring coolers filled with cold goodies (think steaks & beers for dinner or bacon & eggs for breakfast). They also mean that you can bring a bigger tent, an air mattress, maybe even a cot!!! Think about how to make your camping experience a little cushier — this is your opportunity to do that! We will share some of our favorite items to take camping on Cumbie at the end of this article!!!!
Let’s fast forward — supplies are all moved to your site, and you have everything set up. What to do now?! Sit down, take a deep breath, admire your handiwork, and revel in the quiet of “home” for the next few days! If you’re still itching to move, go jump in the ocean for a quick swim before dinner! Rinse off at the bathhouse and head back to prepare dinner. Unlike our more urban articles, our dinner suggestions here will not take you to exciting restaurants, but we will still provide some great meal options to jog your brain as you plan for this adventure! Our favorite first night meal is tacos! We usually pre-prepare them at home, so we just have to heat some items up — this makes the first night much more relaxing and enjoyable! After dinner, make a fire, roast a marshmallow, and enjoy the quiet and solitude that’s all around you!
Day 2
Good morning! Today is all about slowing down — putter around camp for a bit, maybe rekindle the fire or take a brisk morning swim in the ocean. When you’re ready for breakfast, pull out the camp stove and light it up! Bacon, eggs, and potatoes are on the menu for this morning! After breakfast, tidy up around camp, prepare sandwiches for lunch, fill water bottles for your adventure ahead, and map out your day! (As of the writing of this article, the tours and educational programming are all closed. If they have resumed by the time of your visit, we heartily recommend participating in one/some of those activities to learn more about this wonderful island!)
Make plans from here based on the temperature, time of year, and your tolerance for heat. Our day would look something like this: from camp, head out to the beach and turn right. Bike or hike south along the beach to Dungeness Crossover. Make your way west to the beautiful and haunting ruins of Dungeness. Explore the ruins and grounds. Relax on the expansive lawn. Throw a frisbee. Play bocce (check out this traveling bocce set that we love!!!). Walk along the marsh looking for birds, gators, and fish. Eat lunch. Drink a beer. Take some photos. Take a nap. Find animal shapes in the clouds. When you’re ready to start heading back towards camp, take Coleman Avenue and keep your eye on the ground! Roads are regularly graded with material dredged from just offshore, and lots of people find sharks teeth here! When you reach the Ice House Museum, refill your water bottles, use the restrooms, and head north, taking the River Trail back to the ferry dock. From here, it’s a quick 1/2 mile back to camp.
Once back at camp, prep for dinner and relaxing around the fire. Our second night dinner faves include Pasta Primavera, Chicken Tacos, or Chicken Ramen – simplify). Afterwards, be sure to take a walk out to the beach well after dark, lay down a blanket, listen to the ocean waves, and watch the stars slowly move overhead. If you’re lucky, you may see a shooting star!
Day 3
Technically, today is day 3. If you were only able to steal away for 2 nights, it’s time to pack up camp, eat a quick breakfast, and make your way back to the ferry. The ferry leaves at 10:45, so be there by 9:45 a.m. for check in and loading gear. Oatmeal or granola bars are a great meal for this morning. If you were able to snag a third night at your campsite, save these suggestions for tomorrow!
If you’re staying on the island one more day, plan for a similarly relaxing day (are you seeing a theme here?!?) For breakfast today, we recommend omelets — this will get rid of the rest of your eggs, bacon, and veggies. (Be sure to save what you need for dinner tonight!) After breakfast, tidy up camp and prepare for your day. Pack sandwiches and water for lunch. Today, you will head north!!! You’re in search of historic properties, horses, and beautiful solitude. Head out to Main Road and make a right, heading north. Take a leisurely ride north, stopping at Stafford Cemetery (there’s a nearby bathroom at Stafford Beach Campground), and making your way towards Plum Orchard Mansion, donated by the Carnegie family. Fill your water bottles here, if necessary. Spend some quiet time relaxing on the front lawn of this beautiful property. You will likely have less company here than at Dungeness, as it takes a bit more effort to get to Plum Orchard!
After some relaxing at the mansion, you may want to consider starting back towards Sea Camp. The last time that we made this trek, the road was VERY soft sand, making for a very long slog north. We will not encourage biking on the beach if it’s not allowed, but… if it is, we definitely recommend making your way to the shoreline and heading south with the waves on your left! If you’re lucky, you’ll see some wild horses in the dunes on the return trip!
Once back at camp, take a quick jump in the ocean and/or a shower to cool off! Fall into your hammock for a bit (you’ve just ridden about 15 miles!!!) and daydream about dinner!!! Eventually, peel yourself out of your hammock, have an adult beverage if you’re so inclined, and start dinner prep. We suggest burgers and chips! You can use any leftover lettuce, tomatoes, and onions from taco night, and fill up on some carb-y goodness after that long ride! Our favorite burgers include grilled mushrooms, onions, jalapenos, and barbeque sauce, in addition to some gooey cheddar cheese! Clean everything well after dinner, as tomorrow it’s time to pack and leave 🙁
For tonight’s campfire, break out the s’mores! One more night of peace… quiet… solitude… Enjoy the stillness of this magical place!
Day 3 plus 1
Wake up early for one final sunrise and dip in the Atlantic. Now, it’s time to pack up camp, eat a quick breakfast, and make your way back to the ferry. The ferry leaves at 10:45, so be there by 9:45 a.m. for check in and loading gear. Oatmeal or granola bars are a great meal for this morning. Once on the boat, head to the top deck for a bit more sun on your shoulders and wind in your hair. DO NOT take your phone off airplane mode yet! No doubt, you have some great new memories that you made on this beautiful island! Share your favorite moments of the trip with your group and decide to come back… soon!
Once shoreside, unload and pack your vehicle. Head to St. Marys Seafood & More for a great lunch! You really can’t go wrong with anything here; we recommend the Blackened Grouper or the Fried Shrimp, Scallops, and/or Oysters! After lunch, head back to the museum, which is open from 1-4 most days.
We hope you had a great time on Cumbie! Please head over to our Facebook page, like it, and follow along on our adventures, which will help you to plan your adventures!!!! Happy Trails!!!
(You can [sadly] take your phone off airplane mode, but be prepared for the onslaught of electronic noise)
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