Cumberland Island: The Wild, Hidden Gem of the South

I had heard of Cumberland Island before – tales of wild horses, miles of untouched, pristine beaches, the playgrounds of the Carnegie family – and I had always wanted to visit.

But if you haven’t heard of Cumberland, you are not alone – it’s one of the best kept secrets in the continental United States: over 36,000 acres of pristine and wild land that stretches along the southernmost tip of Georgia. The National Park Service protects it and visiting the island is limited but possible.

There are 3 primary ways to visit Cumberland Island.

Day Visit – you’ll take the Cumberland Island Ferry for a pleasant 45 minutes from St. Mary’s. Many visitors opt into the “Land and Legacy Tour” which was not operating during the height of COVID. You’ll have to explore on your own. There are two departures and returns to the island for the most part but check the Ferry website as things change (and are less frequent) depending on the season. You’ll want to stay likely on the Southern part of the Island for the day, visiting Dungeness and the beach. I’d recommend bringing a bike to maximize your visit. Per the ferry website, bikes are allowed on the ferry for a $10 fee and space is limited. Bike transportation is offered on a first come first serve basis. Adult bikes can be rented on the Island for $16 per day or $20 overnight. Rentals are first come, first serve, limited quantity.

Rates are -- Adults: $28; Seniors 62 and over: $26; Children 15 years and under: $18; Park admissions fee: $7; Lands and Legacies Island Van Tour per person: $45

Camping – it’s likely that a day trip won’t be enough, and you’ll find yourself wishing you had planned for a longer visit on the island. The island is well set up for camping and you’ll see a good number of visitors doing the same. If you are staying for one night, we recommend Sea Camp towards the South of the Island. You can reserve here.

Some important notes from the National Park Service:

You must have a reservation to camp on the island
Print a copy of your camping permit within 10 days of the start of your trip and bring it with you to the park
Sea Camp is the only campground with drinkable water (treat water at all other campgrounds)
No fires at the wilderness sites (Hickory Hill, Yankee Paradise, and Brickhill Bluff)
Be prepared to hang your food at all three wilderness campgrounds
Carts of any kind are not allowed north of Sea Camp. Campers should be prepared to hike all gear into Stafford Beach and all three wilderness sites.

Greyfield Inn – the Greyfield is an old Carnegie home that has been converted into a posh, all-inclusive Inn. There are a handful of comfortable rooms both in the main house and two cottages across the lawn. Visitors can explore their surroundings independently or take advantage of the Inn’s naturalist program (multiple tours each day) as well as use the Inn’s many bicycles. Meals are included in the rate, and much of the food is grown farm-to-table in the Inn’s garden. Most of the furnishings (and books in the library!) are original to the Carnegie family, adding to the charm. The Greyfield will arrange your boat on the Lucy Ferguson Ferry in advance from Fernandina Beach.

Sites to see:

There is a ton to do on the island, in addition to just relaxation and marveling at its unique natural setting.

Dungeness – Dungeness was an old Carnegie mansion, located at the south of the island. Unfortunately, the mansion burned in 1959, but the ruins are worth cycling to in order to take in the haunted magic of what once was, all the while surrounded by the wild horses of Cumberland Island. You can walk or cycle to both the beach and the Ice Museum from here.

The Beach – there are over 17 miles of undeveloped, uninterrupted beach on Cumberland. That is quite a marvel, in addition to the shells, sea birds, and dunes that are quite a contrast to much of the developed beaches of the Southeast. Take a walk, take a swim, and marvel in the unspoiled coastline.

Plum Orchard – Another Carnegie home, now owned by the National Park Service, the setting of Plum Orchard is spectacular on the river / marsh (west) side of the island surrounded by huge trees. There are bathrooms available there for hikers too. During COVID, tours were unavailable. There are many picnic tables surrounding the home to take in the view.

African Settlement – at the north of the island, the tiny First African Church was made famous as the site of the wedding of John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessett. There are a few other older buildings there are well (one with public bathrooms). We leisurely cycled on beach cruisers all the way there, picnicked at one of the several picnic tables there, and cycled back stopping at Plum Orchard on the way home. Altogether it was about 30 miles of cycling, primarily on the main road, but gave us a sense of the diversity and size of the island. You’ll cross over several marshes and pass a few hiking trails. The best way to get there is to cycle (it’s 13 miles from Greyfield, but doable in one day).

While it seems weird to mention the “trees” and “horses” as an attraction of Cumberland Island, you’ll want to make sure you see both. The trees are magnificent – live oaks hundreds of years old, dripping with moss and ivy. The horses (there are over 200) are wild and feral, descendent from their Spanish ancestors.

We stayed on the island for 48 hours, but that didn’t seem long enough at all – it felt like Cumberland was such a unique and endangered place, so gorgeous and wild, I can’t wait to get back.

Getting there: To get there, you’ll either need to drive or fly to Jacksonville. Then for day visits or camping, you’ll need to get to St. Mary’s for the ferry. If you are staying at the Greyfield, however, you’ll need to depart on the Greyfield’s ferry from Fernandina Beach (~45 minutes from the Jacksonville Airport).

When to visit: November was superb, and I could imagine early spring would be lovely as well. Note that summer will have intense heat and humidity and bugs!

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