Cumberland Island National Seashore, GA
This was the trip we were all excited about for quite a while as we were lucky enough to book a site at Sea Camp! We were on pins and needles waiting to find out if we were even going to be able to take this trip due to the Covid lockdowns and closures. Fortunately the park service opened camping back on the island starting the day we were set to arrive! This allowed us to be three of just a handful of people on the island after the ferry left on our first afternoon.
Cumberland Island is a remote island off the coast of southern Georgia just North of the Florida line. The island is only accessible by boat and most visitors take the Cumberland Island Ferry. There is a fee per person to ride the ferry each way in addition to the park fee. The trip takes approximately 45 minutes each way and allows you the opportunity to see much of the intercostal area off the coast of St. Mary’s, Georiga. There is an open air upper deck and an enclosed section of the ferry depending on your feelings. We sat inside for the trip over and on the upper deck for the return.
Once you arrive to the island and come off the ferry you are greeted by park staff who will provide basic information and answer any questions you may have. If you are camping they will complete your check in and give any final directions you need. After this it was off to camp for us.
Sea Camp campground is the closest to the ferry and is about a 1/2 mile hike. We each had backpacks and a wagon full of our gear for the week. We planned this well in advance because what you take is what you have (and what you must bring out)! We purchased the Ozark Trail wagon with wide wheels for being on the trail to make the trip easier. You can also rent a wagon from the ferry for around $20.00 but we decided that we would use it in the future. I also opted for the Osprey Rook 65 hiking pack with the internal frame to carry more of our gear in on the hike. I will say that these two items made the hike to camp MUCH easier and I am in LOVE with the Osprey pack after just this trip! Osprey also has a lifetime warranty on their products and obtaining replacements is SUPER simple from what I’ve heard from avid hikers. This warranty, and the attached rain cover, was the final deciding factor for me after trying many packs. I already plan to add the Osprey Stratos 24 to my arsenal of gear for day hikes.
There is a bath house at Sea Camp with cold water showers and filtered water but that’s it! There are no other services available so this is truly a rustic camping experience. You can buy ice and firewood from the ferry on one of its trips but after the last one leaves in the afternoon you’re on your own until the following morning…….PEACE and QUIET!!!! Each site also has a “bear box” to store all your food and goods to keep them out of reach of the wildlife. Raccoons, deer and horses are abundant on the island and will frequently wander through your camp.
After setting up camp we headed off on our first hike. This took us back to the Sea Camp ranger station then South down a short trail to the Ice House Museum and then on to the Dungeness Ruins. On the way to see this we came upon several wild horses (they roam free on the island) in a field and even more surrounding the mansion when we arrived. A word of advice here is to be aware of your surroundings! The horses run and they aren’t worried about a little human in it’s path! We may have learned this the hard way!!!
Another excursion we took on the island was to Plum Mansion which is 7 miles North of the Sea Camp Ranger Station. This, maybe questionable idea, was the thought of then 9 year old J who said “Let’s ride the bicycles!” Being the crazy dad that I am, along with his loving sister, we agreed to rent the bicycles from the ferry and headed off on the ride knowing in advance that the mansion was closed for renovations. This ride is entirely on a dirt road and I will advise you to have PLENTY of water available for the round trip.
Something to keep in mind, especially during the summer months, is the weather. Pop up thunderstorms are common so you should always be prepared. Shortly after we arrived at Plum Mansion the clouds moved in and the thunder rolled! We ultimately decided to seek shelter on the porch of the mansion after seeing several lightning strikes close to us. This allowed us some form of safety and allowed us to stay somewhat dry during the roughly hour-long storm.
That afternoon we ventured out to the beach so K and J could ride the bikes in the surf after the day visitors were gone from the island. This was a completely new experience for them and made the trip completely worthwhile in itself! They were able to keep the bikes steady in shallow surf and still managed to get soaked from head to toe!
As I was watching, and admittedly laughing, at the kids I caught a glimpse of something out of place in the sand. As I looked closer I noticed a starfish had washed up at some point and had unfortunately lost it’s fight trying to make it back to the water. I called the kids over to see this and there was immediate amazement. This allowed for discussion about how we always check shells for signs of life and never take anything from the beach or water that we could possibly save.
After talking about the starfish we all decided to walk the beach looking for more shells, sand dollars and starfish; especially since there wasn’t another person on the beach as far as we could see in either direction. This walk led to probably the BEST memory we all have of the entire summer.!
As we were walking, acting goofy and playing with each other we stumbled upon a large ghost crab who wasn’t at all happy to see us! K immediately yelled “You look like a shark Mr. Crab” and to this day we still talk about “shark crab” almost daily!
Even if you’re not a camper this park should be a bucket list destination! Many people take the morning ferry over and spend the day roaming the island. You won’t be able to take in all there is to offer but you will definitely learn a LOT and enjoy some peace and tranquility without tons of interruptions. There are many hiking trails to roam and lots of wildlife to take in. Many of the deer and horses will come close but always remember that it’s illegal to feed any wildlife! Plan early, be prepared for all weather conditions and enjoy the trip. Additionally if you plan to catch the morning ferry I would suggest staying in the St. Mary’s/Kingsland area the night before. We stayed at the Sleep Inn & Suites just off the interstate in Kingsland and were VERY impressed. The hotel is new, close to everything and the staff was extremely nice!
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