Cumberland Island, Georgia: Things to See & Do

Cumberland Island, Georgia: Things to See & Do

Just off the coast of St. Marys, Georgia, Cumberland Island is the kind of place that feels a world away without actually being far away.

There are no bridges connecting the island to the mainland. No highways run through it. There are no stores or restaurants waiting for you when you arrive.

Instead, visitors find miles of undeveloped beach, maritime forest, tidal marshes, historic ruins, wildlife, trails, and some of the most unique scenery on the Georgia coast.

Cumberland Island National Seashore is Georgia's largest and southernmost barrier island, and the National Park Service protects its beaches, wilderness, historic sites, cultural resources, and diverse ecosystems.

If you're planning a trip, here are some of the best things to see and do on Cumberland Island.

Getting to Cumberland Island

Your trip begins in St. Marys, Georgia.

Cumberland Island is accessible only by water, with a passenger ferry operating from downtown St. Marys. Private boats can also access designated areas of the island.

The ferry ride takes approximately 45 minutes, and visitors should arrive at the mainland visitor center about an hour before their scheduled departure. Reservations are strongly recommended because ferry space is limited.

The ferry serves both Dungeness and Sea Camp, and where you get off can make a difference depending on what you want to see and do.

If you're visiting the Dungeness Historic District, getting off at Dungeness makes sense.

If you're heading toward the beach, camping, or bringing a bicycle, Sea Camp is generally the better choice.

Explore the Dungeness Ruins

One of the most recognizable places on Cumberland Island is the Dungeness Historic District.

The ruins are what's left of a massive Carnegie family mansion originally built in the late 1800s. Thomas Carnegie and his family developed the property as a winter retreat, and Lucy Carnegie continued expanding the estate after his death.

The mansion eventually grew to approximately 35,000 square feet before being destroyed by fire in 1959.

Today, visitors can walk around the remaining brick and stone walls and explore the surrounding historic grounds.

It's one of those places where the history is almost impossible to miss.

You can stand among the ruins and imagine what the property looked like when the Carnegie family and their guests were spending winters on the island.

Visit the Dungeness Historic District

The ruins aren't the only reason to explore Dungeness.

The surrounding area contains historic structures, open fields, maritime forest, marsh and wildlife habitat.

The National Park Service describes Dungeness as one of the best areas on the island for seeing wildlife, with deer, turkey, armadillos, raccoons, birds and feral horses commonly seen in the area.

Take your time here.

This isn't a place you need to rush through.

See the Wild Horses

You can't talk about Cumberland Island without mentioning the wild horses.

They are one of the island's most recognizable features and can sometimes be seen grazing in open areas around Dungeness and elsewhere on the island.

Seeing a horse standing beneath live oaks or moving through the marsh is one of those Cumberland Island moments that sticks with you.

But remember:

These are wild animals.

Give them plenty of space and never approach, feed, touch, or attempt to photograph them from dangerously close distances.

Let the horses remain wild.

That's part of what makes Cumberland Island special.

Spend Time on the Beach

Cumberland Island's Atlantic shoreline is one of its biggest attractions.

The National Park Service describes the island as having approximately 17 miles of uninterrupted beach, with no houses or docks breaking up the natural landscape.

It's a great place to:

• Walk

• Swim

• Search for shells

• Watch wildlife

• Photograph the coastline

• Relax

• Watch the sunrise

• Enjoy the sound of the ocean

If you're visiting Sea Camp, the easiest beach access is a trail of just over half a mile through the maritime forest and across the dunes.

Stay on designated trails and boardwalks when crossing the dunes because these areas are environmentally sensitive.

Go Hiking

Cumberland Island has more than just a beach.

The island has an extensive network of trails and roads that allow visitors to explore its different ecosystems and historic areas. The National Park Service lists hiking as one of the island's primary recreational activities.

One popular option is the Southend Loop.

The route combines trails, roads and boardwalks and takes visitors through maritime forest, marsh, historic areas and the beach.

If you're planning to hike, bring comfortable shoes and plenty of water.

Distances on Cumberland Island can be deceptive.

What looks close on a map can turn into several miles of walking.

Explore the Maritime Forest

One of the coolest things about Cumberland Island is how quickly the scenery changes.

You can walk from the beach into dunes, then into maritime forest, then toward marsh and tidal creeks.

Live oaks create shaded canopies across portions of the island, and the forest provides habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals.

The island's ecosystems are one of the main reasons it was preserved as a national seashore.

It's not just a beach destination.

It's an entire coastal ecosystem.

Visit Plum Orchard Mansion

If you're interested in history and architecture, Plum Orchard Mansion is another major attraction.

Construction began in 1898 as a wedding gift for George Lauder Carnegie and Margaret Thaw.

The mansion eventually became a large winter residence and today offers visitors a look into the lifestyle of the Carnegie family and the architecture of the period.

Plum Orchard is approximately seven miles north of Sea Camp, so getting there requires planning.

For day visitors, the National Park Service notes that the round trip can take several hours by bicycle and considerably longer on foot.

Visit the First African Baptist Church

Cumberland Island's history isn't limited to wealthy families and historic mansions.

The island also has an important African American history that includes communities, churches, labor, agriculture, and generations of families who lived and worked on Cumberland Island.

The First African Baptist Church near the northern end of the island is one of the best-known historic sites connected to that story.

The National Park Service maintains the church and provides visitor information and ranger programming around the Sea Camp area.

It's worth taking the time to learn about the people who lived on Cumberland Island long before it became a national seashore.

Explore the Ice House Museum

Near the Dungeness dock is the Ice House Museum.

The original building dates to around 1900 and was used to store ice shipped to the island for the Carnegie estate.

Today, the restored building contains exhibits covering the island's history, habitats, wildlife and archaeology.

It's a relatively small museum, but it's an easy stop if you're arriving or departing through Dungeness.

Go Biking

Biking can be one of the best ways to see more of Cumberland Island without walking every mile.

The National Park Service lists biking as one of the island's recreational opportunities, and bicycles can be brought on the ferry with an additional fee and reservation.

Keep in mind that island roads aren't paved like normal city streets.

Expect sandy and uneven surfaces and plan your route accordingly.

Go Camping

For visitors who want more than a day trip, Cumberland Island offers several camping opportunities.

Camping reservations are made through Recreation.gov, and the National Park Service recommends making both ferry and camping reservations ahead of time.

Camping lets you experience something day visitors don't get:

the island after most visitors have gone home.

The sounds of the ocean, wildlife and night sky create a completely different experience.

Just remember that Cumberland Island is intentionally undeveloped.

You need to bring what you need and pack out what you bring in.

Go Kayaking or Boating

Cumberland Island can also be explored from the water.

The National Park Service lists boating and kayaking among the activities available to visitors, although anyone planning a private-watercraft trip needs to understand the local tides, channels, weather and navigation conditions.

The island's marshes and surrounding waterways provide a completely different perspective from exploring on foot.

Watch for Wildlife

Wildlife is everywhere on Cumberland Island.

Depending on where you explore, you may encounter:

• Wild horses

• Deer

• Armadillos

• Raccoons

• Turkeys

• Birds

• Sea turtles

• Alligators

• Dolphins

• Other coastal wildlife

The island's combination of forest, marsh, beach and freshwater habitat supports an impressive variety of species.

Bring binoculars if you have them.

And bring a camera.

You're going to want it.

Go Beachcombing

Cumberland Island's undeveloped beach makes it a great place to slow down and look for shells, driftwood, tracks and other signs of coastal life.

The National Park Service allows collection of unoccupied shells, while visitors should leave living creatures and protected resources alone.

Beachcombing isn't about finding the biggest shell.

It's about seeing what's washed ashore and noticing how much life is happening along the edge of the ocean.

Watch the Sunrise or Sunset

If your schedule allows it, make time for the sky.

Cumberland Island faces the Atlantic, making the beach an excellent place to watch the sunrise.

The island also offers opportunities for stargazing, and the National Park Service specifically lists stargazing as one of the things visitors can enjoy.

Once you're away from the lights of the mainland, the night sky can be spectacular.

What Should You Bring?

Cumberland Island isn't a place where you can simply walk into a store when you forget something.

The National Park Service warns that there are no shops or stores on the island and recommends bringing food, drinks, sunscreen, insect repellent and comfortable walking shoes.

A good day-trip packing list includes:

• Plenty of water

• Food and snacks

• Sunscreen

• Bug spray

• Comfortable walking shoes

• UPF Shirt

• Hat

• Sunglasses

• Phone/camera

• Portable charger

• Small backpack

• Trash bag

And don't forget to check the weather before leaving.

Plan Before You Go

A little planning makes a huge difference.

Cumberland Island is intentionally different from a typical tourist destination.

There aren't restaurants, convenience stores or paved roads waiting for you.

The National Park Service recommends checking ferry reservations, arriving about an hour before departure, bringing necessary supplies and understanding the distances between locations.

Give yourself enough time to get back to your ferry dock.

You don't want to spend the day exploring the island only to discover you're several miles from the dock when it's time to leave.

Why Cumberland Island Is Worth Visiting

Cumberland Island isn't about one attraction.

It's the combination.

It's the ferry ride from St. Marys.

It's the live oaks.

It's the wild horses.

It's the empty beach.

It's the old ruins.

It's the marsh.

It's the wildlife.

It's the history.

It's the feeling that you've stepped somewhere that hasn't been overdeveloped.

That's what makes Cumberland Island so special.

Final Thoughts

If you're exploring St. Marys and the Georgia coast, put Cumberland Island on your list.

Whether you spend a few hours walking the beach, explore the Dungeness ruins, see the wild horses, hike through the maritime forest, visit historic sites, camp overnight or simply sit on the beach and watch the waves, the island offers an experience that's difficult to duplicate anywhere else in Georgia.

And the best part?

Your Cumberland Island adventure starts right here in St. Marys, Georgia.

More Cumberland Island From 912 Coastal

• Cumberland Island, Georgia: Things to See & Do

• Cumberland Island Wild Horses: What Visitors Should Know

• Cumberland Island Things to Bring

• Cumberland Island Ferry

• Cumberland Island JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s Wedding

• A Day Trip to Cumberland Island from St. Marys

• Cumberland Island Fishing

• Cumberland Island, Georgia: Complete Visitor Guide

Always check the current National Park Service information before visiting because ferry schedules, fees, access, closures and park conditions can change.

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