Cumberland Island National Seashore

Cumberland Island National Seashore is Georgia's largest barrier island and one of the most unspoiled coastal wilderness areas on the United States Atlantic seaboard. The island is 17.5 miles long and averages 3 miles wide, accessible only by ferry from St. Marys, Georgia — a small coastal town 37 miles north of Jacksonville, Florida. No cars are permitted on the island, there are no public roads, and commercial services are absent across most of the island's extent. The result is a landscape largely unchanged from its pre-industrial state, with 18 miles of undeveloped Atlantic beach, maritime forest of live oaks and palmettos, interior freshwater marshes, and tidal creek systems.

The island is best known for two features: its wild horses and the Dungeness ruins. The horses — believed to descend from stock introduced by Spanish missionaries in the 16th century — roam freely across the island, appearing on the beach, in forest clearings, and near the ferry landing at Sea Camp. Sightings are common but not guaranteed. The Dungeness ruins are the remains of a Carnegie family mansion built in 1884 and damaged by fire in 1959. The brick walls and arched entryway remain standing among overgrown gardens approximately two miles from the Sea Camp dock along a flat, marked trail.

Ferry access is managed by the National Park Service from St. Marys. Reservations at recreation.gov are mandatory and capacity is tightly controlled — the daily visitor cap of 300 people is routinely sold out weeks or months in advance during spring and fall. The ferry costs $30 per adult for the round trip, with an additional $10 National Park entry fee. Two morning departures leave from St. Marys daily. Visitors must carry all food, water, and supplies as no commercial services exist on most of the island. Wilderness camping with elevated platforms is available through advance NPS permits.