
Protecting yourself from too much sun exposure and bitey bugs is important to ensure you enjoy your time. Also, depending on recent weather, there may be mosquitoes.ĭress in very light clothes, both in color and in weight. While there is a fair amount of shade all around the island, there are times when you’ll be very exposed to the hot sun. Unless you’re visiting in winter, it gets very hot on the island. When you visit Cumberland Island, you want to be comfortable and cool. This is not a fashion article, so just listen to this advice and then make it your own. You also need to clarify if you’re camping so there is both enough room for your gear and so that you’re dropped off at the correct ferry dock. If you plan on bringing your own bike onto Cumberland Island, you need to clarify that when reserving and there is an additional fee. If you’d like to have the most time possible, do the 9:00 am and 4:00 pm boats. You could to the 11:00 am and 4:00 pm boats, but then you’ll be there for more of the heat of the day, which can be stiffling. There are two ferries from both St Marys and the Cumberland dock each day, so be sure to reserve the boats you plan to be on. It’s important to note that you have to book BOTH your passage to AND from the island. Because it is a walk-on passenger ferry, you reserve per person. Cumberland Island National Seashore has been its name ever since and now visitors are welcome to roam the island and observe the beautiful horses and nature.Īs soon as you know that you’ll be visiting Cumberland Island National Seashore, you should make your ferry reservations. In 1982 they further protected the wilderness areas.

In 1972 the National Park Service took control of Cumberland Island, establishing it as a protected area, both for historical purposes and to preserve the delicate environments and species found there. Eventually, nearly everyone moved off the island. In the nineteen-teens they decided to stop calling Dungeness their home away from home and then in 1921 the Plum Orchard Mansion was moved away from. In 1884 the Carnegies built the Dungeness Mansion, and then in 1889 started building another huge home, the Plum Orchard Mansion. Horses were brought onto Cumberland as a part of the working farm system in the 1740s and then they became feral over time, including more horses being brought to the island in the 1800s. Over time, more settlers, including the Carnegies came to Cumberland Island, forming a community, including the first African Baptist Church. Previously, indigenous peoples had occupied the island (I couldn’t find info on whom).

Where to stay for Cumberland Island National Seashore.What to Bring for a Cumberland Island Beach Day.Enjoying the beach at Cumberland Island National Seashore.The Carnegie Mansion, aka the Dungeness Ruins.Things to do at Cumberland Island National Seashore.What to Wear to Visit Cumberland Island.Location of Cumberland Island National Seashore.

Watch dolphins and-if you are lucky-whales and porpoises frolicking off shore, while shorebirds and other wildlife can be glimpsed on the beach and inland. Each year, thousands of people come to enjoy the island's white sand beaches and seaside communities, as well as the rich variety of coastal wildlife amid the surf and windswept dunes. Fire Island is the longest barrier Island guarding the south shore of Long Island, and a 26-mile long portion of the island is protected as Fire Island National Seashore.
