National Seashores · Georgia
Cumberland Island National Seashore
National Park Service source material · single source. Source dates and reuse information are available beside each field.
Check the official park website for current access, conditions and visitor information.
Introduction
Background: 1
St Marys is the gateway to Cumberland Island, Georgia's largest and southernmost barrier island. Here pristine maritime forests, undeveloped beaches and wide marshes whisper the stories of both man and nature. Natives, missionaries, enslaved African Americans and Wealthy Industrialists all walked here. Cumberland Island is also home to over 9,800 acres of Congressionally designated Wilderness.
Geography
Designation: 3
National Seashore
State or territory: 4
Georgia
Park Map - Cumberland Island National Seashore: 5
Map scope: Cumberland Island National Seashore
Map of Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia. The park is a long, thin island off Georgia’s Atlantic coast, just above the Florida state line. A tall section in the center of the park is wilderness.
Nature
Ecology; Nature & Science: 6
Cumberland Island is the largest and southernmost barrier island in Georgia. With little commercial development, Cumberland has remained relatively stable over the last several hundred years.
However, barrier Islands are dynamic environments. For visitors who spend a few days or even a few hours on Cumberland, this soon becomes apparent. Wind shapes the dunes, fire shapes the plant and animal communities that depend on them, and humans leave their impact too.
Cumberland Island supports a rich diversity of plants and animals and offers amazing views of the Atlantic Ocean and Cumberland Sound. From the rich marsh environment to the deep night sky, Cumberland Island holds something for everyone.
Plants: 7
Cumberland Island supports over 500 vascular plant species that make up distinct plant communities like the dune system , salt marsh , and maritime forest . This includes woody species (trees, shrubs, and vines), forbs, grasses, and epiphytes. The island’s plant diversity provides food and protection for a wide variety of wildlife . Explore the tiles below to learn more about the plants of Cumberland Island National Seashore.
Natural Features & Ecosystems: 8
The maritime forest covers much of the island and contains an abundance of plant and animal species.
Animals: 9
Cumberland Island’s extensive ecosystems support a wide variety of life, including 30 mammals, 55 reptiles and amphibians, over 300 birds, and over 500 plant species. 18 miles of undeveloped beaches and over 36,000 acres of habitat provide boundless opportunities for wildlife sightings. Explore the tiles below to learn more about animal species on Cumberland Island National Seashore.
Visitor centers and places
Mainland Visitor Center: 10
The visitor center at the waterfront in St. Marys is open daily 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Park facilities are closed on December 25.
Sea Camp Ranger Station: 11
Located at the Sea Camp Dock on Cumberland Island. The visitor center may be closed for short periods throughout the day as volunteers and rangers are tending to other duties.
Hickory Hill Wilderness Campsite; Yankee Paradise Wilderness Campsite; Brickhill Bluff Wilderness Campsite; Stafford Beach Campground: 12
Camping is most popular during the Spring and Fall, but the campground stays open all year. It is common for the campground to fill up throughout the year on Fridays and Saturdays. Make reservations as far in advance as possible.
Historic places and exhibits
Mainland Museum: 13
The Mainland Museum is open 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM daily dependent on staffing. The park relies on dedicated Volunteers to provide staffing for the museum. Occasional closures can result on short notice due to a lack of staffing.
Campgrounds
Sea Camp Campground: 14
Sea Camp Campground will be closed to all visitors and campers from Feb. 23 to Mar. 1 for construction work. If you had previous reservations, please visit www.recreation.gov to request a refund.
Online Camping Reservations: 15
Making Camping Reservations To make reservations for camping please visit: www.RECREATION.gov search "Cumberland Island National Seashore"
Sea Camp is the most developed campground on the island. It is located a half mile from Sea Camp Dock. NPS Photo General Information Reservations can be made up to six months in advance.
Refund & Cancellation Policy Cancellations 10 days or more before the start date of the reservation will result in a refund of the permit cost minus a 25% cancellation fee. Cancellations less than 10 days from the start date of the reservation will result in a refund of the permit cost minus a 50% cancellation fee. No refunds will be granted for cancellations one day prior to the start date of the reservation. When a reservation is cancelled, those dates will be made available for other campers at a random time within 24 hours. Changes Before Permit is Printed: The Refund and Cancellation Policy will be applied to all changes to the reservation. The start date of the reservation cannot be changed without cancelling the reservation. A new reservation must be made. Cancellation fees apply and fees associated with making a new reservation apply. Reservations are non-transferable. After Permit is Printed: Changes cannot be made to permit once it is printed. Changes will require a cancellation of the permit and reserving a new permit, if space is available. All cancellation fees and new reservation fees apply. Permits can only be printed within 10 days of the arrival date. You cannot change your site assignment. All permits must be honored as they are. Ensure every person on the camping permit has reserved a round-trip ferry ticket or has transportation via private boat. No Show Policy If you do not cancel and decide not to use your reservation, none of the fees will be refunded. Please cancel your reservation if you are unable to use it as this opens space for others.
Park Closures The Park reserves the right to cancel reservations during periods of inclement weather, based on forecasts of inclement weather or due to other hazardous conditions that will impact the safety of our visitors. In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees for the nights of the closure and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile and through media notifications as well as signs.
Other refund requests can be processed through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Visitors may also initiate a refund request through the call center at any time after their reservation ends.
* 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 and Stafford Beach have drinkable water (treat water at wilderness 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 *There are no trash cans on the island. Please plan to pack out all trash and follow Leave No Trace principles. * 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. * Plan camping reservation around seasonal ferry schedule (no Tuesday/Wednesday ferry during winter, Dec. 1st - Feb. 28th) *Hammocks must be free-standing. Tying to trees or any structures prohibited.
You can bring your own bike camping but there are some things you should know before you do.
Cumberland Island offers five campgrounds, which include designated campsites at Sea Camp and Stafford Beach; and Wilderness campsites at: Hickory Hill, Yankee Paradise and Brickhill Bluff. Camping is only permitted in these five campgrounds. A permit is required to camp in any of these five camping areas.
Visitor information
Visitation
Sources & field notes
Source records (19)
Select a numbered reference to open a source card. Retrieval dates describe this edition’s source capture, rather than an independent verification or the date of the underlying information.
Background · Official park structured information. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored government work generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Cumberland Island National Seashore · NPS. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Catalog image date
- 09/04/2008
- Source scope
- Cumberland Island National Seashore
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Public domain:Full Granting Rights
- Rights
- Public domain:Full Granting Rights
Designation · National Park System directory. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Factual reference data; source attribution retained.
State or territory · National Park System directory. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Factual reference data; source attribution retained.
Park Map - Cumberland Island National Seashore · National Park Service, Harpers Ferry Center. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Source scope
- Cumberland Island National Seashore
- Download
- Official map PDF ↗
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Public domain; NPS map
- Rights
- Public domain; NPS map
Ecology; Nature & Science · Nature & Science — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- April 15, 2019
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS webpage text; U.S. government work generally public domain. Third-party material may have separate rights.
Plants · Plants — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- March 20, 2022
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS webpage text; U.S. government work generally public domain. Third-party material may have separate rights.
Natural Features & Ecosystems · Natural Features & Ecosystems — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- December 14, 2018
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS webpage text; U.S. government work generally public domain. Third-party material may have separate rights.
Animals · Animals — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- March 14, 2022
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS webpage text; U.S. government work generally public domain. Third-party material may have separate rights.
Mainland Visitor Center · National Park Service park structured data. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored U.S. government work is generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Sea Camp Ranger Station · National Park Service park structured data. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored U.S. government work is generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Hickory Hill Wilderness Campsite; Yankee Paradise Wilderness Campsite; Brickhill Bluff Wilderness Campsite; Stafford Beach Campground · National Park Service park structured data. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored U.S. government work is generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Mainland Museum · National Park Service park structured data. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored U.S. government work is generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Sea Camp Campground · National Park Service park structured data. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored U.S. government work is generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Online Camping Reservations · National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored U.S. government work is generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Physical Address · Official park structured information. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored government work generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Mailing Address · Official park structured information. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored government work generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Telephone · Official park structured information. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored government work generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Recreation visits · National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics. Open source ↗
- Information date
- 2025
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Methodology
- NPS reporting unit; annual total is the sum of 12 monthly recreation visit estimates.
- Reporting unit
- Cumberland Island NS
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Factual reference data; source attribution retained.