Cumberland Island Discoveries and Delights

Yesterday was a special day for our family. We traveled north about an hour to St. Mary’s, Georgia, where we caught the ferry that carried us to Cumberland Island for the day. Cumberland Island is one of the many barrier islands located off the coast of Georgia. It’s also a national seashore. It has quite a history. The Timucuan tribe made its home here. So did a Catholic mission in the 16th century (along with several Spanish forts). European settlers lived on the island during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. And most recently, the Carnegie family made a vacation home on the island, bringing with them more than two hundred staff to help keep it running in the family’s requisite standard of opulence. The Stock Market crash in the ‘30s and an ensuing fire in the estate home, Dungeness, caused the family to leave it for good. The National Park Service eventually acquired the land in 1972, and what resulted is a gorgeous, mostly uninhabited island replete with thick forests, marshland, beaches, and the haunting ruins of a time of magnificent wealth.

The ferry ride left at 9:00, and we had several hours to explore the place before our 2:45 journey back to the mainland. Not knowing for sure how much we would find to do, we chose to leave on the first ferry back, but we could have taken a later one or even camped overnight if we had wanted to. The ferry ride lasted about forty-five minutes. We disembarked and started walking along a 4.5 mile trail, keeping our eyes open for the island’s feral horses. There are approximately 140 of these animals left to shift for themselves on the island.

I hope you enjoy the photos. There are quite a few. I look forward to returning again. Perhaps next time we will even camp overnight at one of the primitive camp sites. 

 There is so much life on the island. I noticed these mushrooms just off of the trail.

This photo was taken on the main road of the island. Like most barrier islands, this island is skinny east to west, but stretches out quite a bit north to south. The road runs north to south. You can rent bicycles on the island, which would allow you to ride to the north end, but we elected to hike and stay on the south side.

Not the best shot, but these are two turkeys near the ruins of Dungeness.

Entering Dungeness from the land side. 

Merry Christmas from the Mausers, standing on the broad front lawn of Dungeness.

Looks like a pump house to me. Not really sure what it was. The marsh stretches out in front of it. 

This shot was taken in front of Dungeness and looking out over the water. A dock is nearby.

So peaceful!

This is a small graveyard on the island. The oldest grave dates to just after the Revolutionary War. The woman who died lived through the war on this island.

Armadillos are found on the island. This one was just a few feet away.

Turning away from the ruins, we started walking toward the other side of the island and came out on the dunes.

Lonely. Quiet. Beautiful.

Jacob was using his grandfather’s Canon AE-1 to capture some great black and white photos.

A beautiful beach with wide boundaries.

There are beautiful and rare shorebirds that gather on its shores.

This photo is taken near the end of the shore trail. We are about half a mile away from the pick up spot. It’s later in the afternoon, and we’ve walked all over.

Beautiful oak trees just on the other side of the dunes. More than one hurricane has blown through this island, twisting and tangling their branches.

My men walking back to the ferry spot.

I’m wearing my Macabi travel skirt. It was perfect for the hike—not too cool, not too warm. I had been wearing my Tom Bihn wool ball cap earlier in the day but switched to wearing a buff on the beach to protect my ears. I can’t handle strong winds blowing in my ears. It makes them ache. The buff functioned perfectly, if not exactly fashionably, for my needs. I’m also carrying my Synapse 19 backpack. It’s the perfect pack for a day’s hike. Boots are my trusty Keens. I’ve worn them all over for hikes, including in the Rocky Mountains. My shirt is from Duluth Trading and is super comfortable.

Waiting for the ferry to arrive, I had ample time to keep working on the cuff of my sock.

After looking all day, we finally found horses! There were three. This one appears to be a mama and her colt. Since the horses receive no care, they have to work hard to find food to survive. There was also a stallion nearby.

One more short walk before boarding the ferry.

It was a great day. We were happy and tired on our journey home. The weather had been perfect. I’m looking forward to returning to the island again someday.