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Cumberland Island Wilderness

The sand is white, and the grass on it is a pale brown. The steel blue ocean can barely be seen beyond under the pale blue sky.

Library image #3265

Introduction

The United States Congress designated the Cumberland Island Wilderness (map) in 1982 and it now has a total of 9,886 acres. All of this wilderness is located in Georgia and is managed by the National Park Service.

Description

Established in 1972 and managed by the National Park Service, Cumberland Island National Seashore protects sparkling white beaches and sand dunes, freshwater lakes, and saltwater marshes. At 36,545 acres, it is Georgia's largest and southernmost barrier against seaborne storms. The island measures about 16 miles in length and 3 miles at its widest, with approximately 1 mile of water and marshland separating it from the mainland.

A hardwood forest is the centerpiece of the island, providing shade for the deer that attract hunters during four managed seasons. When the hunters appear (usually a few days every month from November through February), visitation and camping are restricted on parts of the island. The first-rate surf fishing attracts another kind of hunter (no license is required).

Attractions include the ruins of Thomas Carnegie's Dungeness Mansion, built in the late 1800s, a short walk from the ferry dock on the southern end of the island. Alligators, loggerhead turtles, and pelicans live on the beaches.

A portion of the northern end of the island has been designated Wilderness, starting approximately four miles north of the ferry dock (you have to take a ferry to get here from the mainland). For most of the year, insect repellent is strongly recommended for campers. Bicycles, fires, pets, and indiscriminate dune crossings are not allowed on Cumberland Island, and there are no facilities.

Planning to Visit the Cumberland Island Wilderness?

Leave No Trace

How to follow the seven standard Leave No Trace principles differs in different parts of the country (desert vs. Rocky Mountains). Click on any of the principles listed below to learn more about how they apply in the Cumberland Island Wilderness.

For more information on Leave No Trace, Visit the Leave No Trace, Inc. website.