Cumberland Island National Seashore

Cumberland Island National Seashore is a protected National Park Service unit off the coast of southeastern Georgia, United States, preserving large stretches of undeveloped barrier island, historic estate sites, and maritime ecosystems. It was established to protect the island’s natural and cultural resources and to provide public access to beaches, forests, and historic structures.

Key features include the ruins of the Dungeness mansion, the intact Plum Orchard estate, miles of undeveloped beaches, maritime forests, and salt marshes that support diverse wildlife. The island is also noted for populations of free-roaming horses that occupy portions of the landscape.

The seashore lies offshore from the town of St. Marys, Georgia, and is reached by scheduled ferry services; most visitors plan day trips or obtain permits for overnight camping in designated areas.

• Access: Access is by ferry from the nearby town of St. Marys, Georgia; motor vehicles are restricted and visitor numbers are managed to protect the island's natural and historic resources.
• Wildlife and history: The island is known for free-roaming horses, significant maritime forests, and several historic estate sites associated with the Carnegie and Greene families.

What to See #

• Dungeness: Dungeness, the ruins of a large Gilded Age mansion and associated estate buildings located on the island's southern marshes.
• Plum Orchard: Plum Orchard, a historic early 20th-century estate with a mansion and formal landscaping open to visitors on guided tours.
• Beaches and wilderness: Extensive undeveloped beaches, maritime forest, and salt marsh zones that make up a large portion of the national seashore's protected wilderness.