Cumberland Island

<- Gulls on the dock as we left

Cumberland Island is a National Park National Seashore. It was created in the 1970's, as a result of the majority of the owners wanting to preserve the quality and character of the Island. The owners were primarily descendants of the Thomas Carnegie family, Andrew's brother. Cumberland is the southernmost and largest Georgia barrier island. It lies off the city of Saint Marys, and it is the next island south of Jekyll. It has no causeway, so all access is by boat. The waterway between Cumberland and Saint Marys is part of the Intra coastal waterway. There is anchorage and public dock space for private boats. But most people get to the island by ferry provided by the National Park Service, as we did. It's a $17 ferry ride and $4 access fee, per person.

<- Ruins of "Dungeness", the 55 room mansion built by the Carnegie Family

Dungeness is the name given to two beautiful mansions on the same site. The first was built by Nathanial Green, the revolutionary war hero. The second by Lucy Carnegie, after her husband, Thomas died. Lucy also built 4 other mansions on the island for her children. At one point, she owned 90% of Cumberland. Her will stated that her holdings could not be divided until the last child died, which occurred in 1969. Threats of rapid commercial development prompted the remaining heirs and other property holders to donate their land, usually with retained rights which will expire, to create the National Park.

<- Interpretive material on the marshes posted near the dunes

NPS has created a museum, interpretive trails, and boardwalks to help protect the dunes from foot traffic. We took a guided tour of the ruins and history of the island, which we found interesting. NPS has also established 5 campgrounds, one equipped with showers, the others "primitive". Given the limited access, the ruins and property and interpretive exhibits will get relatively small wear and visibility.


<- Great egret fishing in the marsh

In my mind, the real value to the public is the wild and relatively untouched ecosystem present on the island. Yes, the island was cleared at one point to raise cotton, but it has since returned to a mostly natural state. The marshes, once a source of oysters to the Carnegies, are mostly wild. The maritime forest, criscrossed by roads and some clearings for buildings, is nonetheless mostly natural. The dunes and beaches see little traffic, compared to other beaches I know. The island supports many species of birds, such as the egret shown here.


<- Wild horses on Cumberland

Aside from the remaining heirs, whose retained rights will expire eventually, and the paying park visitors, the only other threat to the wild and natural nature of the island is the livestock that was brought to the island at various times. This includes horses brought by the Spaniards and English and the other owners of the island up to the 1900s. These now wilds horses have interbred to produce mixed breeds of several roots. Generally, they are healthy. NPS is doing nothing to support them. They graze where they can, and their traffic in the forest creates some clearings. They also eat the sea oats which help preserve the dunes. Their presence is controversial, some saying they should be removed, others saying they are part of the history. They do modify the natural environment. Other livestock survive on the island, as well. Hogs, allowed to run free, are now wild. The NPS supports a hog hunting season a couple times per year to control the numbers. Their presence is also not natural to the island.

<- The vast, mostly uninhabited beach

We walked for 2 miles along the beach. Of the 17 miles of the Atlantic side of the island, my guess is that on the day we were there, there were less that 100 people on the beach. A private tour of kids and parents made up about 1/2 of my estimate. Most of the rest came on the ferry with us. The tide was out when we arrived, and like Jekyll, it goes out a long way from the high water mark.

After our walk thought the historic district, through the marshes, along the beach (stopping for lunch that we brought along), we crossed back to the western side where we caught the ferry back to Saint Marys. The walk was about 5 miles. We had a really great time. We recommend this visit to anyone who enjoys a little history mixed in with a wonderful natural seashore.