Cumberland Island

We arrived at Cumberland Island in the afternoon after a long drive up from Jacksonville.  We dropped anchor and dinghied to the dock to take the dogs ashore and explore.  Cumberland Island is a National Park.  The only access is by boat or ferry.  The north end of the Island has a Bed and Breakfast and some descendants of the original owners before it was turned over to the National Park Service.  There is camping allowed on the island, and water available to refill water bottles.  But all trash must be packed out, and there are no concession facilities on the Island.  This time of year, the island was deserted.  We took a path to the beach and had it all to ourselves.  Imagine, a pristine national seashore, completely undeveloped, and all to yourself.  It was awesome!

We woke up the next morning and packed our backpacks for the day. Each of us had a lunch, water bottle, sunscreen, towel, hat and sunglasses. We dinghied to shore ready to explore. There are several trails along the island.  We hadn’t gone very far down the trail when we heard animals in the brush and stopped dead in our tracks.  Just ahead of us were feral horses.

We continued down the path along the waterfront on the western ICW/ River side of the island and came upon a herd of horses, including more foals.

 

The kids decided to hunt for fiddler crabs to use as bait for their next fishing expedition.

 

 

We did more exploring while on the island.  On the southern end of the island lie the ruins of the  Dungeness Estate.  Built by Thomas Carnegie and his wife Lucy in 1884 it was once four stories tall.  Unfortunately it burned down in 1959.

The trails and even the dirt roads for the few service vehicles on the island were beautiful. They are canopied with the gnarled branches of live oak trees providing plenty of shade for hiking.

Everywhere we turned we came across wildlife: feral horses, white-tailed deer, armadillos, manatees, horseshoe crabs, wild turkey, and raccoons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cumberland Island is breathtaking–the scenery, the wildlife, the solitude, the unspoiled beauty. We will definitely be coming back.