Last updated October 28, 2026
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Picture a beach with no hotels, no boardwalk and no cars. Wild horses grazing on the lawn of a burned-out mansion. Live oaks so draped in Spanish moss the trail turns green. That's Cumberland Island, Georgia's largest and southernmost barrier island, and it only works this way because getting there takes a little effort.
When you first step off the ferry, it's like you're in a completely different world. A long path cuts through the surrounding vegetation and leads you to the ruins of the Dungeness mansion. On my trip, we were greeted by some of the wild horses that roam the island before we even got there.
There's no bridge. You take a 45-minute ferry from the small town of St. Marys, the number of daily visitors is capped, and once you're on the island there are no restaurants, no stores and no trash cans. Plan right and it's one of the best days you can have anywhere in Georgia. Plan wrong and you're stuck on a beach with no water until the 4:45 boat.
This guide covers how to book the ferry, what it all costs, how to spend a day trip, where to see the horses, and where to eat and stay in St. Marys.
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The Quick Basics
Where: Off the coast of St. Marys, in Georgia's far southeast corner near the Florida line
Drive time: About 4.5 to 5 hours from Atlanta, 45 minutes from Jacksonville
Getting there: Passenger ferry only, 45 minutes each way from downtown St. Marys
Cost: $44 round-trip ferry for adults, plus a $15 National Park entrance pass for ages 16 and up
Best for: Wild horses, ruins, empty beach and a full day of walking or biking
Best time: Spring and fall. Summer is hot, buggy and stormy in the afternoons.
How to Get to Cumberland Island
Everything starts at the Cumberland Island Ferry dock at 113 St. Marys Street in downtown St. Marys. Book your ferry ahead, because the island limits how many people it lets on each day, and spring and fall weekends fill up. You can book up to six months out.
To the island: 9:00 AM and 11:45 AM from St. Marys
Back to St. Marys: 4:45 PM daily, plus a 2:45 PM boat Monday to Saturday from March through September
Check in: 60 minutes before your boat. Show up late and your seat can go to a walk-on passenger.
Winter: From December through February, the ferry runs Thursday to Monday only
The boat stops twice: first at Dungeness Dock, then at Sea Camp Dock. Remember which one you need for the ride home.
Take the 9:00 AM boat. The 11:45 gets you on the island around 12:30, which leaves you about four hours before the last boat back. That's enough for the ruins and the beach, but it goes fast.
What It Costs
Ferry, round trip: $44 adults, $42 seniors 62+, $34 ages 6 to 15, free for 5 and under
National Park entrance pass: $15 per person, ages 16 and up, good for 7 days. An America the Beautiful pass covers it.
Bring your own bike on the ferry: about $10 extra, reserve ahead
Lands and Legacies Tour: $65 per person, plus tax
The island is cashless, so bring a card. For a family of four with two kids under 16, the ferry and entrance passes come to about $186 before food.
Before You Go: Pack Like There's Nothing There
Because there isn't. Cumberland Island doesn't have any stores, so you have to bring all of your snacks and whatever you want to drink with you. There are water filling stations (they're marked on the park map) and restrooms near the docks, but everything else, you carry in and carry out. That includes your trash.
Lunch and snacks for the whole day
More water than you think. A refillable bottle per person, at minimum.
Bug spray. The park warns about mosquitoes, gnats and ticks, and they aren't kidding.
Sunscreen and a hat. The beach has no shade.
Real walking shoes. You'll easily do 4 to 6 miles on sand and dirt roads.
Download the NPS app and the park map before you leave St. Marys
How to Spend a Day on Cumberland Island
With one day and no car, the south end is where you want to be. Everything below is within a couple of miles of the docks, and it makes a natural loop.
Dungeness Ruins
Get off at Dungeness Dock and start here. Dungeness was a Carnegie family mansion built in the 1880s. It burned in 1959, and what's left is a huge brick shell standing in an open field, with old outbuildings, gardens and a cemetery around it. It's about a mile south of Sea Camp Dock.
A ranger leads a free 30 to 45 minute walk through the Dungeness area most days at 10:00 AM, starting at Dungeness Dock. If you're on the 9:00 boat, you'll get off right in time for it.
The Wild Horses
This is what most people come for. Somewhere between 120 and 180 feral horses roam the island, and the lawns around Dungeness are one of the most reliable places to see them. You'll also find them in the salt marsh, the dunes and right on the roads.
They're beautiful, and they're wild. The park asks you to stay at least 50 feet away, and it has a simple rule: if a horse changes what it's doing because of you, you're too close. Never feed or pet them.
The Beach
From Dungeness, walk east through the dunes to the beach. Cumberland has 17 miles of undeveloped shoreline, and on most days you'll have huge stretches of it to yourself. Walk north along the sand, then cut back inland on the boardwalk toward Sea Camp.
The Live Oak Trails and Sea Camp
The paths between the beach and the river run under some of the most beautiful maritime forest in the South: live oaks, palmettos and Spanish moss everywhere you look. The Southend Loop ties the ruins, the beach and the forest together in about 4.3 miles. Before you leave, stop at the Ice House Museum by Dungeness Dock, which tells the island's story from its earliest residents through the Carnegie years.
Want the North End? Take the Tour.
Plum Orchard Mansion is 7 miles north of Sea Camp, and the First African Baptist Church at the Settlement is 14. You can't walk there and back on a day trip. The Lands and Legacies Tour is the only motorized way to see them: a 5 to 6 hour guided van tour for $65 per person. Seats are limited, so book it with your ferry.
Bring a Fishing Rod
This was one of my favorite parts of the day. I fished right off the dock the ferry lets you off on and caught a bunch of baby catfish using live shrimp. Pick up your bait in St. Marys before you board, since there's nowhere to buy it on the island. If you're 16 or older, you'll need a Georgia fishing license.
Biking on Cumberland Island
A bike lets you cover a lot more ground than walking, but know what you're getting into. The main road is packed sand and dirt, and bikes aren't allowed on the beach trails or most footpaths. You can bring your own bike on the ferry with a reservation, or rent one. Ask about rentals when you book the ferry, or try Camden Bicycle Center in St. Marys. Fat tires make the sand a lot easier.
Staying Overnight
Camping: Cumberland has five campgrounds. Sea Camp is the easiest, a short walk from the dock with restrooms and cold showers. The backcountry sites farther north are for people who want a real adventure and are ready to carry everything. All camping needs a reservation through the park.
Greyfield Inn: The only place to stay on the island with a roof, a Carnegie family mansion turned inn. It has its own boat from Fernandina Beach, Florida, and it's a true splurge.
Where to Eat and Stay in St. Marys
St. Marys is a small, walkable waterfront town, and it's worth slowing down for. Everything below is a few blocks from the ferry dock.
Riverview Hotel: Built in 1916 and right across the street from the ferry. Stay here the night before and you can walk to the 9:00 AM boat.
Seagle's Saloon and Patio Bar: Inside the Riverview Hotel. The oldest continuously running restaurant and bar in St. Marys, known for steaks and surf and turf.
Riverside Cafe: Greek-leaning American food with river views. Get the crispy calamari.
St. Marys Seafood and More: Local seafood and Southern comfort food. Start with the gator tail.
Market on the Square: A gift shop and ice cream parlor in an old general store. The perfect stop after the ferry gets back.
What to Bring
Here's what I'd pack for a day on the island:
Bug spray: the gnats and mosquitoes are no joke, especially away from the beach
A big insulated water bottle: fill it at the island's water stations
A cooler backpack: to carry lunch and drinks for the whole day
A travel fishing rod: it packs small for the ferry, and the dock fishing is worth it
Reef-safe sunscreen: there's zero shade on the beach
Know Before You Go
Book ahead: Daily visitors are capped. Reserve the ferry, and the Lands and Legacies Tour if you want it.
No food on the island: Pack lunch, snacks and water, and carry out your trash.
Last boat: 4:45 PM. Miss it and you're calling a private boat captain.
Pets: Not allowed on the ferry, other than service animals
Cell service: Unreliable on much of the island. Download the map first.
Rainy day: The ferry runs in most weather, but the island has almost no shelter. Check the forecast and pack a rain jacket.
Got a second day? Kayak the Okefenokee Swamp from Folkston, about an hour from St. Marys.
More in Coastal Georgia, or find a trip by drive time. Want company on the trail? The Explore Georgia Hiking Club is free, and every pace is welcome.
Cumberland Island FAQ
How do you get to Cumberland Island? By the passenger ferry from St. Marys, Georgia, or by private boat. There's no bridge, and no visitor cars are allowed.
How much does it cost to visit Cumberland Island? $44 round trip on the ferry for adults, plus a $15 National Park entrance pass for anyone 16 and up.
Can you see the wild horses on a day trip? Yes. The lawns around the Dungeness ruins, a short walk from the ferry dock, are one of the best places to see them. Stay at least 50 feet away.
Is Cumberland Island worth it as a day trip? Yes. Take the 9:00 AM ferry and you'll have time for the ruins, the horses, the beach and the live oak trails before the 4:45 PM boat home.
Is there food on Cumberland Island? No. There are no restaurants or stores, so bring everything you'll need and eat in St. Marys before or after.