This is a trip that you have to put on your “Bucket List!”
If all you can accomplish is a “Day Hike” on Cumberland Island (because this is all the time you have)… do it! If you have the time and the means to extend your visit for several days… do it! Bottom line (as Nike says)… Just Do It!
It all begins in St. Marys, Georgia at The Cumberland Island Visitor Center and will be a trip to remember.
You will be greeted by smiling faces from a staff of enthusiastic personnel who truly desire that your visit to the Island become a memory for a lifetime.
After your registration, if you forgot to bring along a hiking pole, you can purchase one at the Visitor Center, just before your “listen & learn” Orientation about the “dos & don’ts” on the Island.
If you are only staying for the afternoon, you will want to know just how much you can expect to see in the time allotted on the Island! Words of Wisdom- “Don’t Miss The Boat!”
Should you be staying overnight (or for several nights), you will want to know what to anticipate and expect “after the boat leaves the dock!”
There is ONLY 1 way to get to Cumberland Island… by Ferry Boat!
We meet 2 couples who will also be staying several nights on Cumberland Island during the week of Christmas: Ken & Leslie (pictured above inside the Ferry Boat with “Slipper”) and Matt & Nathalie. Ken (a former Scout Leader and former Soldier of the Army) and his wife, Leslie, come to the Island “packing the Kitchen Sink… and the Cabinets too!” They are (as we say) “Loaded for Bear” and there are no bear on the Island! We count at least 3 trips to and from the campground with carts of gear, food and supplies! I’m tired just thinking about it!
Matt & Nathalie have come to backpack into the wilderness just like “Tripper & Slipper”
“Slipper” quickly becomes the Care Taker of the equipment, while “Tripper” is looking for a way to Captain the Ferry Boat.
The Sea Gulls following the boat (as St. Marys begins to disappear in the wake of the vessel) has obviously figured out that the boat has become a “fly through restaurant” for them. The disappearing shoreline of St. Marys, Georgia behind the stern of the boat can only mean the appearing shoreline of Cumberland Island at the bow of the boat.
DAY ONE… NIGHT ONE: SEA CAMP
Arriving at lunchtime, we decide to capture the sights of the Dungeness Ruins (knowing that we will most likely have our day of sight-seeing impacted by the coming rains). The one nice thing about rain is that most people don’t want to be out in it! As a result, we are the ONLY tourists at the Dungeness Ruins on this particular day.
Before we are able to get back to Sea Camp, the roads and trails suddenly become lakes and streams!
Finally arriving back at Sea Camp and privately tucked away within the Palmettos of Camp Site #9, the evening rushes in with a display of “heavenly fireworks”… a “heavenly bowling match” and “Cats & Dogs” raining from the heavens! OMG! This is (by far) the most horrific lightening… thunder… and rain storm that we have ever experienced (especially while camping).
After surviving the “Perfect Storm,” we are welcomed by a beautiful sun rise (for about 45 minutes) before the sun decides to play a little “hide-n-seek” with us for the next few days.
We enjoy the sight before heading out to our next campsight destination that is just a few miles up the beach.
Day Two… Night Two: Stafford Beach
Walking up the practically deserted beach, we catch a glimpse of somthing over in the sea oats… our very first sight of one of the wild horses on Cumberland Island (and his little friend of the ocean).
Stafford Beach Campground is strategically located and protected behind the dunes of the beach and under a beautiful canopy of trees.
While a workable restroom is here, the water is not potable and needs to be filtered or treated. This campground can facilitate several campers, however tonight there are ONLY two: Tripper & Slipper and Matt & Nathalie.
We break camp in our “stealth mode” (so as not to awaken the others) and head out on the wilderness trail toward The Plum Orchard Mansion for lunch and then further into back country toward the Brick Hill Campground.
The scenery in the wilderness is truly unlike anything we have ever seen. We take our time oohing and aahing over just about everything we see (from beautiful trees, amazing plantlife, quirky armadillos, wild horses, sneaky racoons, airplane size turkey (just kidding about the size… but they are huge), cute deer, and even a wild boar (that is gutted, on the back of an ATV and soon to become a Christmas meal for one of the Island residents).
Our entrance into the front yard of The Plum Orchard Mansion is very much like our entrance into the front yard of The Dundeness Ruins… We are the ONLY people here today! OMG! Really?
After a story-book picnic (as if we are participants living in a fairytale dream), we embark on a trek through the wilderness toward the main road (deeper into the back country toward Brick Hill).
DAY THREE… NIGHT THREE: BRICK HILL
We make it as far back as we can go into the Brick Hill Bluff Campground and discover that we are the ONLY people here! We own it! This little spot of backwoods paradise is ours, baby!
We make the decision to hike past two other back country campgrounds to get here (Hickory Hill and Yankie Paradise) and experience what is referenced by the Rangers as “one of the most beautiful sun sets you might ever see.”
We arrive… to the beat and sound of (guess??????)…. RAIN!
So for about half an hour to 45 minutes, we sit on a log… holding hands… on Christmas Eve… waiting on the rain to quit (or at least slack-a-little) so that we can set up camp.
Sure enough… the rain ceases… the camp site is selected… the water is collected… the tent is erected… and the sun set is exactly as the Rangers have defined it to be… beautiful and breath-taking.
It’s Christmas Eve and as we nestle inside our tent for the evening with our stockings hung (as you can see in the above photo), “Slipper” discovers that we actually have cell service. We listen to a fun Christmas Song (Jingle Bell Rock) and then we upload the Biblical Christmas Story so that “Tripper” can read it aloud before we retire for the night.
DAY FOUR… NIGHT FOUR: SEA CAMP
We awaken to cooler temperatures and a nice brisk breeze coming off of the ocean waters (which enables us to “air dry” most all of our equipment). After our usual (but oh so satisfying cup of Starbucks Coffee and Cliff Bar), we head out for a 10 plus mile hike back to Sea Camp.
Taking our time… talking about the memories that we have just created… traversing down the main road back toward Sea Camp, we have the honor of saying “Merry Christmas” to some of the Island Residents who are coming in for the day’s celebration. All dressed up in their holiday attire, we can’t help but wonder, “What in the world might they think about these two backpackers, standing on the side of the road as they pass by, waving… smiling… and saying with enthusiasm, “Merry Christmas to you all!”?
This is (without a doubt) one of THE BEST Christmas days ever!
Make sure to schedule a visit to Cumberland Island! If you do have the opportunity to tent camp, let us share with you a simple, light weight product that promises to help keep things a little cleaner for you… Tyvek (better know as “House Wrap”).
Both of us are Realtors who represent Builders of New Construction and we have discovered that Tyvek is excellent for several reasons: 1) When it is raining and you need a place to sit… use Tyvek. 2) When its not raining and you need a place to sit… use Tyvek. 3) When you set up your tent and you want to keep some gear close by… use Tyvek in the vestibule area. 4) As a wind screen… use Tyvek. 5) As a sun screen… use Tyvek. 6) As a billboard for whatever reason… use Tyvek.
“Slipper” and “Tripper” wish you many memorable opportunities in the days, months and years ahead. Make Cumberland Island one of them!
