Camping, trails, maps & photo credits — Cumberland Island National Seashore
St Marys is the gateway to Cumberland Island, Georgia's largest and southernmost barrier island. Here pristine maritime forests, undeveloped beaches and wide marshes whisper the stories of both man and nature. Natives, missionaries, enslaved African Americans and Wealthy Industrialists all walked here. Cumberland Island is also home to over 9,800 acres of Congressionally designated Wilderness.
Camping & reservations
The booking button opens the official provider or park-specific camping instructions published by the NPS. Select the named campground and verify its dates, access and site rules.
Brickhill Bluff Wilderness Campsite ↗
Brickhill Bluff Wilderness Campsite is one of three campgrounds in Cumberland Island’s designated wilderness on the northern part of the island. The campsite is located 10.5 miles north of the Sea Camp dock. Wilderness sites have no amenities. Fires are prohibited, but camp stoves can be used for cooking. Campers should be prepared to hang all food and trash. Water is available from a pump well located in the site and must be treated. Permits are $9 a night, good for up to 6 people.
Reservations: Reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance. All camping on Cumberland Island requires a reservation and printed permit, and must be done in a designated campsite. Dispersed camping and beach camping are not permitted. Check the ferry schedule prior to reserving your Cumberland Island National Seashore Camping Permit unless you are traveling by private boat. The ferry does not operate on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from December through February.
Reservations / current camping instructions ↗
Fires: Fires are not permitted in the wilderness area. No beach fires. Camp stoves are permitted.
Site rules: Stay Limit: 7 consecutive nights. A person cannot hold more than one permit for the same date. That permit holder must occupy the site. Maximum campers and equipment: The individual site maximum is six persons. Children two years of age and under do not count toward the maximum. Gear Transport: Campers are responsible for transporting gear from the dock to the campgrounds. No carts or wheeled coolers are allowed. Check out time: 10:00 a.m. Quiet hours: 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Food and Trash Storage: Store or hang all food and trash. Raccoons are common. Follow Leave No Trace principles…
Hickory Hill Wilderness Campsite ↗
Hickory Hill is one of three campgrounds in Cumberland Island’s designated wilderness on the northern part of the island. The campsite is located 5.5 miles north of the Sea Camp dock. Wilderness sites have no amenities. Fires are prohibited, but camp stoves can be used for cooking. Campers should be prepared to hang all food and trash. Water is available from a nearby well and must be treated. Permits are $9 a night, good for up to 6 people.
Reservations: Reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance. All camping on Cumberland Island requires a reservation and printed permit, and must be done in a designated campsite. Dispersed camping and beach camping are not permitted. Check the ferry schedule prior to reserving your Cumberland Island National Seashore Camping Permit unless you are traveling by private boat.
Reservations / current camping instructions ↗
Fires: Fires are not permitted in the wilderness area. No beach fires. Camp stoves are permitted.
Site rules: Stay Limit: 7 consecutive nights. A person cannot hold more than one permit for the same date. That permit holder must occupy the site. Maximum campers and equipment: The individual site maximum is six persons. Children two years of age and under do not count toward the maximum. Gear Transport: Campers are responsible for transporting gear from the dock to the campgrounds. Check out time: 10:00 a.m. Quiet hours: 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Food and Trash Storage: Store or hang all food and trash. Raccoons are common. Follow Leave No Trace principles Drinking Water: Available at Plum Orchard and…
Sea Camp Campground ↗
Sea Camp Campground is located a half mile from the Sea Camp dock. All sites are walk-to, tent sites and campers are responsible for transporting all gear. Carts can be used. There are flush toilets, drinking water, cold showers, and a dish washing sink. Each site has a fire ring with grill, picnic table and food storage. It is common for this campground to fill up. Permits are $22 a night for individual sites good for up to 6 people. Group sites are $40 a night good for up to 20 people.
Reservations: Reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance. All camping on Cumberland Island requires a reservation and printed permit, and must be done in a designated campsite. Dispersed camping and beach camping are not permitted. Check the ferry schedule prior to reserving your Cumberland Island National Seashore Camping Permit unless you are traveling by private boat. The ferry does not operate on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from December through February.
Reservations / current camping instructions ↗
Fires: Fires are permitted in designated fire rings only. No beach fires. Dead and downed wood can be collected. Bundles of firewood are available for purchase on the Cumberland Island Ferry. Camp stoves are permitted. Do not leave fires unattended. Put them completely out before leaving your site.
Site rules: Stay Limit: 7 consecutive nights. A person cannot hold more than one permit for the same date. That permit holder must occupy the site. Maximum campers and equipment: The individual site maximum is six persons. The Sea Camp Group Campground maximum is 20 people. Children two years of age and under do not count toward the maximum. Gear Transport: Campers are responsible for transporting gear from the dock to the campgrounds. Check out time: 10:00 a.m. Quiet hours: 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Food and Trash Storage: Store or hang all food and trash. Raccoons are common. Follow Leave No Trace…
Stafford Beach Campground ↗
Stafford Beach Campground requires a three and a half mile hike from Sea Camp. All sites are walk-to, tent sites and campers are responsible for transporting all gear. Carts of any kind or wheeled coolers cannot be used to haul gear. The site has flush toilets, cold showers, and water spigots with potable water. The sites include fire rings with grills. Food storage lockers (bear boxes) are available. Sites are $12 a night, good for up to 6 people.
Reservations: Reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance. All camping on Cumberland Island requires a reservation and printed permit, and must be done in a designated campsite. Dispersed camping and beach camping are not permitted. Check the ferry schedule prior to reserving your Cumberland Island National Seashore Camping Permit unless you are traveling by private boat. The ferry does not operate on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from December through February.
Reservations / current camping instructions ↗
Fires: Fires are permitted in designated fire rings only. No beach fires. Dead and downed wood can be collected. Camp stoves are permitted. Do not leave fires unattended. Put them completely out before leaving your site.
Site rules: Stay Limit: 7 consecutive nights. A person cannot hold more than one permit for the same date. That permit holder must occupy the site. Maximum campers and equipment: The individual site maximum is six persons. Children two years of age and under do not count toward the maximum. Gear Transport: Campers are responsible for transporting gear from the dock to the campgrounds. Check out time: 10:00 a.m. Quiet hours: 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Food and Trash Storage: Store or hang all food and trash. Raccoons are common. Follow Leave No Trace principles Drinking Water: Available at Plum Orchard,…
Truck-camping & permitted overnight use
Plan tent camping with the current ferry or boat arrangements and NPS pack-in requirements. Verify transport and campsite permits before traveling; these island camps are not drive-in truck or RV campsites.
Backcountry camping and vehicle camping require park-specific authorization; National Park Service land is not generally open to unrestricted roadside camping. Confirm designated sites, permits and food-storage rules with this unit.
Activities, hiking & trails
Hiking. Official activities and trail-planning information ↗
NPS-listed recreation: Biking, Boating, Camping, Guided Tours, Hiking, Hunting and Gathering, Hunting, Swimming, Saltwater Swimming, Wildlife Watching, Birdwatching.
Maps & road access
Use the official NPS directions and current alerts. Check vehicle restrictions and campground approach roads before traveling.
Cumberland Island is only accessible by ferry or private boat. These directions are to the mainland visitor center in St. Marys, GA. Driving Directions To reach the visitor center from Interstate 95: •Take Exit 3 for US 40 •Take US 40 East toward “Historic Downtown St. Marys” •US 40 becomes Osborne Rd. Continue on until you reach the waterfront •Turn right on St. Marys Rd •The visitor center will be two blocks down on your left (113 St. Marys St W, St Marys GA 31558) Official directions / site access ↗
Before you travel
Cumberland Island’s climate is hot and humid during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 80's (>26 C) and mild during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 60's (<20 C). The warmest month of the year is July with an average high of 90 degrees F (32 C), while the coldest is January with an average low of 45 degrees F (44 C). Visit the Current Conditions page for an up-to-date local forecast: https://www.nps.gov/cuis/planyourvisit/conditions.htm#weather
Source review: 2026-11-01. Conditions, fees, permits and availability can change. National Park Service official information ↗
Photograph sources & licensing
Banner: Vegetated Dunes
Vegetation holds dunes in place providing a barrier to erosion forces and creating essential interdune meadows to support island life.
Credit: NPS Photo. Original source ↗ · Public domain — NPS-created federal work ↗. Resized and cropped to match the profile display framing; original image source linked.
Second large photograph: Undeveloped Coast
Cumberland Island National Seashore encompasses nearly 18 miles of undeveloped beach offering recreation for visitors and essential nesting area for birds and sea turtles.
Credit: NPS Photo. Original source ↗ · Public domain — NPS-created federal work ↗. Resized and cropped to match the profile display framing; original image source linked.
Photographs are real images of the named unit; no AI-generated photographs are used. Federal photo credit register.