Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WORTH A TRIP
CUMBERLAND ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE
The largest wilderness island in the US, Cumberland Island ( 912-882-4336;
www.nps.gov/cuis ; entry $4, sea camping $4) lies just over the Georgia state line. At 17.5 miles
long and 3 miles wide, almost half of its 57 sq miles is marshland, mudflats and tidal
creeks. Only 300 visitors at any given time are allowed on the island, accessible by a
45-minute ferry ride.
Ashore, rangers lead free one-hour tours concluding at the ruins of Thomas and Lucy
Carnegie's 1884 mansion, Dungeness. Along the way rangers interpret the rich bird and
animal life - including sandpipers, ospreys, painted buntings, nesting loggerhead turtles,
armadillos and deer - and detail 4000 years of human history that spans the Timucua,
British colonists and Spanish missionaries.
After the Civil War, freed slaves purchased parcels of land at the island's northern end
and founded the First African Baptist Church in 1893. The tiny, 11-pew, white-painted
wooden church was rebuilt in the 1930s, and the late John F Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bes-
sette were married in it in 1996. It's open to the public, but it's a hefty 15-mile hike from
the ferry drop through moss-draped thickets.
The historic village of St Marys ( www.stmaryswelcome.com ) is the island's charming gate-
way: there are no shops on the island. Bring food, insect repellent and your camera! Ac-
commodation options on the island range from an opulent mansion to rugged camping.
Check the St Marys website for details.
Ferries ( 912-882-4335; www.nps.gov/cuis ; round trip adult/senior/child $20/18/14) depart
St Marys at 9am and 11:45am, returning at 10:15am and 4:45pm (an additional ferry runs
at 2:45pm Wednesday to Saturday from March to November; no ferries run on Tuesday
or Wednesday from December to February). Reservations are recommended.
From northern Florida, take I-95 north to St Marys Rd exit 1. Turn right onto GA-40/St
Marys Rd E and follow it to the end.
Sleeping
Fernandina Beach has a wealth of charming Victorian B&Bs and there are some opulent
resorts on the island. That said, rooms don't come cheap and rates soar in peak summer
and special events periods.
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