Magical Ruins and Wild Horses in Cumberland Island National Seashore

Ruins and wild places alike have an amazing ability to inspire adventure. Places that have both can be absolutely magical!

Cumberland Island, just off the coast of Georgia, is one of those magical places. 

Until recently, I had no idea that Cumberland Island even existed, but thanks to our habit of listening to audiobooks during road trips, visiting the island became our top priority for places to see during our recent trip through Georgia.  

(The book was an Audible Original called Silverswift by Natalie Lloyd. To check it out, you can sign up for a Free Trial of Audible using my affiliate link )

Where is it?

Note:  You need to book the ferry both ways. If you miss your ferry out, you’ll also need to book private transport off the island, which can be costly.

What is it? 

Cumberland Island is the southernmost of the barrier islands off the coast of Georgia. It is also one of the 10 National Seashores maintained by the National Park Services, which is a designation given to seashore areas that are considered naturally and recreationally significant. 

The island has over 9,900 acres of wilderness area to explore, though most of that is difficult enough to reach that most visitors will never see it. Instead, many people choose to focus on the easier to access areas of the island, including elegant mansions, haunting ruins, and herds of wild horses! 

Why Should I Visit?

There’s a ton of different reasons for visiting Cumberland Island, depending on what sort of experience you’re looking for. The Plum Tree Mansion and Dungeness ruins both make for intriguing historical/cultural field trip opportunities, while the diverse landscape and unique fauna promise unforgettable ecological field trip adventures!

Plus, there’s a beach!  

Whatever your interest in the island, there’s plenty to keep you busy during a trip.

Note: Unless you’re staying at the Greyfield Inn, there are not food services available on the island. Be sure to bring food for the day, and refillable water bottles.

Dungeness Ruins and Cumberland Island History

The Dungeness ruins featured heavily in the audiobook that first sparked our interest in Cumberland Island, so getting to see the ruins was the top item on our list when we visited. 

Dungeness was a mansion owned by Andrew Carnegie until it burned down in 1959. Even the ruins of the mansion are spectacular, and they’re well worth visiting. I’ve heard it theorized that Carnegie chose the location in part for its proximity to Jekyll Island, as a snub to the Jekyll Island Club that denied him entrance because he was an immigrant. Whether that was true or not, Carnegie’s Dungeness was built in the same location as an earlier home by the same name.

If you’re more interested in non-ruined mansions, the Carnegie’s Plum Orchard Mansion is still standing and available for tours on the northern side of the island. It is a bit harder to reach, however, so plan accordingly. The NPS estimates round-trip travel time at 3-5 hours for bikers or 8-10 hours for hikers. Alternatively, you could join the “Lands and Legacies” tour, which includes the mansion as a stop. 

Hiking and Biking

If you plan to spend any time on Cumberland Island at all, you’re likely going to be spending some time on the trails. Cumberland Island has over 50 miles of trails on the island, ranging from the short River Trail between the two ferry docking sites to the 14 mile round trip trail to Plum Orchard Mansion. 

It’s quite possible to see most of what the South end of the island has to offer by hiking the Southend Loop. This loop will give you time under the island’s beautiful Live Oak trees on the River trail, through the Dungeness ruins, and back north to Sea Camp Dock via a walk on the island’s Atlantic-side beach. This loop is essentially what my family did, with a couple of small modifications, and I can confirm that it is a feasible loop to make in a day, even with a 5-year-old and a 6-year-old in tow. Do be aware that the beach walk is a lot longer than it seems like it should be, though. There was zero shade on that portion of the walk, making the walk by far the most difficult portion of our day. 

The Northend trails, on the other hand, are not recommended for those who are only on the island for the day. The northern side of the island contains much more of the wilderness area and lacks places to get drinking water. If you go this route, be sure to bring enough water to last you the whole day.

If you’d prefer to bike the island instead of hiking, it is possible to bring a bike with you on the ferry for a fee, or you can rent an adult-sized bike on the island itself. Check out the park’s page on biking for more details.

Wild Horses

No matter where you are on the island, you’re almost certain to encounter some wild horses. 

Horses were brought to the island by the hundreds over the years and were often managed as free-roaming herds. Over time, the herds became feral, and in modern days they are considered to be the only herd of non-managed wild horses along the Atlantic coast. Essentially, that means that there is no one in charge of feeding or watering the horses, and they are generally just left to take care of themselves. 

Do be aware that because the horses are no longer domesticated, you should take care if you find yourself near them. They will kick you or nip you if they feel threatened, so be sure to give them all the space they need. 

Park Programs

The best part of visiting national parks is taking advantage of all the park rangers have to offer! Alongside the park’s Jr. Ranger program, rangers may also be available to host tours, answer questions, and just generally be a fount of amazing insight. 

One of our favorite parts was attending the ranger’s Dockside program at the end of our day. It starts at 4:00 pm each afternoon and lasts roughly until the ferry arrives to take the day’s passengers back to the mainland. 

On the day we visited, the ranger talked about Cumberland Island’s sea turtle nests and the efforts being made on behalf of these amazing creatures. 

Camping or a Stay at Greyfield Inn

At this point, you may be wondering how you’re going to be able to fit everything you want to do into a single day. Luckily, there’s a way around that! 

Cumberland Island has a number of campsites that can be reserved through the park’s website. These campsites are fairly primitive campsites, and most of them don’t even have water available. The exception to this is the Sea Camp campsite, which has drinking water and bathroom facilities available, as well as really easy access to the beach. 

If primitive camping isn’t quite your thing, it is still possible to stay overnight by booking a room at the Greyfield Inn. In stark contrast to the campsites, the Greyfield is about as far from “roughing it” as it is possible to get. 

Staying at the Greyfield includes transportation to and from the island, all your meals and snacks during your stay, tours with naturalists ranging from bird watching to shark tooth hunting, and, of course, a sumptuous room where you can spend the night. 

We didn’t stay here, so I can’t speak to exactly how fancy it is, but I’m pretty confident in saying it’s by far the most glamorous way to see the island. 

Whether you’re wanting a wilderness getaway surrounded by wild horses, a glimpse into the luxuries of the past, or a chance to learn more about the wonderful world we live in, a visit to Cumberland Island is exactly the trip you’re looking for.