Cumberland Island Ga in June
Jun 2nd, 2023, 12:37 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cumberland Island Ga in June
My husband and I are going to St. Simons for a short visit and want to go see Cumberland Island. We are 60 and 62 but active enough . We like to hike and my husband bikes. I did read we need to take our own supplies and if we wanted to bike to take our own bike. Being out of town we do not have bikes but did not know if they rented them someplace for that purpose. We don't have an issue walking but wondered how much ground we could actually cover on a daytrip and still take time to take in the beauty. What shoes do you recommend. (sandals)? Just basic information that might make this visit to the island as enjoyable as possible. Our daughter is getting married on St. Simons next April so we are heading down for a few days to check out the area. Any other suggestions on what to do see in and around the area (even off St. Simons) welcomed. We like the outdoors and not really into museum type things but our minds aren't closed. Thank you and looking forward to seeing this part of Georgia that we've not touched on. Amanda
Jun 3rd, 2023, 10:17 AM
#2
Join Date: May 2022
Posts: 310
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thirty minutes south of St. Simons Island is Jekyll Island.
Jekyll Island, Georgia. Jekyll Island offers a variety of amenities, including 10 miles of beach, a 250-acre Historic Landmark District, a nature center, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, and Summer Waves Water Park. By law only 35% can be developed which leaves remote beaches, maritime forests and salt marshes for exploration. With 22 miles of picturesque paths and trails, biking offers a relaxing way to see all of the island's hallmark points of interest.The Jekyll Island Bike Barn rents adult bikes.
Cumberland Island National Seashore. It contains one of the largest wilderness areas on the East Coast featuring live oak maritime forests, freshwater ponds and wetlands, mixed-pine/hardwood forests, and pine-dominated forests. It has more than 17 miles of secluded white, sandy beaches. Wild horses and other island wildlife including alligators, sea turtles roam freely throughout the ruins and along the beach. Explore the island on a day trip, or bring everything you need to stay overnight at one of the island's campgrounds. Or, you can stay at the luxurious Greyfield Inn, which has its own ferry and pampers guests with gourmet dinners, naturalist-led wilderness tours and plush accommodations. The National Park Service reports: “There are no paved roads on the island. All roads, including the Main Road, are sandy surfaces. Conditions can vary but often the surface is soft, making riding more difficult and slower. Bikes will need wider tires to be ridable (no thin street tires).” The National Park Service does provide a guided tour on foot.
Jekyll Island, Georgia. Jekyll Island offers a variety of amenities, including 10 miles of beach, a 250-acre Historic Landmark District, a nature center, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, and Summer Waves Water Park. By law only 35% can be developed which leaves remote beaches, maritime forests and salt marshes for exploration. With 22 miles of picturesque paths and trails, biking offers a relaxing way to see all of the island's hallmark points of interest.The Jekyll Island Bike Barn rents adult bikes.
Cumberland Island National Seashore. It contains one of the largest wilderness areas on the East Coast featuring live oak maritime forests, freshwater ponds and wetlands, mixed-pine/hardwood forests, and pine-dominated forests. It has more than 17 miles of secluded white, sandy beaches. Wild horses and other island wildlife including alligators, sea turtles roam freely throughout the ruins and along the beach. Explore the island on a day trip, or bring everything you need to stay overnight at one of the island's campgrounds. Or, you can stay at the luxurious Greyfield Inn, which has its own ferry and pampers guests with gourmet dinners, naturalist-led wilderness tours and plush accommodations. The National Park Service reports: “There are no paved roads on the island. All roads, including the Main Road, are sandy surfaces. Conditions can vary but often the surface is soft, making riding more difficult and slower. Bikes will need wider tires to be ridable (no thin street tires).” The National Park Service does provide a guided tour on foot.
Last edited by PrairieHikerI; Jun 3rd, 2023 at 10:19 AM.
Jun 4th, 2023, 06:02 PM
#3
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,122
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You can get the ferry from St. Mary’s to Cumberland Island. They do rent bikes on the island. They are just basic beach bikes. We went a few years ago and rented their bikes. We rode to Plum Orchard Mansion and back to the beach across from the ferry site. We should have planned to stay longer to see the southern part of the island.
Here’s a link to the NPS website.
https://www.nps.gov/cuis/planyourvisit/maps.htm
We loved visiting there, we took our lunch and waters in backpacks as there are no concessions on the island. Biking wasn’t too hard but sometimes a little sluggish going through the sand.
As far as shoes, if you have good sandals with straps and supports that should suffice. I wouldn’t go in flip flops.
The Okefenokee Swamp isn’t too far from there and is worth a visit if you have the time.
https://okeswamp.org/
Here’s a link to the NPS website.
https://www.nps.gov/cuis/planyourvisit/maps.htm
We loved visiting there, we took our lunch and waters in backpacks as there are no concessions on the island. Biking wasn’t too hard but sometimes a little sluggish going through the sand.
As far as shoes, if you have good sandals with straps and supports that should suffice. I wouldn’t go in flip flops.
The Okefenokee Swamp isn’t too far from there and is worth a visit if you have the time.
https://okeswamp.org/
Last edited by cgenster; Jun 4th, 2023 at 06:13 PM.
Sep 11th, 2023, 05:22 AM
#4
Cumberland is fantastic. An "almost deserted" island off the coast of GA. A few residents still have homes there. The famous Greyfield Inn is a luxury lodging option. Other than that, everything is "rustic".
In June, it will be hot and humid.
If you want to see more than the south end of the island, you can take the van tour -
https://www.cumberlandislandferry.co...legacies-tour/
You'll need to make reservations for the ferry AND the van tour.
If you want to splurge and enjoy an overnight stay at the Greyfield Inn, they price includes lodging, meals AND "free" tours by their naturalists.
https://greyfieldinn.com/
The Greyfield is amazing and books up fast. At least several months prior. Many return year after year.
They have a private shuttle, that picks up at Fernandina Beach in FL, not St Marys in GA.
In June, it will be hot and humid.
If you want to see more than the south end of the island, you can take the van tour -
https://www.cumberlandislandferry.co...legacies-tour/
You'll need to make reservations for the ferry AND the van tour.
If you want to splurge and enjoy an overnight stay at the Greyfield Inn, they price includes lodging, meals AND "free" tours by their naturalists.
https://greyfieldinn.com/
The Greyfield is amazing and books up fast. At least several months prior. Many return year after year.
They have a private shuttle, that picks up at Fernandina Beach in FL, not St Marys in GA.
