Cumberland Island National Seashore A short ferry ride transports you to this magnificent unspoiled barrier island, the largest in Georgia's chain of islands just offshore in the Atlantic Ocean. Enjoy over 17 miles of secluded white, sandy beaches. Wild horses and other island wildlife roam freely throughout the ruins, along the beach and across the marsh expanse. The saltwater marshes support large populations of fish, shellfish, plants, and bird life. Cradled in the branches of the inland maritime forest, resurrection ferns spring up above the draped Spanish moss to comfort the lives of such birds as painted buntings, summer tanagers, cardinals, pileated woodpeckers, yellow-throated warblers, and Carolina wrens. Deeper in the forests you may catch a glimpse of the island's numerous whitetail deer, raccoons, bull alligators, and armadillos. On the beach, you can watch shorebirds such as sandpipers, sea gulls, and osprey hunt for their latest meal. Loggerhead turtles have chosen the deserted beaches of Cumberland to come ashore and lay their eggs. Glimpses of the Carnegie lifestyle of the past can be easily imagined throughout the ruins of Dungeness, abandoned luxury vehicles, Plum Orchard, and Greyfield Inn, a grand and graceful mansion built in 1900 as a home for Lucy and Thomas Carnegie's daughter, Margaret Ricketson. It was opened as The Greyfield Inn resort in 1962 by Margaret's daughter, Lucy R. Ferguson, and her family. In 1972 the federal government bought most of the private land on the island and donated it to the National Park Service, creating Cumberland Island National Seashore. Frontcountry and backcountry campsites limit overnight visitation to just 120 campers. A network of over 50 miles of hiking trails, as well as the beach itself allow for easy exploration of the island. Sea Camp Beach includes sixteen improved campsites with fire pits, picnic tables, potable water and coldwater showers as well as beach access and close proximity to the ferry docks. It also provides easy access to the historic attractions on the southern end of the island. Primitive camping is offered at Stafford Beach, Hickory Hill, Yankee Paradise, and Brickhill Bluff. The Ice House Museum is located at the Dungeness Dock on Cumberland Island. Exhibits contain artifacts and photos dealing with the island's history and cover Island history from the Native Americans through the Carnegie Era. The Mainland Visitor Information Center and the Mainland Museum Building, on the waterfront in St. Marys, Georgia, are open all year. Enjoy hiking, swimming, fishing, shelling, birding, and all the natural treasures that Cumberland has to offer. For more information, contact the Cumberland Island National Seashore, Box 806, St. Marys, Georgia 31558, (912) 882-4336. Cumberland Island Ferry, (912) 882-4335. Okefenokee Swamp The Okefenokee Swamp is an adventure for all ages to enjoy. This easily accessible wilderness encompasses over 400,000 acres of canals, moss-draped cypress tree and lilypad prairies, which provide santuaries for hundreds of species of birds and wildlife. Take a guided boat tour, or paddle your own canoe. You'll find a wide range of activities: visit the observation tower and restored swamp homestead, rent bikes, picnic, or go fishing. The slow-moving waters of the Okefenokee are tea-colored from the tannic acid released by decaying vegetation. Two rivers have their headwaters in the Okefenokee - the Suwannee and the St. Marys. About 85% of the water draining from the Okefenokee Swamp is carried by the Suwannee, which flows from the western edge of the swamp past Fargo and into Florida. Most of the remaining water exiting the swamp eventually enters the St. Marys River, ending up along Florida's Atlantic Coast. The swamp contains numerous islands and lakes, along with vast areas of non-forested terrain. Prairies cover about 60,000 acres of the swamp. Once forested, these open expanses were created during periods of severe drought when fires burned out vegetation. The prairies harbor a variety of wading birds: herons, egrets, ibises, cranes and bitterns. The swamp remains one of the oldest and most well preserved freshwater areas in America. More than 400 species of vertebrates have been identified in the swamp, and more than half of these are birds. Practically every species of southeastern wading bird and waterfowl visits or is a permanent resident in the Okefenokee. Included are the big ones, such as the federally endangered wood stork, imposing great blue heron, and trumpeting sandhill crane. Long strings of white ibises, with their red faces and curved bills, are commonly seen soaring above the treetops, coming or going from one of the many rookeries. Many birds are seasonal in their appearance. The ducks, buffleheads, and blue-winged teals are winter visitors, whereas the colorful purple gallinule and least bittern are present most commonly during warmer months. The Okefenokee Swamp is the year-round home of many bird species, such as the wood duck, in which males sport a multicolored breeding plumage. Another is the sandhill crane whose seven-foot wingspread and bugling in flight provide one of the most magnificent spectacles of sight and sound to be found among native wildlife. In spring and autumn, a variety of migratory birds stop over in the swamp on their way to or from tropical America or southern Florida. Collectively, the bird life brings the swamp alive year-round with its diversity of sounds and visual displays. East Entrance: Suwanee Canal Recreation Area - Located eight miles southwest of Folkston, the east entrance is created by the man-made Suwannee Canal and offers comprehensive facilities for appreciating the Okefenokee Swamp. Visitors can enjoy the park in a number of ways, ranging from the do-it-yourself - camping, canoeing, fishing, hiking - to guided programs such as boat tours and educational films. From the Visitor Center, one can venture into the swamp by car, bike, boat or on foot. Swamp Island Drive is a nine-mile loop for cars or bikes culminating in a .75-mile boardwalk into dense swamp growth, open prairie and ponds before reaching a 30-foot observation tower. A private concession provides recreational services to visitors, including rentals of boats (motor and paddle), canoes, bicycles, fishing/camping equipment, as well as guided boat tours, souvenirs and snacks. Overnight camping is allowed in the refuge, but only with a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permit obtained through a phone reservation up to two months in advance (for information, call 912-496-3331). There are seven designated camping areas in the refuge, accessible only by canoe. A fee is charged at the east entrance, which is open every day except Christmas. West Entrance: Stephen C. Foster State Park - The west entrance to the park is named for the songwriter who penned "Way Down Upon the Suwannee River," and is located on Jones Island. Run by the state of Georgia which leases the land from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Stephen C. Foster State Park offers visitors a variety of ways to enjoy the Okefenokee. In addition to the Interpretive Center and Museum, visitors may walk the one-mile Trembling Earth Nature Trail, picnic, or boat through the 25 miles of public day use waterways. Tent and trailer camp sites are available, as well as cottages for rental. Guided boat tours and other educational programs are also available. Campers heading for one of the seven campsights accessible only by canoe may use this park, but reservations must be made through the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge office. A fee is charged at this entrance, which is open year-round. North Entrance: Okefenokee Swamp Park - Located 12 miles southeast of Waycross, Okefenokee Swamp Park is a private nonprofit park where visitors may explore the swamp unguided via the boardwalks or observation tower, or take advantage of the daily programs or guided tours. Live reptile presentations and videos are scheduled throughout the day; the facility also includes a living swamp center, swamp creation center, serpentarium and animal habitats on display. Guided boat tours are available, as well as a 45-minute tram tour which takes visitors through historic and natural attractions, including a pioneer homestead, honey bee farm and Seminole indian village. A fee is charged at this park, which is open every day except Christmas. Savannah-Tybee Island || Richmond Hill || Midway-Liberty County || Darien-Sapelo Island || Brunswick & The Golden Isles St. Marys || Cumberland Island || Kingsland || Waycross || Okefenokee Swamp || Coastal Neighbors || Group Tours || Home || ^Top Travel Association Membership Info || Membership List www.VisitCoastalGeorgia.com