Cumberland Island can be summed up in a few different "things to do" categories. The first is obviously to enjoy the great anchorage, and beautiful scenery while listening to the birds of Cumberland.
The second is two enjoy some of the historical structures of Cumberland by land. Today we took the dinghy to the Icehouse Dock. (You can also land at the SeaCamp Dock, and take the River Trail to the Icehouse) We went through the old Icehouse, where years ago ice was brought in by boat, and stored under the floor of a thick wooden building. Today the NPS has put interpretive exhibits up in the icehouse as a museum.
We also walked to Dungeness, the former magnificent grounds of Thomas and Lucy Carnegie, from 1884 and onward. Although the mansion burned, there are buildings and remains that with a little imagination transports you to a different era.
The horses on Cumberland were domestic horses that were released to "roam free" as a condition to a land gift to the NPS. They are always a highlight to see at various locations around the island.
The third is to enjoy some of the trails on Cumberland. We walked from Dungeness to the main road via the Nightingale Trail. The trail has various numbered wooden posts which, if you've picked up a brochure, identifies various vegetation (trees) alongside the trail. Make sure you are wearing some type of insect repellent, as the trails are loaded with ticks.
The fourth is enjoy the great almost deserted beaches of the Atlantic. I don't know I managed to NOT take a photo of beach for as long as you can see. I'll see if I can find a photo of when I was here before.
Finally, don't forget to explore the marsh tidal creeks. Yesterday and the day before we went to the north, and explored Oldhouse Creek. Today we went to the south, and went up Beach Creek to the south, all the way up to the Dungeness docks (closed to the public.) I talked to a local in a 25'-ish Everglades that told me he could only get in there at high-ish tide. It was a pretty trip up the creek, with sandy areas near the entrance, and marsh grass the rest of the way up.
Did I mention it is fun to enjoy the anchorage?
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