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Cumberland Island National Seashore February 19-23 2003 [ Home ] [ USA-International Travel ] [ Southeast Travel ] [ Favorite Sunsets ] [ Content ] Day 1-Road Trip Day 2-Long Day AM Day 2-Long Day PM Day 3-To the Settlement Day 4-Stafford Beach Day 5-Home CI Photo Gallery Backpacking at Sea Level
John and sea gulls, a gray day on Cumberland Island, February 20, 2003 On an overcast weekend in February 2003, John and I and several hiking companions took a 4 day weekend to explore Cumberland Island National Seashore. Although a great adventure as a day trip, we decided to shoulder our backpacks for the chance to see the island in a way that many of the island's visitors do not. We picked a weekend late in February because the weather is mild, humidity low, tourist traffic light and the bugs are virtually non existent. Of course we didn't see much sun and only the bottoms of our boots experienced the chilly Atlantic but we weren't there for a tan or a swim. Cumberland Island National Seashore is a great barrier island along the Atlantic coast of Georgia. The island covers 36,415 acres of which 16,850 are marsh and tidal creeks and almost 2,000 acres still privately owned. Inhabited over 4,000 years ago by Native Americans, the European history of the island began in 1566 when Spanish explorers arrived. The island was initially named San Pedro by the explorers and renamed Cumberland Island by General James Oglethorpe in honor Augustus, Duke of Cumberland in England. Between the American Revolution and the Civil War, the island was plowed, timbered and developed. In 1880, Thomas Carnegie brought most of the island and built a number of mansions for self and family including Dungeness, a 59 room Scottish style castle which burned to the ground in 1959, Plum Orchard and Greyfield. The island had a brush with Hilton Head developer Charles Fraser in 1969, when he began construction of a 5,000' airstrip with visions of turning the island into another Hilton Head. The Carnegie family, Mellon Foundation and environmentalists worked with the federal government in 1972 to obtain the land and donate it to the park service. Most recently (1996), John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette were married in the First African Baptist Church on the north end of the island. With only 300 people allowed on the island each day, reservations should be made several months in advance, specifically during the peak season. The only way to get to the island is by ferry and no pets or bicycles are transported. Our Cumberland Island Mileage Log To calculate mileage for our hikes, I have used 2 different maps (neither have mileage noted) combined with a mileage chart furnished by the Park Service. The calculations are not exact but are very close. February 19, 2003
Total Mileage Hiked 29.7-miles Total Mileage Driven 1078.4-miles
Our Cumberland Island Wildlife Log
Water The old adage "water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink" comes to mind when thinking about water on Cumberland Island. Salt water is abound in the many marshes and ponds. The island is, of course, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and Cumberland Sound on the west. Fresh water has been tapped into on the island at Stafford Beach and Brickhill Bluff campsites and a sulfur water pump is located between Hickory Hills and Yankee Paradise camps. Water obtained from all of these sites must be boiled or otherwise treated. For the two nights we camped at Yankee Paradise, we got our water from the potable faucet at Plum Orchard. Plum Orchard has a number of faucets so check with the park service during orientation to be sure you know which faucet dispenses potable water. Campsites Limits are set on the number of campers and tents in each site. An advance reservation only guarantees that a backcountry campsite will be available, it does not guarantee which site (Sea Camp reservations are site specific). Campsite allocation is made at the Ranger Station upon arrival on the island. See our Day 2-AM write-up for more details on our experience! 1) Sea Camp: Located near the Ranger Station and beach, this campsite is what we consider to be a "car camp" site. Wheeled carts are available at the dock so if you can load it on the ferry, you can get it to the campsite . We saw groups with several coolers, a number of gear and equipment duffle bags and actual pieces of hard sided luggage. The campsite has restroom/shower facilities, water and a boardwalk to the beach. 2) Stafford Beach: A 3.5-mile walk from the Ranger Station, this campsite is located near the beach, under a spectacular grove of gnarled oak trees. We stayed at this site our last night and really enjoyed it. 3) Hickory Hill: Hickory Hill was our least favorite site. The short 5.5 mile hike from the Ranger Station provides easy access and we understand it is quite popular with scout troops. The site is surrounded by swampy ponds and we speculated that it would be buggy in the warm months (later confirmed by friends). The walk to water is over a mile (1-way). The water source is the sulfur water pump located between Hickory Hills and Yankee Paradise. 4) Yankee Paradise. Our favorite campsite. Located 7.4-miles from the Ranger Station within a reasonable walk to Plum Orchard for potable water. This site is well positioned for exploring the north end of island in a day and is close enough to the Ranger Station that you can leave the campsite very early in the morning and arrive in time to catch the first ferry back to the mainland. The site is large and will accommodate a number of tents. 5) Brickhill Bluff: At 10.6-miles from the Ranger Station, this was our original choice of sites but not available to us because of a system of advanced reservations for kayakers. The campsite sits on the banks of the Cumberland Sound and, provided the weather cooperates, we guess the sunsets must be totally spectacular.
How Much Did This Trip Cost? (per person expenses for 4.5 days)
Notes on Expenses 1. Total gas bill was $170.00 for 1 car and 1 SUV. The cost was split between 5 people. 2. We stayed at Sleep Inn, 17013 Abercom Street, Savannah, GA on the drive down. The hotel is located at exit 94 on I-95, which is the location of a number of moderately priced hotels immediately off of the interstate. Breakfast was included in the price of the room. 3. The camping fee is $2.00/night/person for backpacking. Sea Camp is a bit more "expensive" at $4.00/night/person (2003 prices). 4. Backpacking food includes 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 dinners
LINKS (Websites and Books) http://www.cimuseum.org/index.html Website for the Cumberland Island Museum. The museum is run by Carol Ruckdeschel, an environmentalist and biologist who is working to protect the island habitat. http://www.nps.gov/cuis/ The national park service website for Cumberland Island. http://www.wildcumberland.org/ Friends of Cumberland Island website Cumberland Island, Strong Women, Wild Horses, by Charles SeabrookA book about the history and people that have shaped Cumberland Island Publisher: John F. Blair, 2002
Day2 AM ~ Part One of a Really Long Day Day 2 PM ~ Part Two of that Same Really Long Day Day 3~To the Settlement and Back, My Poor Aching Feet! Cumberland Island Photo Gallery
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