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Near the border of Georgia and Florida on I-95 in Georgia, you’ll see the exit sign for St. Marys and Cumberland Island. Most drivers blow past this exit, intent on making time to their next destination. But those who do so bypass a unique spot on the Georgia coast—the sleepy shrimp catcher’s village of St. Marys. This small town serves as the mainland gateway to Cumberland Island, Georgia’s largest barrier island and a destination that offers much to visitors.
This is an area to stop and spend at least a day or two. You can bask in maritime history in town, enjoy notable local eateries, and explore Cumberland Island nearby. For overnight stays, the nearby Crooked River State Park offers an idyllic setting and support for RV travelers not far from downtown St. Marys.
We live on the Georgia Coast. There’s much to explore and discover here. In this seventh part of our series about Coastal Georgia, we’ll focus on what to see and do at St. Marys and Cumberland Island.
See and Do
St. Marys: Historic District
Ten miles off I-95 due East on Route 40, you’ll enter the sleepy coastal shrimpers’ village of St. Marys, Georgia. It’s been around since 1787, and about 18,000 people live in this small, historic town.
As you enter the town on the main drag, you can’t miss the downtown historic district. It presents a walkable treasure trove of period architectural structures. Tree-lined streets flank inviting antebellum buildings that will provoke your curiosity, many of which date back to the early 19th century. You can park and stroll along the sidewalks to see the intricate details of buildings that suggest an era when handiwork was central to product creation.
Each building presents a unique tale that reflects the culture and spirit of St. Marys, making it a worthy stop for history buffs and casual explorers alike. A notable example is The Federal Quarters, the iconic Southern Antebellum home where Aaron Burr hid after his famous duel with Alexander Hamilton in 1804.
The local historical society often hosts tours that delve into the stories behind these buildings, enriching your understanding of the town’s past. You can join the Murder, Mayhem, and Martinis Walking Tour for stories that mix local legends with cocktails.
The St. Marys Welcome Center provides information about tours and offers shopping for gifts and souvenirs to commemorate your coastal adventure.
St. Marys Waterfront Park
From the weathered tabby walls of the historic buildings downtown, you can walk to St. Marys Waterfront Park. Admission is free, making it an accessible destination for all. The 600-foot History Walk Trail weaves downtown stories into your waterfront exploration. You’ll see fishing piers that jut into the St. Marys River downtown, perfect for casting lines with locals happy to share their secret bait recipes. You can put a kayak in the sea from public docks and paddle around the harbor.
The scenic views from the shoreline offer Instagram-worthy moments. But don’t let your mobile phone or camera distract your attention from spots where you can sip coffee and watch the shrimp boats navigate the Intracoastal waterway. Shrimp is the fresh catch of the day around here, and if you eat at a local restaurant, it’s likely you’ll see fresh shrimp on offer.
The St. Marys Submarine Museum
You can visit the St. Marys Submarine Museum, where submarine artifacts suggest tales of underwater warriors who called these waters home. The naval history here isn’t your typical dusty textbook—think Cold War secrets and submarine memorabilia.
Cumberland Island: An Escape From Civilization
If you’ve ever wondered what an island escape looks like when civilization steps back to let nature reclaim its throne, a visit to Cumberland Island offers exactly that experience. It’s a place where wild horses roam freely through maritime forests and along pristine beaches that stretch for miles on undeveloped land. Historic ruins suggest stories of America’s Gilded Age families who once built magnificent homes here.
St. Marys is the mainland port gateway to the Cumberland Island National Seashore, a 17.5-mile-long, 36,415-acre island managed by the National Park Service. You can board a ferry at the waterfront downtown for a 45-minute trip to the island.
Many who live along the Georgia Coast have spent decades exploring Cumberland and still report discovering something new and different every time they visit. If you visit, you may ponder whether you’re fully prepared for what this protected wilderness demands of its visitors. You can walk, bike, fish, hunt, and camp around the island, but many visitors opt for organized, ride-in-a-buggy tours that will take you to notable places.
Visitors to Cumberland Island must register with the National Park Service, which imposes a daily limit of 300 people. No bridges connect the island to the mainland, so you’ll need to pack your own food.
You’ll pay several fees to visit Cumberland:
- The National Park entry fee
- A Cumberland Island ferry ticket, which leaves from St. Marys, Georgia
- A bike fee (if you bring your bike)
- A camping fee if you wish to stay on the island overnight
Use this Cumberland Island visitor’s checklist from the National Park Service to prepare for your trip with the right supplies and registration.
On Cumberland: Wild Horses and Native Wildlife
Once you step off the ferry onto Cumberland’s untamed shores, you’re entering a place where at least 150 wild horses—descendants of several breeds—roam freely across the island. These horses graze peacefully alongside loggerhead sea turtles nesting on beaches as armadillos shuffle through the undergrowth nearby. About 300 bird species flit along the beaches and through the treetops as alligators bask in freshwater ponds while wild hogs rut around the island.
The feral horses on the island aren’t just iconic—they’re reshaping the landscape one hoofprint at a time. You’ll spot them grazing in salt marshes and on the lawns of historic building ruins. The horse’s ecological impact on the island is notable. They’re munching on endangered vegetation and competing with native wildlife for freshwater springs. The National Park Service conducts an annual population census to oversee these herds and their environmental impact.
On Cumberland: Historic Mansions and Gilded Age Buildings
A tour of Cumberland will reveal Dungeness, the site for the sprawling Carnegie mansion that once hosted lavish gatherings for society’s most influential families. Today, the crumbling tabby walls and grand archways of this building will remind you of the Gilded Age of America, when Thomas Carnegie’s widow, Lucy, built this palatial estate in the 1880s.
Dungeness is also the original site where the widow of revolutionary war hero Nathaniel Greene built a four-story tabby mansion on top of a Timucuan shell mound. The tabby construction—made from crushed shells, lime, and gravel—outlasted the Greene family fortunes but couldn’t survive the later construction ambitions of the Carnegies. The moniker for this construction—Timucuan—originates from the name of the Native American tribe that lived on this island about 4,000 years ago.
Another site is the Carnegie’s Italian Renaissance Revival Plum Orchard Mansion. This home still whispers of 1898-era excesses maimed by fire in 1959. Travelers consistently rate this mansion experience as exceptional, often spending over an hour at this site.
In 1996, John F. Kennedy Jr. married Carolyn Bessette in a private ceremony in the island’s tiny First African Baptist Church—a secret well-kept from the media at the time.
Pristine Beaches and Coastal Ecosystems
Seventeen and a half miles of unspoiled coastline stretch along Cumberland Island’s Atlantic shore, where sun-kissed sand beaches showcase one of Georgia’s most protected coastal ecosystems. You’ll discover endless beachcombing treasures—from shark teeth to delicate shells that tell stories of the ocean’s rhythm. The island’s dunes create natural barriers, protecting the maritime forests where live oaks draped in Spanish moss meet salt marshes teeming with life.
The island’s interior features palmetto undergrowth, magnolias, and red bay trees, creating layered habitats beneath live oak canopies. Wildlife flourishes here—from painted buntings to bobcats.
In your footsteps on this island, join those of your colleagues and conservation enthusiasts who understand this sanctuary’s significance. Coastal conservation efforts preserve nesting sites for endangered loggerhead turtles while protecting fragile vegetation that prevents erosion. When you explore this island, you walk through a living laboratory where salt spray shapes resilient plant communities and tidal pools reveal hidden worlds of marine life.
Camping and Overnight Stays
Visitors can camp, hike, bike, boat, fish, and participate in controlled hunts for wild boar.
Two main sites offer camping. Sea Camp Beach offers primitive camping with basic campsites including restrooms, cold showers, and picnic tables. You’ll need to carry your gear about a mile from the ferry dock, making tent setup manageable for most campers.
Stafford Beach offers a more secluded experience, with fewer amenities but greater solitude within the maritime forest. You’ll need reservations with the park service to use these sites. The park service imposes a seven-day limit on stays.
National Park Trust events like backpacking trips promote preservation and deepen visitors’ connection to the land.
Take A Tour
Ride A Tour Buggy
You cannot see the entire island in one day. The Lands & Legacies six-hour overland tour takes you to the highlights of Cumberland Island’s North Shore. You can book tickets through the same platform as your ferry ticket. This is the only motorized tour offered on the island. Some visitors report the ride can be spine-jolting, but it’s a practical alternative to walking or biking around the island.
Take A Walking Tour
You can take a 4.3-mile walking tour of the island, known as the South End Loop Trail. This private walking tour covers some main attractions on foot and adapts to ferry schedules, allowing day visitors to make the most of their time.
Back On The Mainland–Things To Do
The Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base
Just six miles northwest of St. Marys, the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base stands as America’s East Coast hub for Trident submarines—the silent titans of nuclear deterrence few have ever seen in action.
While you can’t waltz onto the active military installation, the St. Marys Submarine Museum delivers a raw glimpse into naval history without the propaganda. The cramped quarters and control panels reveal the claustrophobic reality of undersea warfare. The museum strips away mythology, exposing submarine technology’s brutal evolution from death traps to precision killing machines. Don’t expect sanitized stories—the museum’s artifacts and photographs document the cold calculus of nuclear strategy.
The fleet housed at Kings Bay represents America’s most lethal force, hidden beneath coastal Georgia’s deceptively tranquil waters. Visitors can explore the base through guided tours, learning about the submarines and the brave men and women serving our country. The base also contributes to the local economy and community, making it an integral part of the community.
A Tip for Divers
St. Marys, Georgia, harbors a little-known underwater archaeological site just offshore, where divers can explore the remains of a Revolutionary War-era shipwreck. The vessel, believed to be a British supply ship that sank in 1778, lies in relatively shallow water and contains well-preserved artifacts occasionally visible through shifting sands.
While not officially promoted by tourism boards because of preservation concerns, local diving enthusiasts share this unique spot with visitors who express an interest. The changing tides regularly reveal and cloak different portions of the wreckage, making each diving experience unique.
Where to Eat
Hidden behind coastal Georgia’s quaint façade, a culinary revolution thrives where you’d least expect it. St. Marys waterfront defies southern stereotypes, offering razor-sharp contrasts between old-world seafood shacks and bold fusion experiments.
The waterfront eateries serve fresh seafood caught from the nearby waters for food lovers. At the same time, cozy cafés offer homemade dishes that warm the heart. The local cuisine will invite your attention, especially the local shrimp harvested just hours before it reaches your plate. You’ll find Southern classics, such as shrimp, grits, or fried green tomatoes.
The Riverside Café takes a top spot with Greek-style Bifteki and Moussaka that’ll transport your taste buds straight to the Mediterranean. Across the street from this café, you’ll find the ferry to Cumberland Island.
Yelp and TripAdvisor can be your best friends for this visit. Check out their ratings to find an eatery that suits your taste buds.
In addition to its culinary delights, the shopping scene in St. Marys is equally inviting. Stroll through the quaint streets and explore unique boutiques featuring handcrafted goods, local art, and souvenirs. The vibrant atmosphere, combined with friendly shopkeepers eager to share their stories, creates a shopping experience that feels personal and memorable. Don’t forget to visit the local visitors center for shopping and information.
Where To Stay
While Cumberland Island showcases Georgia’s aristocratic ghosts and wilder island escapes, Crooked River State Park offers RV-centric pleasures where cottages and campsites overlook and border tidal marshes. You’ll find eleven cozy cottages near a tidal river, plus sixty-three campsites where Spanish moss drapes over canopies of trees.
The North Star Bait & Tackle Shop stocks everything you need for saltwater fishing adventures, and a public boat ramp provides direct access to the Intracoastal Waterway. Yes, if you’re towing a boat, you can launch from within the park even if you don’t book a campsite. A floating dock enhances waterway access for both boating enthusiasts and anglers.
When to Visit
You can visit St. Marys throughout the year. Cumberland Island is open 24 hours a day, all year. The island is only accessible by boat. The visitor center, other services, and ferries all run separate schedules. Check with the visitors center for more information.
Weather
Fair weather awaits you along the Georgia Coast all year long. You can walk along the beaches throughout the winter months with only a windbreaker, long pants, a rain jacket, and, for some, a scarf. Snow and ice during winter are a rarity.
Note: A polar vortex blast hit coastal Georgia in January 2025, leaving four to six inches of snow and sleet across the region for several days at freezing temperatures. This event was an anomaly. It’s common to experience 70-degree weather on the coast at different points throughout the winter months each year.
You can use your RV on the Georgia coast year-round without winterizing. The temperatures may drop into the 20s for about two weeks a year, typically in January. These temperatures below freezing are atypical and typically last only a day or a few days. However, you may need to winterize your LTV for your trip to the region during the winter months, depending on the regions of the country through which you travel.
Our Coastal Georgia Story Series
Check out parts one, two, three, four, five, or six of this series about where to go and what to do on the Georgia Coast.
If you find yourself on a northbound route on I-95 and stop at exit one to see St. Marys and Cumberland, consider Folkston and the Okefenokee for your next stop. It’s at exit 14 off of I-95. You can read about it in part one.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://leisurevans.com/blog/exploring-georgias-unforgettable-detours-off-i-95-part-vii/