Barrier islands are dynamic lines of sand found just off and parallel to the main coastline. They are considered dynamic because they are constantly changing as a result of storms, tidal flow and currents moving the sand and all the plant life that grows in it. Cumberland Island is Geogia’s largest and southernmost barrier island and has been preserved as a national park sheltering 36,000 acres of maritime forests, wild beach, freshwater lakes and saltwater marshes. Stel and I anchored in a creek behind the island, put our bikes on the dinghy and then went ashore for about 5 hours of exploring. We had not been to many other places with such “natural” beauty and it remains accessible by boat only to only a certain number of people a day. Words can’t adequately express the beauty of this place, so we have tried to capture some of it on camera.
If you have a cruising boat, don’t miss this stop when passing through the state of Georgia. If traveling by car, stop in St. Mary and take a day trip to Cumberland Island by ferry.