Cumberland Island National Seashore Camping Permits

Island is peaceful and relaxing

Had a great 3 nights at Sea Camp. The park staff were extremely friendly and helpful. Didn’t know what to expect middle of June camping southern most part of GA but not much different from northern GA this time of year. Hot and humid. The 18v battery powered fan was definitely needed at night and was a bonus during the day relaxing at the campsite. The sea breeze was constant but at the campsite, it was somewhat blocked by the sand dunes.
I brought plenty of bug repellent to keep the sand gnats, mosquitoes, and ticks at bay but it didn’t seem to do much for the biting flies. Note to self… bring fly swatter next time.
I did a good job keeping food items locked away so the critters couldn’t get to them but I did have a trash panda find my shampoo and body wash not securely put away. It didn’t appear little triangle faced monkey used it though. Overall had a great time but the evening thunderstorms did make it a challenge. Did a lot of hiking around the south end of the island and got some great photos. Can’t wait to return during the cooler months and explore more.

clean and well maintained. ferry crew helped unload which was great as well

We spent three nights on Cumberland Island in June, in Sea Camp, site 16, during tropical storm Arthur. We got wet; everything got and stayed wet, but we had a great time. Site 16 is in convenient proximity to the rest rooms and the beach. Sites 16 offers more privacy than most other campsites, and it’s flat, spacious, and easy to set up. Just be warned: there are raccoons and possums lurking in the shadows waiting to attack anything you leave vulnerable; they love garbage.

When you arrive, as you move from the Sea Camp dock to your camp site, be aware of your load size. If you borrow a complimentary cart, be sure it doesn’t have a flat tire. The carts are a huge convenience, when they’re maintained.

If you’re staying more than a couple of nights in the summer heat, ice is an issue: you can buy ice from the ferry when it makes one of it’s three daily trips to the island. And if you have the time and money, the Lands and Legacies tour is well worth the money, but like all things Cumberland, you need to book in advance. Our tour guide, Lisa, was both knowledgeable and considerate as she led a van load of curious adults through a six-plus hour tour of the island during tropical storm strength rains, navigating the bumpy roads while telling the tales of the island and keeping us all together.

We had one beautiful beach day with calm, clear water, as if the storm the day before had left the surface too exhausted to do more than allow the waves to break softly on the shore.

On our final night, just as we had finally dried out from Arthur’s activities the day before, we were treated to a massive thunder storm that lasted three hours and may have dumped more rain than the tropical storm the day before. Oh well, we made the best of it: as soon as the rain ended, the puddles quickly absorbed into the sand, leaving us to pack up a soaking wet campsite.

All in all, in spite of the heat and rain, I’d do it again without reservation.

As always we had a wonderful experience on the Island. I will say that we did find the female ranger doing the campsite check-ins was extremely rude when we were departing. We were in GN. I had gone up to her to let her know that we had left a few bundles of woods for the campsite for the next group taking over the site. She immediately began saying that we better have cleared the campsite. We had 4 people from our party depart the day prior. 4 of us were catching the early morning ferry. She was questioning where everyone's stuff was. I let her know we had cleared the site before coming to the ferry but the rest of the group was going to the beach and catching the late ferry. It was unnecessarily rude when I thought we were being kind in providing wood for the next group.

I have had consistently good experiences using recreation.gov to plan and book my camping permits. I don't have any quibbles with it and hope they will continue with a sensible design and user interface.

Sea Camp Campground exceeded my expectations.
The campsites are spacious, shaded by beautiful live oaks, and surprisingly peaceful. The campground has potable water, clean restrooms, and cold outdoor showers, which were very welcome after long days of hiking.

Cumberland Island is an incredible place to explore on foot. I spent six nights here and still felt like there was more to discover. The island is full of history, wildlife, quiet beaches, and beautiful forest trails.

If you enjoy backpacking, hiking, nature, and a true escape from crowds, I highly recommend Sea Camp. I’ll definitely be back.

great place we love the island

We had a great trip and saw a lot of wildlife. The raccoons are very brave!

Wonderful campsite, clean, quiet, and private.