Cumberland Island National Seashore Camping Permits

I enjoyed my stay on Cumberland Island. However, there are a few things that require attention and improvement
1. The Main Road is not useable for cyclists unless one has at least 2- inch wide tires du to the loose sand . I had Shawalbee 1.25 inch tires and had to push my bike for a good portion of the path. I would suggest 2 things - 1) Inform people of this situation; 2) improve the road by stabilizing the sand (it is a very effective and relatively cheap approach- you are not paving but improving the riding surface and making it safer)
2. I don't understand why bikes are not allowed on the trails. You cannot expect a camper who has to carry all his/her supplies to leave the bike by the main road and carry everything to the campsite which is 45 minutes away. I ask that you consider letting campers use their bikes on the trails
3. A number of trails are poorly, wrongly, or not even marked at all. While trekking from Hickory Hill to the beach I came a few times to a junction/fork with no signs at all. Sometimes I took the wrong way and ended up having to wade myself through thickets. One causes more damage to the environment when they get lost plus it increases the odds for a person to get lost and get injured. So please put more signs where needed and maybe indicate the miles to the designated spot! The wooden sign for Yankee Paradise on Willow Pond Trail is almost illegible. Just need to paint the inside of the lettering. A reflector placed on each sign would be very helpful at night. I also recommend you place vertical support poles for hammocks (this will prevent people from using the trees for support). The map indicates " South End Trail" whereas the actual signs reads "South Point Trail"- They are not the same and it was rather confusing.
4) Dune Crossing Markers - Place a solar powered light or reflector so they can be easily identified at night. Also, place a number visible from the distance (use same on map).

It was the perfect way to lead up to the Christmas Holidays. The rain couldn't even dampen our spirits. The facilities were great, the addition of the bear boxes as a game changer, and the overall spirit of the campers and staff made the trip.

It was the perfect way to lead up to the Christmas Holidays. The rain couldn't even dampen our spirits. The facilities were great, the addition of the bear boxes as a game changer, and the overall spirit of the campers and staff made the trip.

We spent three nights on Cumberland Island - Stafford (good), Yankee Paradise (meh), and Sea Camp (great). Each day on Cumberland Island, however, was five stars for us. Next time, we’d pitch camp at Sea Camp and explore from there. We took our mountain bikes (highly recommended) and pedaled each day, able to cover most of the island by bike. Much to our surprise, there were flush toilets and electricity (at Stafford and Sea Camp) and phone service almost everywhere on the island. We did visit Brickyard Bluff and wished our night at Yankee Paradise would have been there. Beautiful setting overlooking the marsh.

We spent three nights on Cumberland Island - Stafford (good), Yankee Paradise (meh), and Sea Camp (great). Each day on Cumberland Island, however, was five stars for us. Next time, we’d pitch camp at Sea Camp and explore from there. We took our mountain bikes (highly recommended) and pedaled each day, able to cover most of the island by bike. Much to our surprise, there were flush toilets and electricity (at Stafford and Sea Camp) and phone service almost everywhere on the island. We did visit Brickyard Bluff and wished our night at Yankee Paradise would have been there. Beautiful setting overlooking the marsh.

Stafford campground was amazing! I recommend waking early and hiking/biking the beach south watching the sunrise as you go towards the dungeness ruins.