Cumberland Island National Seashore | BACKCOUNTRY CAMPING

Brickhill Bluff Campsite on Cumberland Island

Brickhill Bluff Campsite on Cumberland Island

There are three backcountry campsites at Cumberland Island National Seashore: Hickory Hill, Yankee Paradise, and Brickhill Bluff. All are completely primitive—not even portable toilets—and offer campers nothing more than a large clearing on which to pitch a tent. There are no set campsites, so you can pitch your tent anywhere in the clearing as long as it is not on vegetation. You cannot clear a new area. Furthermore, regardless of the size of the camping area, only four groups of up to six people are allowed to camp at a given campsite at any one time. If you have more than six people in your group, you can reserve two spots (if available), but each spot most be reserved by a different group member. One person cannot reserve two or more spots.

There are no fire rings / grills at the backcountry campsites, and thus no open fires are allowed. You can bring a cooking stove to prepare hot meals. Also, there are no picnic tables at the sites.

Be sure to bring a shovel with you because you must dig a hole to poop in. These holes need to be at least 6″ deep and 50 yards or more from the campsite and water source. Bury the poop, but bring your toilet paper back with you. Thus, be sure to bring a plastic bag for toilet paper and any other garbage. There are no trash cans on the Cumberland Island.

The three backcountry campsites lie within what is known as a Wilderness Area, and no wheeled contraptions of any type are allowed. Carts and coolers with wheels are prohibited north of Sea Camp. Grand Avenue, the main road through the park, is excluded from the Wilderness Area, so you can ride a bike on it. However, you cannot take your bike on the trails, not even if you are pushing it. You must leave it at the road and carry your gear to the campsite. You can chain it to a tree within 15 feet the road.

There is a water source located within a mile of each campsite, though the water has a sulfur taste and must be treated by boiling, using iodine, or filtering.

Backcountry water spigot for wilderness campers on Cumberland Island

Backcountry water spigot for wilderness campers on Cumberland Island

Raccoons will tear into your food supply if not properly secured. It is suggested that you hoist your food off the ground. Unlike some backcountry campsites that have wires and pulleys in place for such a task, on Cumberland Island you must bring your own rope.

Keeping food from the raccoons at a Cumberland Island Backcountry Campsite

Keeping food from the raccoons at a Cumberland Island Backcountry Campsite

All campers who take the ferry from St. Marys must disembark at the Sea Camp dock. This is the second stop, the first being at the Dungeness dock.

RESERVATIONS

Reservations for all campgrounds can be made up to six months in advance and are now required. Book your campsite online at Recreation.gov. Keep in mind that unless you have your own boat that you must travel by ferry, and the campsite and ferry bookings are done at different websites. This sets up what is known as a Catch-22 situation—you can’t book a site until you have a ferry ticket, and you don’t want a ferry ticket unless you have a campsite. This usually isn’t a problem, but at busy times such as Spring Break, if only a few ferry tickets remain, it is possible that by the time you book your campsite they may be gone, and vice versa. Also keep in mind that the ferry does not operate daily from December through February.

Those camping in the backcountry must return on the 2:45 PM ferry on the day of departure (when the 2:45 PM ferry is operating). Special requests to return on the 4:45 PM ferry can be made at the ferry office, but since this is when most day trippers are returning, the boat is likely to be full.

Camping fees do not include park entrance fees, so everyone must check in at the Visitor Center to pay the park entrance fee. Arrive an hour before your departure time to minimize standing in line, for the closer to departure, the longer the line.

Being that the backcountry campsites are 5 to 10 miles from the Sea Camp ferry dock, the demand is not as great as it is for the Sea Camp Campground, or even the Stafford Beach Campground, so it is very possible to book one during high visitation periods. Also, the backcountry campsites are closed when hunting is allowed (select weekends from October through January).

For the current camping fees, visit Cumberland Island National Seashore’s Camping web page.


The following Refund and Cancellation Policy and Campground Rules is from the National Park Service website for Cumberland Island National Seashore.


REFUND AND CANCELLATION POLICY

  • Cancellations 10 days or more before the start date of the reservation will result in a refund of the permit cost minus a 25% cancellation fee.
  • Cancellations less than 10 days from the start date of the reservation will result in a refund of the permit cost minus a 50% cancellation fee.
  • No refunds will be granted for cancellations one day prior to the start date of the reservation. When a reservation is cancelled, those dates will be made available for other campers at a random time within 24 hours.

Changes Before Permit is Printed:

The Refund and Cancellation Policy will be applied to all changes to the reservation. The start date of the reservation cannot be changed without cancelling the reservation. A new reservation must be made. Cancellation fees apply, and fees associated with making a new reservation apply. Reservations are non-transferable.

After Permit is Printed:

Changes cannot be made to a permit once it is printed. Changes will require a cancellation of the permit and reserving a new permit, if space is available. All cancellation fees and new reservation fees apply.

  • Permits can only be printed within 10 days of the arrival date.
  • You cannot change your site assignment.
  • All permits must be honored as they are.
  • Ensure every person on the camping permit has reserved a round-trip ferry ticket or has transportation via private boat.

No Show Policy

If you do not cancel and decide not to use your reservation, none of the fees will be refunded. Please cancel your reservation if you are unable to use it as this opens space for others.

CAMPGROUND RULES

  • Stay Limit: 7 consecutive nights.
  • A person cannot hold more than one permit for the same date. That permit holder must occupy the site.
  • Maximum campers and equipment: The individual site maximum is six persons. The Sea Camp Group Campground maximum is 20 people. Children two years of age and under do not count toward the maximum.
  • Gear Transport: Campers are responsible for transporting gear from the dock to the campgrounds. Carts can only be used to transport gear to Sea Camp Campground.
  • Campfires: Only permitted at Sea Camp & Stafford Beach. Use designated fire rings only. You may gather dead and down wood or purchase bundles of firewood on the ferry.
  • Check out time: 10:00 a.m.
  • Quiet hours: 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
  • Food and Trash Storage: Store or hang all food and trash. Raccoons are common. Follow Leave No Trace principles
  • Drinking Water: Available at Plum Orchard and all areas south of Sea Camp. Treat water at all other areas of the island.
  • No Pets: Only service animals are permitted in campgrounds.
  • No Lifeguards. Swim at your own risk.
  • All animals on the island – including horses – are wild! Do not approach within 50 feet of horses; they may bite or kick.

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Last updated on July 19, 2024
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