Sapelo Island Annual Camping & Beachcombing Weekend

Group Ferry & Transportation Notes:  This Thu-Sun (4-day, 3-night) trip requires that we travel as a group, departing on the Thursday 3:30 PM public ferry from the Mainland dock to the Island.  Local driving parties should depart from Atlanta for the ferry dock no later than about 8:30 to 9:00 AM Thu and allow more time if your route might be affected by the I-85 "bridge collapse." See Directions, Logistics, optional Carpooling, etc. below.  A special charter bus on the Island will haul us and our gear the ~5 miles between the Island ferry dock and our oceanfront "Cabretta Group Campsite."  On Sunday we're booked on the 4:00 PM return ferry departure from the Island, arriving back at our vehicles on the mainland by about 4:45 PM Sunday.

IN a NUTSHELL:  Are you a beach lover who enjoys the wonders of nature and a healthy dose of adventure—plus perhaps occasionally a little luxury when you're camping?  This may be the perfect trip for you! - and if you have questions feel free to consult any of the dozens of us AOCers who have had a blast on the same annual trip for the past several years.  Larger than Bermuda, Sapelo is a beautiful barrier island on the Georgia coast about 40 miles south of Savannah.  Its pristine natural beaches, marshlands and forested wilderness areas are enhanced by its protected status as a National Estuarine Research Reserve.  Like Cumberland Island 50 miles to its south there is no bridge connecting Sapelo with the mainland.  Reserved camping groups such as ours travel together on the Public Ferry to and from the island which takes only about a half hour each way.
  Our spacious "Cabretta Group Campsite" is a wonderful place to be, esp. in the spring.  We'll have it all to ourselves to relax under its gnarly Spanish-moss-draped live oaks, explore the gorgeous adjoining white sandy beach, and observe wild dolphins, deer, bald eagles and other exotic native wildlife.  Late April weather is usually ideal for enjoying Sapelo, with afternoon highs typically in the 70s or 80s and nightly lows in the 50s or 60s.

MANY NICE CAMPSITE AMENITIES!  As mentioned above we'll have exclusive use of the GA DNR's "Cabretta" Group Campsite with its wide expanse of level tent space - also plenty of shady trees for hanging hammocks.  The well-equipped campsite also boasts three 10' x 12' screen-fronted wood-floored Adirondack shelters and you're welcome to share sleeping space in one of them if you like, although more privacy is afforded by your own tent or hammock.  Please email any requests for Adirondack space to the Trip Leaders prior to the trip.
  Another bonus of this group site is its spacious roofed Dining Pavilion, with safe nearby running water, large picnic tables, BBQ grills, and a big campfire ring.  The comfort station has hot showers, lavatories and flush toilets—even a hot-water dishwashing station.  Our GA-DNR hosts will transport us by bus and truck directly from the ferry dock to and from this private group campsite.  It's OK to pack stuff in large duffels or suitcases - also fine to take "car-camping" style gear; e.g. coolers filled with ice, fresh food and our favorite cold drinks.  For our "family-style" meals multi-burner propane stoves and large pots & pans are appropriate - see more below.  (BTW, Bags of Crushed Ice for topping off our coolers are normally available for sale directly at the campsite.)

DOZENS of FUN THINGS to SEE & DO!  Sapelo is blessed with lovely secluded beaches, sea-oat-capped sand dunes, forests of huge gnarled mossy live oaks, abundant seabirds & wildlife - even wild bald eagles! - and historic ruins.  Beachcombing, shell collecting and stargazing on our private beach are unsurpassed on GA's Atlantic coast.  We also often see wild dolphins and alligators.
  Rental Bicycles and Sea Kayaks will be available at the campsite.  It's easy to paddle over to the legendary Blackbeard Island and back, and I (Charlie) will be glad to guide at least one such excursion. PRICES (Payable in CASH):  Bicycles $15/day, Single Kayaks $50/day, 2-Person Kayaks $60/day

SPECIAL GUIDED GROUP ACTIVITIES!  Since space may be limited on these I'll have a clipboard with "Interest signup sheets" available when we first gather at 2:30 PM at the Mainland Sapelo Visitor Center on Thursday - Charlie
  Optional Guided Bus Tour of the Island:  Since it's always been "such a blast in the past," I've arranged this as usual for ~9:30 AM till Noon on FRIDAY- about $20, payable in CASH to our driver-guide.  (Note change!  Original posting of this article had said "Saturday") We'll have scenic walking & photography stops at the beautifully restored 190-year-old Sapelo Lighthouse on the island's south end, its adjoining "Nanny Goat Beach, the Marine Research Institute, the palatial "Reynolds Mansion," Hog Hammock (and its pub!) - also may get to see nesting wild bald eagles and the remote north end of the Island with its historic French "tabby ruins" and Raccoon Bluff church. A Sapelo native and lifelong resident of its quaint "Hog Hammock" community, our host JR Grovner has ancestors who lived and worked on the Island more than 150 years ago.
  Special Guided Group Excursions have been tentatively arranged with our GA-DNR Naturalist friends. Here are two) that I recommend and plan to do myself (just $10 each - payable in CASH:
- 9:30 AM Sat: South End Nature Trail & Beach Hike, including van transportation
- 9:30 AM Sun: Seine Netting of Fish & Aquatic Critters at the South End's "Nanny Goat Beach" (or perhaps at our own "Cabretta Beach")

FAMILY-STYLE MEALS:  On all of our past Sapelo weekends our informal breakfast, lunch & dinner parties have been a significant part of the fun in and around our spacious dining pavilion.  They're highly recommended, but If you wish to do your own thing (for any meal) no problem!  The trip leaders will provide (included in the trip price) all the ingredients for a big Saturday Evening Group Dinner (original article may have said "Friday") - also hot brewed Coffee each morning.  Our breakfasts and other dinners will be informally shared "Potluck-Style" at the pavilion, with each camper who chooses to participate simply preparing and contributing one or two food or refreshment items of your choice that you personally enjoy and that would serve perhaps 4 or 5 others - no need to feed everyone with your chosen items!

"PerfectPotluck.com" is a free website that provides convenient real-time access to well organized online charts of gear, supplies, food & refreshment items that each person wishes to bring to share. It's incredibly easy to "click below" and enter or re-edit your own info, and I encourage each of you campers to do so ASAP for the benefit of the group. You can easily see what there may be too little of or too much of and insert or adjust your own contribution accordingly! Our AOC "Group Password" if you happen to need it is AOC2017.
Group Dinners (Thu & Fri ~6:00 - 8:30 PM) click here:  http://www.perfectpotluck.com/meals.php?t=OMDR2205
If you expect to participate in one or more of our Dinners, please click the above link and enter or re-edit your items, indicating beside each item when you expect to share it, if it's needed: 
Group Breakfasts (Fri, Sat & Sun, ~7:00- 9:00 AM) click here:  http://www.perfectpotluck.com/meals.php?t=ZTGV8657
- Same easy entry and re-editing system as for Dinners:

Lunches: For those of us who happen to be at the campsite at midday on Fri, Sat or Sunday we enjoy putting out various tasty "potluck-style" items at the pavilion to share, but we don't bother trying to pre-plan specific Lunch contributions.  During much of each day many of us will likely be away from the campsite exploring, beachcombing, etc. It's a good idea to wear a light daypack or fanny pack and carry a few snack items such as fruit, a sandwich, trail mix, cookies, etc.—plus water and your smartphone, camera, etc.

Cooking Options:  As usual on this trip we expect to have several campers who bring propane stoves that we're willing to share with others who need to cook or reheat something in their own covered pot or pan.  Also there are a couple of permanant on-site charcoal grills beside the dining pavilion, which each of us is welcome to use, either with our own charcoal or with some of the cut firewood that is delivered for us at the site. Also the coals of our nightly campfires are great for marshmallows & "s'mores" and for cooking things sealed in aluminum foil such as baked potatoes and "hobo packs."

TRIP SCHEDULE & LOGISTICS:  It's normally about a 5-hour drive from Atlanta to the mainland ferry dock and its adjoining "Sapelo Visitor Center" in Meridian, GA via I-75, I-16, I-95, and GA-99—see our detailed Directions below.  For this Sapelo trip the scheduled PUBLIC FERRY DEPARTURE for our AOC camping group will be at 3:30 PM SHARP on Thursday.  It will be imperative for each of us to be there at the dock no later than 3:00 PM for loading and boarding (along with passengers from the public at large who will have likewise booked that ferry).
  Most members of our group on this trip usually opt for our "general Carpooling plan." (See details below, meeting Thursday at 8:30 AM at the I-75 "Stockbridge Road" Park & Ride lot.) It's also fine for our various parties to pair up in advance and depart Atlanta from mutually convenient times and places. For any who prefer to drive down on Wednesday (or earlier) there are various inexpensive lodging options along the GA coast near the mainland ferry dock.
  At 2:30 PM Thursday our AOC group will all gather at the Sapelo Visitor Center near the mainland ferry dock, and at 3:00 PM drive our vehicles temporarily to the dock and load our gear onto the ferry (see directions below).  Let's avoid bringing numerous small separate items and have our personal things well consolidated inside large rugged containers, duffels, etc. (see more below).  Although we never have to walk our camping & personal gear more than 40 or 50 yards it's a good idea to pack compactly and avoid bringing any unnecessary items.  (Each of us will have no less than EIGHT loadings or unloadings of our gear, including our two at home!)
  Our vehicles will have free parking all weekend at the Visitor Center near the mainland dock. As emphasized above the ferry will depart for Sapelo at 3:30 PM.  We expect to arrive at the Island Dock at about 4:00 PM where our GA DNR "Campsite Hosts" will meet us with a school bus and drive us and all our gear directly to our "Cabretta Campsite" which adjoins the oceanfront about 5 miles NE of the island dock.  We'll have about 70 hours on the Island from Thu afternoon thru Sun afternoon to enjoy our beautiful campsite and the other wonderful things Sapelo has to offer.
  On Sunday afternoon our bus from our campsite to the Island Ferry Dock will depart at 2:30 or 3:00 PM.  Our return ferry to the mainland departs from Sapelo at 4:00 PM Sunday, putting us back at our parked vehicles by about 4:30.  This makes it likely that each of us can be back in Atlanta as early as ~10:30 PM Sunday, assuming a stop for dinner and gas en route home.

"PRE-TRIP PLANNING DROP-IN," SUN APR 16 ~7:00-8:00 PM, in lobby of CENTURY CENTER MARRIOTT, 2000 Century Blvd NE, Atlanta, GA 30345:  This informal gathering is esp. recommended for you "Sapelo first-timers" to address your questions and introduce you to others who are on the trip.  We'll gather in the quiet lobby of the hotel (on the southbound I-85 access road between the Shallowford Rd & Clairmont Rd exits).  Not a problem if you can't be there or need to arrive late.  I'll try to arrive early to stake out seating & table space for us and will have some nice Sapelo maps & brochures to give out & discuss. We'll facilitate the planning of "Custom Carpooling" and also review our main group carpooling option - see its details below.  We'll also discuss all the exciting Sapelo activity options, what to wear and bring, how to pack, optional "family-style potluck" meals, and address any remaining questions you may have.

FOR MORE on SAPELO CLICK on THESE LINKS:
Wikipedia article:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapelo_Island

Map of Sapelo showing Cabretta Campsite + roads & trails:
http://www.sapelonerr.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Sapelo-Island-with-text.pdf

Lorri Meyer's Sapelo Photo Album from June 2013 AOC trip: https://picasaweb.google.com/115116507155383750859/SapeloIslandJune2013?authkey=Gv1sRgCIKNydDqgpmCHg&feat=email#

Allison Adams' Sapelo Photo Album from our Aug 2009 AOC trip: http://megasuperstar.shutterfly.com/262

Hurricane Matthew "Recap":  Regrettably our scheduled Oct 2016 trip to Sapelo had to be cancelled due to downed trees and powerlines in the wake of Hurricane Matthew.  Fortunately there was NO significant storm damage to the Cabretta oceanfront group site where we've had so many good times in the past.  Our friends who live on the Island also weathered the storm well, as did Sapelo's bridges, docks, homes and other structures.  Luckily we can take advantage of this April 2017 reservation.and will surely enjoy the wonderful Island and campsite as we always have in the past. -Charlie.

FROM ATLANTA to SAPELO ISLAND MAINLAND FERRY DOCK & VISITOR CENTER (near Meridian, GA - about 295 miles  from downtown Atlanta)
GPS USERS:  We suggest that you enter these concise Lat/Lon Coordinates as your destination address since there is no exact street address:  31.4550,-81.3647  Be sure to include the comma and minus sign!  Also, for a zoomable map & satellite view of the Dock/ Visitor Center area, you can click the square blue & green "Event Location" icon near the top of this online article.

DIRECTION STEPS & LEG MILEAGES from ATLANTA:
1. Take I-75 South ~85 miles to Macon. (If you depart from Atlanta's East or NE side you may wish to connect to I-75 via I-285 and I-675.)  Important:  When approaching Macon AVOID the I-475 bypass by bearing left at Mile #177 to STAY on I-75.)
2. At I-75 Exit #165 in Macon, bear Left off I-75 onto I-16 East toward Savannah, andcontinue ~157 miles to the I-95 Interchange just west of Savannah.
3. Merge Right from I-16 onto I-95 South at Exit #157 and take I-95 South ~41 miles.
4. Get off I-95 to your right at Exit #58, "GA-57, Townsend-Eulonia, GA."  (For those who may wish to drive down a day early there are various inexpensive lodging options near this exit.)
5. Turn Left onto GA-57 / GA-99 and stay on GA-99 (eastward and southward) for about 9.5 miles (crossing US-17 en route). Look on your left for the following large rectangular sign, on the same corner as a church: "Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Center."
6. Turn Left off GA-99 just before the above sign onto the paved Sapelo Island Dock Road (a.k.a. "Landing Rd"), turn Right over the small bridge, and follow the road just 8/10 of a mile to its dead end at the Visitor Center & Ferry Dock.  Congratulations—you made it!

GROUP PROCEDURE at MAINLAND DOCK and ADJOINING "SAPELO VISITOR CENTER":  At about 2:30 PM Thursday we suggest that you stop by the Visitor Center where you can enjoy its free museum displays of the island's natural, geologic and human history, check out their T-shirts and other nice souvenirs, and pick up free Island maps, brochures, etc.  We'll load our gear onto the ferry at about 3:00 PM. The AOC trip leader will pay for our group ferry fare at the Visitor Center and simply present that receipt as our "group ticket" after we board.  As discussed in the event itinerary our Ferry departure will be at 3:30 PM sharp.

PARKING PROCEDURE NEAR MAINLAND DOCK:  For unloading your heavier gear from our vehicles we may park temporarily at the farthest dead-end of the road (beside the dock and ferry office) but over the weekend we must park either in the marked spaces at the Visitor Center or along the shoulders of the dock road, at least 100 yards from the dock.  Parking is FREE!

Possible Alternate FRIDAY 3:30 PM Ferry to Island:  We strongly recommend the standard 3-night trip, but if it is impossible for you to take the Thursday Ferry with us, indicate this in your signup notes.  If there is enough interest we can perhaps arrange an alternate ferry, for several campers to take instead the Friday afternoon ferry - 24 hours later than our main Thu-Sun group.  If so we can try to arrange a Friday 4:00 PM bus pickup to connect such a subgroup with our main group at the campsite.  On Sunday ALL of our campers will take the 4:00 PM return ferry discussed above.

• Round-trip Ferry between Mainland Dock and Island (See our group schedule in itinerary discussed above),
• Round-trip charter Bus Transportation between Sapelo Island dock and Campsite,
• Three nights Oceanside Camping at Cabretta Group Campsite (Sleep in screened Adirondack Building if you prefer, in lieu of your tent or hammock.)
• Hot Showers, Flush Toilets, Hot-water Dishwashing Sink, Potable Running Water, plus other misc. Island amenities & Group Supplies,
• Saturday evening group Dinner at group campsite Dining Pavilion
• Pre-cut Firewood & Kindling for nightly Campfires, delivered at the campsite
+ Hot Brewed Coffee each morning with creamers & sweeteners.

It is your responsibility to get your payment in on time. Please allow two days for processing a PayPal transaction.  Any personal checks must be hand delivered to an AOC Officer or Treasurer by the Apr 13 payment deadline.

CANCELLATION POLICY:
1.   This is intended to be a "Rain or Shine" event, esp. since we have such excellent shelter and transportation while on the Island.  The policy of the GA-DNR and the AOC is that the trip will not be cancelled unless a rare anomaly is expected - e.g., extremely severe weather such as a tropical storm or hurricane.
2.  If you cancel on or before Apr 13, full payment will be refunded less a $5 administrative fee. No refund after Apr 13 unless someone replaces you and pays in full, and then if requested you will be eligible for a refund less a $5 administrative fee. No partial payment for partial attendance. If the trip leader cancels the event, full payment will be refunded. If you do not cancel your attendance or fail to show up for the event, you are still responsible for full payment.