Cumberland Island National Seashore! Camping and Improving its Beautiful Trails

Trip Update as of Feb 24th:  Based on what our confirmees have told me virtually all of us plan either to "custom carpool" down on Wednesday (today) or to drive independently and meet us at 11 AM Thu at the ferry dock in St. Marys. Several of us plan to meet for carpooling at 2:00 PM Wed at the I-75 Stockbridge Rd Park & Ride - see Directions below.  At least 6 of us have booked rooms to share on Wed night at the Magnolia Inn.  It's at I-95 Exit #3, just a 15-minute drive from the St. Marys Ferry dock and only about $50 per room via Expedia.com, including taxes and their compimentary continental breakfast Thu AM. The Cumberland Island weather forecast is looking good:  Clear skies are expected for the entire Thu-Sun weekend, with highs each afternoon in the low 60s or high 50s and late-night lows in the 40s - should be fine for camping - plus roaring campfires & stargazing each evening!  The big event is definitely still ON!  -Charlie

WANTED!  ...Enthusiastic able-bodied AOC adventurers for this excitingly different Atlantic coast wilderness experience!  In October 2015 our first group of Cumberland Island volunteers greatly enjoyed a virtually identical 4-day, 3-night camping trip.  We're honored to be invited again by the Georgia Conservancy and the National Park Service to give back to the environment on this crown jewel of Georgia's barrier islands  Our main mission will be to work again with our friendly hosts to restore and improve the National Seashore's lovely backcountry trail system.  This will entail up to about 16 hours of much-needed work which may include trail maintenance, trail signage, boardwalk building, GPS data collection, etc. See more details below.

There'll also be plenty of leisure hours for relaxation and optional activities!  Be prepared for lots of amazing photo ops!  Wild horses, gorgeous native flora and fauna and picturesque remnants of Cumberland's fascinating human history all abound on the pristine island.  Late winter is usually an ideal time of year for camping, hiking, colorful sunsets, blazing campfires and festive group meals - daily highs in late February average about 70 degrees and nightly lows about 50. 

Our hosts are kindly providing us free ferry transportation between St. Marys, GA and the Island's Sea Camp dock - also van/truck transportation between the Sea Camp Visitor Center and our well-equipped "Hunt Camp" group campsite.  We'll camp there (at no charge) all 3 nights and prepare & serve our own group dinners & breakfasts there.  See below a discussion of our optional "potluck family-style" meals and suggested gear, food & refreshments under "Required Items to Bring."

Boasting the "best sunset on the island", Hunt Camp provides excellent amenities including a central building with a large covered porch and 4 bathrooms (each with a hot shower, flush toilet & lavatory) - also electric outlets, a refrigerator, ice machine, hot-water dishwashing sink, plenty of picnic table space and a big campfire ring!  It's just a 3-minute walk south of the historic Plum Orchard mansion, near the center of the lovely trail network on the sheltered western shore of the island.  

FERRY SCHEDULE and DRIVING SUGGESTIONS:  For our ferry trip to the Island our AOC group will need to gather at 11:00 AM Thursday in St. Marys, GA at the mainland Cumberland Island ferry dock and visitor center.  After a Nat'l Park Service safety briefing, gear loading, boarding, etc. the ferry will depart promptly at 11:45 AM. (See detailed Directions and What to Bring below.)  The dock is about a 6-hour 350-mile drive from Atlanta.  We'll facilitate the formation of "custom carpool groups" for the trip down and back.  One option of course is to depart Atlanta by about 5:00 AM Thursday morning.  I also suggest that if your work schedule permits, consider driving down on Wednesday and spending the night in the St. Marys area.  If you're interested l can provide specific suggestions for optional Wed night lodging.  Our Sunday return ferry to the mainland will depart the Sea Camp Dock at 10:15 AM putting us back at our vehicles in St. Marys about 45 minutes later.  Those of us who need to return directly to Atlanta should be able to arrive home as early as about 6:00 PM Sunday evening.

FOR MORE ONLINE INFO about CUMBERLAND ISLAND and this special service opportunity I suggest clicking these links:
The GA Conservancy's Cumberland Island Trail Restoration Project website: http://www.cumberlandtrails.com/#homepage
AOC Oct 2015 Post-trip Cumberland Article & Photo/Video Links: http://www.atlantaoutdoorclub.com/events/archivedetails.asp?eventid=10979
Cumberland Island Nat'l Seashore NPS website: http://www.nps.gov/cuis
Wikipedia Article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland_Island
Plum Orchard Mansion history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plum_Orchard
Photos, Maps & other Images: https://www.google.com/#q=cumberland+island+photos

MANY THANKS to our friend LAURA BUCKMASTER, the GA Conservancy's "Cumberland Island Trail Restoration Fellow," for inviting the Atlanta Outdoor Club to participate in this service trip and for overseeing its complex logistics.  Below are more important trip details and thoughtful suggestions that Laura has provided:

As discussed above our AOC group will gather at 11:00 AM on Thursday (with all our carefully packed trip gear and supplies) at the mainland Cumberland Island ferry dock in St. Marys, GA. This is about a 6-hour 350-mile drive from Atlanta so be sure to allow ample time considering that there may be traffic problems, etc. en route.  For a zoomable Map or Satellite view of our meetup spot click the square blue & green "Event Location" icon near the top of this article.

DIRECTIONS from ATLANTA to CUMBERLAND ISLAND MAINLAND FERRY DOCK in ST. MARYS, GA:

1.  From metro Atlanta take I-75 South about 85 miles to the Macon, GA vicinity.  Be sure to bear Leftward when you reach the I-475 bypass and continue on I-75 south to the I-16 exit near the center of Macon.
2.  Bear leftward to take I-75 Exit #165 onto I-16 East toward Savannah.
3.  Stay on I-16 East for about 156 miles and look for the I-95 South exit.
4.  Bear Right at I-16 Exit #157A onto I-95 South toward Jacksonville.
5.  Stay on I-95 South for about 95 miles and get off at Exit #3, "GA-40, St. Marys."
6.  Turn Left onto GA-40 and go 9.3 miles to its end at the waterfront on St. Marys Street.
7.  Turn right onto St. Marys Street and notice the Cumberland Island ferry dock and visitor center immediately on your left where we'll unload our gear from our vehicles and gather at 11:00 for the ferry trip to the island.  A free shaded parking lot for Island visitors is just 1 block beyond the Visitor Center, via a right turn off St. Marys Street.
GPS and MAPS.GOOGLE.COM USERS:  Feel free to augment the above directions by entering as your destination either of the following:
LAT/LON Coordinates of our 11:00 AM Meetup Spot: 30.72032,-81.54937
Approx. Street Address near Meetup Spot:  104 St. Marys Street W, St. Marys, GA

No Charge for this amazing trip other than your fair share of carpooling expenses to and from the Ferry Dock!  Just bring your own camping gear, food & refreshments - plus a cheerful disposition and vim, vigor & vitality!