How Do You Explore Cumberland Island, Georgia?
A 45-minute boat ride from historic St. Marys aboard the Cumberland Queen is a step back in time to Cumberland Island and the ruins of magnificent Dungeness, the 1880s winter retreat of Thomas and Lucy Carnegie. Walking trails, a campground, beaches, dunes, salt marshes and a maritime forest are part of the Cumberland Island National Seashore overseen by the National Park Service. The feral horses on the island are descended from the Carnegie stables. Explore either with a park ranger or on your own. The restored Ice House at the landing, now a museum, presents the story of the self-sufficient Carnegie Estate. Follow crushed oyster shell trails to the 59-room Dungeness and its historic out buildings, once a landmark of the Gilded Age. When it burned down in 1959, it had been empty for many years. When Carnegie guests came to Dungeness, they were in another world of unlimited wealth and comfort, complete with an indoor swimming pool, gymnasium and squash court (now in ruins). There are
