Cumberland Island Walking Tour: Haunting Ruins and Wild Horses

On this leisurely Cumberland Island tour of the Dungeness Area, learn the tumultuous history of this island, inhabited over the last 500 years by Native Americans, Spanish, British, and Americans, as you travel down palmetto-lined trails past wild horses and expansive marshes.

• See the haunting ruins of the Carnegies’ Gilded-Aged mansion.
• Enter the vast servants’ quarters where over one hundred laborers catered to the Carnegies.
• Pause at the marsh-side gravesite of Revolutionary War general Light-Horse Harry Lee and learn why he was buried here far from his Virginia home.
• View the oldest building on the island, built by the family of Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene over 200 years ago.

Your experienced Cumberland Island tour guide will tell tales of famous figures who have surprising links to the island.

Ancient live oak trees, snow-white dunes, and a variety of wildlife provide an enchanting natural backdrop to this island’s deep and fascinating history.

Cost: $40 per person, $25 per child (ages 5-12)

Starting Location: Dungeness Dock, the first ferry stop on Cumberland Island

Time: 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., every day the ferry runs

Recommended ferries to book for this tour: 11:45 outbound and 2:45 return (when it is running from March through September).

(The ferry operates 7 days per week except December through February, when it operates 5 days per week.)

Distance: About 1 mile walked (over flat terrain at a leisurely pace) with many chances to sit in the shade

NOTE: You must book tour tickets in advance.

Recommended ferries to book for this tour: 11:45 and 2:45 (when it is running from March through September).

For this Cumberland Island tour, please arrive at the Dungeness Dock on Cumberland Island promptly at 12:30, upon the arrival of the 11:45 ferry. The tour begins only after the ferry arrives and after all guests have had a chance to use the restroom.

The tour ends at 2:30, which leaves you time to catch the 2:45 ferry (when it is running March 1 through September 30, Monday to Saturday).

We finish near the Dungeness ruins, allowing you to continue exploring on your own.

• Water

• Food

• Sunscreen

• Good walking/hiking shoes

• Rain gear

• Hat

• Sunglasses

• Bug spray

There are two restrooms and two water fountains in the Dungeness Area. Our tour group has a chance to use the restroom and refill water bottles halfway through the tour.

Also check out other Trips & Adventurous Activities in Saint Marys.