Tucked away

The Walking Trail

I remember standing on the ferry, the wind whipping my hair and the sun kissing my cheeks, as we rounded the bend toward Cumberland Island.

The day was Aug. 14 and my friend Aaron and I had been awaiting the trip all summer. As the ferry approached, the first I saw of the island was the driftwood scattered along the beach. It was then that I knew we had picked the perfect place for a vacation.

We arrived on shore and, after a short orientation, began lugging our camping gear to our assigned spot. We would be camping for four nights, and we couldn’t have been more excited.

We spent most of our time hiking and exploring. We hiked to Dungeness, the ruins of a Carnegie family mansion, multiple times. I took many photos of the wild horses we saw grazing there. We also hiked the beaches and the salt marshes.

One of our favorite spots was what we called “crab island.” It was a stretch of beach right by the boat docks where crabs and barnacles were the main inhabitants. There we watched crabs fight each other over holes in the sand.

Another favorite spot was Sea Camp beach. This beach is located right outside our campgrounds, and I was there every morning at sunrise.

I saw deer grazing atop the sand dunes, and I even saw a shark two out of four mornings. We also came to the beach at night, to sit under the moon and watch the waves.

When it came time to leave, it was bittersweet. I was sick of being dirty, yet I wanted to stay forever! Being tucked away on a nearly deserted island for a few days was a nice break from reality.

I will certainly be going back one day, and I would recommend this place to anyone who can handle a few days of camping.