The only way to get to the island is by passenger ferry (not a car ferry) or private boat. For information about making a reservation with the National Park Service official concessionaire operated ferry visit the https://www.nps.gov/cuis/planyourvisit/permitsandreservations.htm or visit https://www.cumberlandislandferry.com/.

Hickory Hill Wilderness Campsite — Cumberland Island National Seashore

We backpacked to this site for our first night on Cumberland Island. It was tough in the heat and humidity. We used the Parallel Trail with a slight detour to refill water at the Stafford Beach campground -- make sure you are prepared about water as the nearest non-potable water source to Hickory Hill is about 1 mile away.

We were the only campers this night so it felt very remote and secluded. Unfortunately, no amount of bug spray could deter the mosquitoes in June. We had a million bug bites and tent camping in this humidity was uncomfortable. Elsewhere on the island was not nearly as bad for ticks and mosquitoes. We were brushing them off ourselves and the tent constantly. Make sure you do a thorough tick check! I would love to visit again in the cooler months when this is less of an issue.

Unlike the campgrounds on the island, this site is still kinda far from beach access. You have to hike through a marsh/swampy area with some boardwalks and really keep an eye out for directional signs as there are side trails used by animals that look like the main trail. I was afraid of coming upon gators and I think we heard one but otherwise we didn't see any. We did see many wild horses and armadillos! One of the biggest draws to camping on Cumberland Island is the beach so I would recommend other sites over this one for their shorter access trails -- especially the Stafford Beach campground.

Be aware that campfires are NOT allowed in the wilderness, including this backpacking site. They are only allowed in designated fire rings that are in the 2 campgrounds. We were able to use a small backpacking stove to make our meals. Hang your food to protect from the critters (and horses maybe?)!

There were multiple options for campsites including some large areas that would accommodate groups well. All seemed pretty level.

Extremely buggy in the summer!

You can only get here by boat and backpack to your site. No electricity, cell service is spotty, and when we went in the summertime I was attacked by mosquitos! But it was a wonderful trip. It very humid and it rained almost the entire time. There were showers but no hot water. Campfires aren’t allowed except at designated rings and it’s a little
Bit of a hike to the beach. The sites are secluded and you can rent bikes to explore the island if you’d like but most of the main roads are sandy/dirt so it made biking those difficult. Take plenty of water and a water filter for your water sources. The horses were magical and I loved exploring the ruins. An island full of wildlife was just was i needed 