Best Tent Camping near St. Simons Island, GA
Cumberland Island National Seashore offers the most notable tent camping opportunities near St. Simons Island, Georgia, with five distinct campgrounds spread across the pristine barrier island. These tent sites include developed options like Sea Camp and Stafford Beach, as well as wilderness sites such as Hickory Hill, Yankee Paradise, and Brickhill Bluff. Access to all Cumberland Island tent camping requires ferry transportation from St. Marys, with most campers needing to pack in all supplies for their stay.
Most tent sites on Cumberland Island feature sandy soil beneath a canopy of live oak trees draped with Spanish moss. Sea Camp Campground provides the most amenities with potable water, cold showers, restrooms, and fire rings, while the wilderness tent sites offer a more primitive experience. All campgrounds require advance reservations through Recreation.gov, with campers responsible for packing out trash. Sites at Sea Camp include picnic tables, fire rings, and bear-proof food storage boxes to protect supplies from raccoons and other wildlife. Water sources at wilderness campsites require treatment before drinking.
The tent camping experience on Cumberland Island offers unique access to pristine beaches, wild horses, and historic ruins. Sites at Stafford Beach Campground, approximately 3.5 miles from the ferry dock, provide a less crowded alternative to Sea Camp while still offering basic amenities like cold showers and toilets. One camper noted, "The sites are very large with beautiful trees hanging over and providing shade." The island's primitive backcountry tent sites require more preparation but reward campers with greater seclusion. Brickhill Bluff, the northernmost wilderness campsite, sits on the western side of the island approximately 10.5 miles from the ferry dock. As one visitor described it, "We paddled from the mainland in St. Mary's to this spot on the island. This area is right on the water so you can pull your boats right up on the shore."
