Best Tent Camping near Sapelo Island, GA

Tent Camping Reviews near Sapelo Island, GA

580 Reviews of 7 Sapelo Island Campgrounds

• 

  Elliott B.

  Legend

  Jul. 17, 2017

  Sea Camp Campground — Cumberland Island National Seashore

  Easiest of the Cumberland Island sites to reach

  Nice secluded campground where each site is set back and nestled into a saw palm clearing and equipped with a picnic table, fire ring/grill and food cache box (an elevated roofed chicken wire cage). This campground is super easy to get to from the ferry, less than a mile walk (about ½ mile). You are responsible for carrying all of your own gear to the campgrounds so you’re want to pack it all in a backpack, bring your own wagon or hope to try and borrow one of the wagons they have at the ranger station (they do have a lot, but they get taken pretty quickly). Once you’re in the campgrounds there is a nice short trail directly onto the ocean side beach, which is wonderful for catching the sunrise. Another nice feature about this (compared to the other north primitive sites on the island) is that they are the closest and a relatively short walk/hike to the Dungeness Ruins. If you stay for a while or have the time head up to the northern end and visit the Plum Orchard Mansion (14 mile round trip) as most people don't and you'll likely get an almost private tour (we thought we would right up until the very last moment when another small group showed up). If you want to explore more of the island in a short period of time I’d suggest biking. You can bring your own ($10 fee) or rent bikes from the ferry personal ($16 day, $20 overnight). If you are renting, I’d suggest renting them the day before (overnight) so you can then explore a lot more of the island first thing in the morning before the day trippers arrive on the ferry.

  This campground is the only campground on the island where you’ll have access to potable water, restrooms and cold showers so if you want to stay here definitely make reservations. The 16 smaller & 2 group sites are all located off some main paths situated in little clearings of the saw palmettos giving them a little bit of privacy. The northern half of the loop is more separated than the southern but all the sites are located under the trees so you'll get a decent amount of shade/wind cover no matter where you.

  You don’t reserve a specific site when you make your reservation but get to pick your site from the remaining open sites after a nice long introduction/video from the camp host once you arrive. So you don’t fully know what you’ll be able to select until you’re there.

  Facilities

  ·       These are tent only primitive campsites with the standard uncovered picnic table and fire ring with a grate and/or a grill and your chicken wire cache box to keep they racoons out of your food.

  ·       Camp fires are only permitted at Sea Camp & Stafford Beach campgrounds. You must use designated fire rings. You may gather dead and down wood or purchase bundles of firewood on the ferry.

  ·       Flush restrooms and potable water.

  ·       Dish/food washing sink area

  ·       There are actually some electrical plugs hidden about that I say someone charging there phone in at one point.

  ·       No Pets: Only service animals are permitted in campgrounds.

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• 

  Nikki K.

  Scout

  May. 13, 2020

  Cabretta Island Pioneer Campground

  My favorite place to camp!

  I love this campground! Plenty of trees for hammock camping, which is what I prefer, as well as many options for tent set ups. They do have Adirondacks on site for camping. Established fire pit, large covered pavilion with multiple picnic tables, electrical hookups located within pavilion and a shower house equip with sinks and toilets. Walking distance to the beach. Very beautiful! Bike and kayak rental available through on site camp host. Ice and firewood for purchase. You take a ferry to sapelo island, then a bus takes you to Cabretta Campground. Heaven on earth, just don’t forget the bug spray.

• 

  David S.

  Guide

  Oct. 11, 2021

  Sea Camp Campground — Cumberland Island National Seashore

  Tent camping June 2021 at pristine and beautiful Cumberland Island

  Cumberland Island is a beautiful pristine National Seashore accessible by ferry off the coast of Georgia. We tent camped there in the middle of June 2021. It was a hot time of year but under the canopy of the live oak trees where the tent sites are located (Sea Camp) was easily 10+ degrees cooler than elsewhere. However, be warned, it was extremely humid. You might consider taking a small battery-operated fan. If I return, I will try to visit during a more cool season of the year. 

  The tent sites are large, roomy, and equipped with a picnic table, fire ring, pole for hanging stuff, and a big metal lockable wildlife-proof box. There is no electricity or water except at the shower/restroom building that is near the campsites. You can borrow a cart to take your tent and supplies from the boat to the campsite (Seacamp only - the more distant campsites (on the north side of the island) are hike & carry only). You can also bring your own wagon/cart on the boat (we did). You can rent a bicycle on the island at the ranger station or bring your own. The ferry charges $10 to transport your own bike). Otherwise, the approximately 45-minute ferry ride costs $15 per person. You need to make a reservation in advance online (https://www.cumberlandislandferry.com/st-marys-cumberland-island-ferry/). You will need to reserve the campsite well in advance (they fill up quickly) and pay online (https://www.nps.gov/cuis/planyourvisit/camping.htm). You may pay the national part fee (parking fee?) of $20 at the park station in St. Marys prior to boarding the ferry or you can pay it online in advance as well. I paid in advance online but the rangers reimbursed me after I got there because, to my surprise, it just happened to be National Park Week and the parking fee was waived as part of the celebration. Lucky me.

  The island is absolutely beautiful with miles of pristine beach with lovely waves and a luscious live oak forest. You can swim. Watch out for jellyfish. I flew a kite, too. Watch the sunrise in the morning and at night, you might get an unpolluted view of the stars. Expect to see wild horses on the beach and the trails. You should not try to approach them or feed them but they came pretty close to me anyway. So it is easy to get a good look at them. A harmless armadillo visited our campsite one day.

  The rangers were super nice. We enjoyed an outdoor lecture on sea turtles outside the ranger station when we were waiting for the ferry on our departure day. The rangers also provide tours of the south side of the island and the Dungeness Ruins (the remains of Lucy Carnegie’s island mansion).

  I highly recommend camping (or even just visiting for the day) on Cumberland Island, Georgia.

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• 

  Jason F.

  Legend

  Jun. 13, 2021

  Skidaway Island State Park Campground

  Great spot to enjoy the beauty of coastal Georgia

  Skidaway Island State Park is a terrific spot conveniently located on the Diamond Causeway outside Savannah. We stayed here for 3 nights and found something fun and different to do each day of our stay. Whether you’re looking to do some hiking, biking, or kayaking on the intercostal, Skidaway has got you covered.

  We stayed in site 25 which offered 2 water spigots and 20/30/50 amp electric. The site was level with a fire ring, tent pad and large picnic table. The main road getting in to the campground is 2 lanes wide, but the lanes that go through each loop are somewhat narrow. The dump station is a bit odd, located in the middle of the campground. If you’re staying in one of the loops closest to the entrance, you’ll need to circle all the way around to the back of the campground to access it.

  The park office is very nice and offers a variety of merchandise and some basic camping supplies including fire starters and bundles of wood. There was also some RV supplies like AquaKem and dump hoses which would come in handy if you needed something in a pinch. You can also rent cruiser bikes here for $6/hour. We enjoyed riding around the park and on the Big Ferry Trail.

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• 

  Michael C.

  Guide

  May. 14, 2025

  Jekyll Island Campground

  Old style campground - Beautiful and historic setting

  "SITE# D16, Back-In, FHU, 50, 30, 20 Amp and Stable, Water, Waste, LENGTH OF STAY: Stayed 2 Nights, RATE:$54.55/ Night with Veteran/ 10% Discount, CHECK-IN: 02:00 PM, CHECK-OUT: 12:00 PM STAFF: Friendly and Helpful, PARK IMPRESSIONS: Very Nice, We would stay here again ROADS: Asphalt, MANEUVERABILITY: Adequate, RV PAD: Dirt, ESTIMATED RV PAD LENGTH: 45 Feet, Tow Vehicle Could NOT Stay Connected but Parking at Site, SITE SLOPE: Level, No Leveling Blocks, Had to disconnect Tow Vehicle, PEDESTAL PLACEMENT: Center of site length, SHADE: 85%, GRASS AREA: No, Natural fallen leaves, DESIGNATED PET AREA: Not Fenced, PICNIC TABLE: Yes, FIRE RING: Yes, VERIZON Signal(bars): LTE-3, SPEED: 183 Mbs Download, 10.2 Mbs Upload, T-MOBILE Signal(bars): 5G-3, SPEED: 242 Mbs Download, 13.8 Mbs Upload, WIFI, OTA TV CHANNELS: 40, CABLE TV: No, PLAYGROUND: Yes, POOL: No, WATER FEATURE: Atlantic, FIREWOOD: Yes, BATH HOUSE: Clean and Contemporary, LAUNDRY: Clean and Contemporary,, STORE: Yes, CLUBHOUSE: Yes, PROPANE AVAILABILITY: Yes,$10 to get on the island. Very pretty campground setting. Quiet at night. Community room and a large assembly room. Well stocked camp store but no food. They do sell some beer, wine, ice cream and a few souvenirs. Fire wood$12/ bundle. Bike rental. Lots of bike trails around the island. Laundry$2.75 Wash,$2.75 Dry, Rig washing permitted(within reason- no floods). Beautiful island with a number of beach bars and restaurants. Lots of beaches but Atlantic here is brownish water due to river discharge. RIG: Ford F350 Dually Long Bed, 42ft- 17,000 lb 5th Wheel, Total length of rig= 59 ft"

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• 

  Jeffrey A.

  Traveler

  Apr. 24, 2022

  Skidaway Island State Park Campground

  Simply wonderful !

  Skidaway Island SP is quite possibly the nicest state park camping facility we’ve yet to visit! The sites are beyond spacious and afford plenty of privacy - and the hookups were conveniently situated at both sites we utilized during our visit. Huge, level tent pads for tent camping are also provided, as are picnic tables and fire rings. Shower and toilet facilities were clean and in excellent repair. The brand-new visitors center is beautiful and staff were courteous & professional to a person! Bird life is abundant and we had deer show up every day to check on us. Hiking trails are outstanding and the picnic/playground areas are fantastic. Skidaway Island SP is a gem with the added bonus of being just a 15 minute drive to downtown Savannah - we will undoubtedly be returning!

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• 

  Charles D.

  Guide

  Aug. 12, 2021

  Sea Camp Campground — Cumberland Island National Seashore

  Like Camping on your own isl.

  Camping on Cumberland island for 8 days is an experience you will never forget. It rained every day while we were there and past clothing not drying it was still an amazing trip. Wild horses running on the beach is something to see. The ruins of an 1800s mansion built by a Carnagie that burned in 1959 is also one of those mysterious places that conjure emotions and kick the imagination in gear. Palm trees filling in the canopy of the largest stand of live oaks left in U.S. that all have spanish moss hanging in them like no movie production set designer could ever replicate make you feel like you time jumped to a jurassic age. Armadillo are scurrying around minding their own business dragging their noses through the sandy dirt eating ant trails and the only problem to deal with is Raccoons have learned how to unzip tents when they are unoccupied. Food will dissapear if you dont use the bear boxes each site has for food storage. Walking out on beach from tent every morning just to watch the sun rise over the Atlantic ocean while crab boats chug along being part of the scenery as the sun rises, you are first and only person on an 18 mile long beach until around 10 a.m. 7 out of 8 mornings, which means you get first dibs on shells left for you by mother nature overnight. I recommend this camp to everyone. Mosquitos are not as bad as we were told.

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• 

  John M.

  Guide

  Aug. 17, 2022

  Skidaway Island State Park Campground

  Fantastic camping closer to Savannah

  This state Park keeps a very nice huge campground. It is well maintained. Our site was next to a new bathhouse with individual rooms for showers and restrooms. The sites are very spacious with a tent pads, picnics tables and a fire ring. They have full service sites and water/electric sites as well as tent sites. Dump station available as well. A very quiet and dark campground 25 minutes to Savannah, 30 minutes to Tybee Island.

• R

  Renee B.

  Guide

  Jun. 26, 2018

  Hickory Hill Wilderness Campsite — Cumberland Island National Seashore

  Extremely buggy in the summer!

  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.

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