Cumberland Island Walking Tour: Haunting Ruins and Wild Horses

Wild horses. Elegant mansions. Unbridled nature.

On this Cumberland Island Walking Tour, learn the tumultuous history of this island, inhabited over the last 500 years by Native Americans, Spanish, British, and Americans, as you stroll 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 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)

Groups of 10 or more receive a discount of $35 per person

NOTE: You must book tour tickets in advance.

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

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

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

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

Important Notes:

Cumberland tour fee does NOT include the ferry ticket or entrance to Cumberland Island National Seashore.

To book the ferry, click here.

For park entrance fee information, click here.

Cumberland Tour information:

For the Cumberland Island Walking 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, leaving 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.

What to Bring to Cumberland Island:

• Water

• Food

• Sunscreen

• Good walking/hiking shoes

• Rain gear

• Hat

• Sunglasses

There are two restrooms and two water fountains in the Dungeness Area.

Be aware there is NOTHING to purchase once you arrive on the island.All of your trash is pack in, pack out.

Note: We require a minimum of three people to operate this tour. If fewer than three people have booked, we may contact you the day before to discuss other options, including rebooking to another date, upgrading to a private tour, or cancelling and receiving a full refund.

*Tours run rain or shine, except in the case of inclement weather such as hurricanes

Note: You MUST book Cumberland Island Walking Tour tour tickets in advance.

Cancellation Policy

Customers who cancel or rebook their tour 48 hours or more before their reserved tour time will receive a full refund or may rebook to the date of their choice.

Customers will also receive a full refund or credit in case of operator cancellation due to inclement weather, such as hurricanes, or other unforeseen circumstances.

No-shows will be charged the full price.