Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia

An island 'where nature and history meet'. Cumberland Island National Seashore

Along the southernmost stretch of Georgia's Atlantic coast are several barrier islands, and Cumberland is the largest. The US National Park Service (NPS) protects 9,800 acres of the island's wilderness, a place where, as the NPS says, nature and history meet. Human occupation on Cumberland Island touches on numerous milestones in the story of America.

These stories include Indigenous populations dating back 4,000 years and colonial-era settlements that included a large slave population. Eventually, Cumberland became a vacation getaway for wealthy industrialists in the 20th century before most of the island was designated a protected public land.

The natural beauty of the island's maritime forests and marshes adds to Cumberland's unique charm. And a lush ecosystem supports the island's diverse array of wildlife, including armadillos, alligators, and herds of feral horses.