You may send mail to:
Wild Cumberland
P.O. Box 872
Scottdale, GA 30079
Please note that we cannot guarantee a response.
Little Cumberland Island is within the boundaries of the Cumberland Island National Seashore, but is not owned by the federal government. It is owned by the Little Cumberland Island Homes Association, Inc., and its members. Little Cumberland Island is managed as a wildlife preserve in accordance with the terms of an agreement with the U.S. Department of Interior. It is not open to the public.
Most historic structures on Cumberland Island are located on the south end, outside the Congressionally-designated Wilderness area. There are a few exceptions:
The First African Baptist Church, built in 1938, was made famous in 1996 by the wedding of John Kennedy, Jr., to Carolyn Bessette.
Both the National Park Service and the Greyfield Inn currently provide vehicle tours through the Wilderness to the church. For more information on how that is allowed to happen, read here.
Located south of the Wilderness, these chimneys depict the rich African-American history of Cumberland Island. These historic structures are maintained and protected by the Park Service, but are currently under private lease and not accessible to the public.
Located midway on the west side of the island, this home was built for Andrew Carnegie’s brother’s fifth son, George, and is classified as a class-B structure of limited regional significance by The National Trust for Historic Preservation. Millions of dollars have been poured into renovating and restoring the building, and vehicle tours are permitted daily. Walk-in tours are also available. It is closed to the public during managed hunts on the island.
The High Point hotel is part of a retained estate by the Candler family of Atlanta, so it is currently off limits to the public.
The Cumberland Island Museum was incorporated in 1985 to identify, preserve, and protect the biological archives of Cumberland and other local barrier islands and to expand knowledge of this area. Museum materials and collections serve as resources for scholars.
A Board of Directors is responsible for all aspects of the Museum and will oversee movement of the holdings to appropriate research museums after the lives of the current curators. For more information, please visit http://www.cimuseum.org/
Please note: The Cumberland Island National Seashore Museum in St. Marys, Georgia, is an entirely separate entity devoted primarily to cultural history and run by the National Park Service.
In 1920, the Carnegie family brought a load of mustangs from Arizona and released them on the island. Everything from Appaloosas, Tennessee Walking Horses, Thoroughbreds, Arabians, and retired circus horses have been released at various times to add genes to the herd.
Scientists and partners have been conducting studies about the feral horses for a long time. (1) Contraception efforts were attempted unsuccessfully on females in the past. (2)
Wild Cumberland believes the most effective and humane method of contraception for this population to be vasectomies on the male horse population. The National Park Service needs pressure from people who understand the ecological impact of these animals on Cumberland Island – let them hear from you!
ACE: Army Corps of Engineers
BLM: Bureau of Land Management
CDNR: Coastal Department of Natural Resources
CUIS: Cumberland Island National Seashore
DOI: Department of Interior
EA: Environmental Assessment
EIS: Environmental Impact Statement
FAA: Federal Aviation Administration
FEIS: Final Environmental Impact Statement
FOIA: Freedom of Information Act
FS: Forest Service
GAOA: Great American Outdoors Act
GADNR: Georgia Department of Natural Resources
NEPA: National Environmental Protection Act
NROW: No Rockets Over Wilderness
NWPS: National Wilderness Preservation System
NPS: National Park Service
ONRW: Outstanding Natural Resource Waters
ROD: Record of Decision
SERO: Southeast Regional Office
WSD: Wilderness Stewardship Division
We’re often contacted by visitors who have witnessed damage to the island’s ecosystem, or blatant disregard of policy protections. We encourage you to report these to the National Park Service and also complete this form.
Thank you for your respectful stewardship of Cumberland Island.