By:
Submission
The only way to get to the island is by passenger ferry (not a car ferry) or private boat. For information about making a reservation with the National Park Service official concessionaire operated ferry visit the https://www.nps.gov/cuis/planyourvisit/permitsandreservations.htm or visit https://www.cumberlandislandferry.com/.
Peaceful :) Make sure you prepare for warm days and bugs! The trek out there is astronomically amazing! Be sure to give yourself enough time to explore the surrounding areas. If you have a MTB or a bike with fat tires, I recommend taking them, so you can adventure further than your human feet can travel!!
Brickhill Bluff is the most remote campground in Cumberland Island National Seashore. It's more than thirteen miles from Sea Camp Ranger Station and dock, but it's relatively close to the even-more remote historic district on the North End of the island, including the First African Baptist Church.
It's breezy, which help keeps the gnats at bay, has great views over the western marsh, and is right on a bluff with easy water access.
You can kayak here from Crooked River State Park.
Brickhill Bluff is an amazing, yet very primitive campground located on Cumberland's north end. It is quite a journey to get there, but very rewarding once you achieve your destination. The sites are in close proximity of one another-closer than you would initially expect, but the ocean breeze really helped. We were not bothered by any other campers and it was a pleasurable experience. We also ventured over to the beach and it was surreal to have an entire beach to yourself, with 40' tall dunes like i have never seen before. Take a map and PLENTY OF WATER. Be prepared to filter water after Stafford.
Bugs - *ALWAYS carry some No Natz spray to ward off the sand gnats, and some Deet for the mosquitoes (they are large and mate with the turkeys there). (NO, the Deet does nothing for the sand gnats. No Natz is the only thing we found to work. Purchase before you get to the island.) We also spray our packs down with bug spray at the ranger station. The floor of the island is covered in ticks. Every time you set a bag/pack/hat/etc., expect it to have a tick on it. Spraying helps keep them off of your items. Be vigilant and inspect ankles & waist lines frequently.
Hiking - Numerous trails to get there, depending on your length of stay and how fast you wish to get to camp. All offer something unique. The main road is an option offering some amazing views of the maritime forest and all of its critters. Once you set up camp you can journey over to Plum Orchard Mansion or to the sites on the north end like the First African Church.
Biking - Taking the main road is the fastest way to get to the Brickhill Bluff site. Bikes are not allowed on the trails, so you must stay in the main road. The road surface is hard for the first few miles. The sand gets thicker at Stafford and from there on up, this is a challenge. You WILL burn twice as much energy on this section and it lasts for 7+ miles. If you are not in shape and prepared, you will be pushing. Know what you are getting in to.
Biking also allows one to see the sites at the north end of the island while at Brickhill Bluff. A couple of days is needed to take it all in. Cumberland has several camping trips worth of fun and sites to see.
Just be prepared!!!!!!!
Didn't love it. The hike from ferry to the campsite wasn't all that interesting. It was fun to see the horses and the armadillos. It was not fun to experience the plethora of ticks and gnats and mosquitoes. Even with bug spray expect to be thoroughly coated in ticks. Brickhill bluff was certainly isolated and peaceful. I just didn't find that the campsite was worth all the effort to get to it and to endure the insects. There are more enjoyable and beautiful hikes out there in the US. The hiking trails are not well marked - expect to take wrong turns and get lost. COVID notice: Note that most people did not mask on the return ferry and the ferry operator did not do any safety protocol announcements at all - nothing about life preservers and nothing about masking.
