THE EARNEST TRAVELER
Cumberland Island rewards a budget traveler: once the ferry and the $15 entry are paid, the island itself is free, and camping is cheap. The trick is packing smart, because there's nothing to buy once you're across the water.
The Day Trip
The cheapest way to see the island is a single day trip: the round-trip ferry from St. Marys plus the $15 entry, and you're free to walk to Dungeness, the beach, and the live-oak trails between the morning and afternoon boats. Reserve the ferry ahead — seats are limited.
Camping for Cheap
To stay overnight for little money, camp. Stafford Beach is about $12 a night and Sea Camp (near the dock, with restrooms, cold showers, and drinking water) is about $22 a night. Backcountry wilderness sites on the wild north end cost even less. All camping is reserved in advance, and there's a seven-night limit.
Pack It All In
There are no stores, restaurants, or water spigots for day visitors — everything you eat, drink, and use has to come with you, and everything you bring has to leave with you. For a day that means plenty of water and food; for camping, a full kit. This is the single biggest budget-trip mistake people make here.
Where the Money Goes
Your only fixed costs are the ferry, the $15 entry, and (if staying) the cheap campsite — the beach, the horses, the ruins, and the forest are all free. It's one of the best-value wild experiences on the East Coast if you come prepared.
There's no bridge — the only way over is the ferry from St. Marys, and it's capped (about 145 seats, ~300 people allowed on the island at once), so reserve ahead and it does not take cash. There are no stores, food, or water for sale on the island (outside the Greyfield Inn), so bring all the water, food, and supplies you'll need for the day.
The island is big and flat. A bike rental near the Sea Camp dock stretches how much of the wild beach and forest you can cover in a day — a small cost that pays off in ground covered.
The basics for a cheap camp on a wild island with no services.