Georgia · Cumberland Island Ferry (concession operator for Cumberland Island National Seashore)
~45 min
Cumberland Island Ferry (concession operator for Cumberland Island National Seashore)
From $44.00
Georgia Coast
Next departure
LIVE
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Fall schedule posted by Cumberland Island Ferry (October 1 to November 30), checked October 15, 2026: from St. Marys at 9:00 a.m. and 11:45 a.m.; from the island at 10:15 a.m. (returning-campers boat, from Sea Camp) and 4:45 p.m.; the ride is 45 minutes, seven days a week. From December 1 the boat does not run Tuesday and Wednesday, and the posted spring and summer schedule (March 1 to September 30, no year given) adds a 2:45 p.m. return Monday to Saturday. · Representative sailings only — check the operator for today's full schedule
Departures 1–10 / 10
Departures 1–10 / 10
Crossing time
~45 min
Operator
Cumberland Island Ferry (concession operator for Cumberland Island National Seashore)
Map – Cumberland Island Ferry
Fare type
Price
Adult (ages 16-61), round trip
$44.00
Senior (ages 62 and older), round trip
$42.00
Child (ages 15 and under), round trip
$34.00
Ages 5 and under, round trip (reservation still required)
Free
Bring your own bicycle, fee per bike
$10.00
National park entrance pass, ages 16 and up, paid separately to the NPS (7-day pass)
$15.00
Lands and Legacies motorized tour, per person (ferry not included)
$65.00
Prices are the operator's round-trip ticket prices as listed on its ticket page: $44 for ages 16 to 61, $42 for ages 62 and older, $34 for ages 15 and under, free for ages 5 and under (who still need a reservation to be counted), and $10 to bring your own bike. The page does not say whether sales tax is on top of those prices, and an older NPS page said its figures excluded the 7% Georgia sales tax. The ferry ticket does not include the park entrance pass: the NPS lists $15 per person for a 7-day pass (ages 16 and up; the park is cashless), or a $45 annual pass that covers four adults, with America the Beautiful passes accepted. The operator's Lands and Legacies motorized tour costs $65 a person and needs a separate ferry ticket. Round trips must be bought together; one-way purchases are subject to cancellation. Camden County, GA residents have a special ferry price from December 1 to February 28 and active military and veterans in November, sold first come, first served at the Visitor Center with no advance booking. Reservations can be made up to 6 months ahead. Refunds must be requested 10 or more days before sailing, with a 20% fee per ticket; one transfer is allowed up to 24 hours before. All fares in US dollars (USD).
The Cumberland Island ferry is a concession-operated passenger boat that links the Visitor Center dock in downtown St. Marys with Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia's southernmost barrier island. The operator puts the island seven miles east of town and the ride at 45 minutes each way. It carries passengers, bicycles and their gear, but no cars, kayaks or pets, and only ADA service animals.
The operator runs three seasons. In the fall schedule now in force, running October 1 to November 30, boats leave St. Marys at 9:00 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. and leave the island at 10:15 a.m. and 4:45 p.m., seven days a week. From December 1 to February 28 the service drops to Thursday through Monday. The posted spring and summer schedule, March 1 to September 30 with no year given, adds a 2:45 p.m. return Monday to Saturday. An NPS page dated 2022 says the morning boats drop off at both Dungeness and Sea Camp docks, and suggests Dungeness for the mansion ruins and Sea Camp for campers, bikes and the Lands and Legacies tour.
The ferry ticket and the park fee are separate. The operator lists $44 for an adult round trip, $42 for ages 62 and over, $34 for ages 15 and under, free for ages 5 and under and $10 for your own bike. The NPS charges $15 for a 7-day entrance pass for each visitor 16 and older, collected at check-in, and the park does not take cash. Round trips must be bought together.
Reserve before you go: the NPS says space is limited and reservations are strongly recommended, and the operator takes bookings up to six months ahead. Arrive at the Visitor Center an hour before departure. The operator says there is nothing to buy on the island apart from the ice, firewood, chips and drinks the ferry sells while docked at Sea Camp, so carry water and food, and expect any trash to come back with you. The NPS posts a warning that valid tickets are sold only on cumberlandislandferry.com, and as of October 15 it lists the Cumberland Island Museum on the mainland as closed for roof repairs.
Arrive at the terminal several minutes before departure; vehicle lanes close earlier than the foot-passenger gate.
Check the operator's service alerts before you set out — weather, tides and vessel maintenance change sailings.
Confirm accepted payment methods: some crossings are card-only and some take cash only.
Frequently asked questions
In the fall schedule (October 1 to November 30) it leaves at 9:00 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. every day, and the boats from the island leave at 10:15 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. In spring and summer a 2:45 p.m. return is added Monday to Saturday.
45 minutes each way, according to the operator. The 9:00 a.m. boat reaches the island at 9:45 a.m. and the 11:45 a.m. boat at 12:30 p.m.
The operator lists $44 for an adult (ages 16-61) round trip, $42 for ages 62 and older, $34 for ages 15 and under, and free for ages 5 and under, plus $10 to bring your own bike. Sales tax is not mentioned on that page.
No. The operator says the park entrance fee is not included and is paid on site before boarding. The NPS lists $15 per person for a 7-day pass for visitors 16 and older, waived for an America the Beautiful pass plus three adults, and it says the park is cashless.
Yes, but only Thursday to Monday from December 1 to February 28, with no ferry on Tuesday or Wednesday. The times are the same as in fall: 9:00 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. from St. Marys, 10:15 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. from the island.
The NPS says reservations are strongly recommended because boats have limited space, and the operator accepts them up to 6 months ahead. Check in at the Visitor Center 60 minutes before departure; unclaimed reservations are released 15 minutes before sailing.
Bikes are allowed for a $10 fee each. Cars, kayaks and pets are not, including therapy and emotional-support animals; only ADA service animals may board.
From the dock beside the Visitor Center at 113 St. Marys Street in downtown St. Marys, Georgia. The operator's ticket office hours are Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., on 877-860-6787.