News Release

Cumberland Island National Seashore Is Modifying Operations To Implement Local Health Guidance

Date: March 17, 2020
Contact: Jill Hamilton-Anderson, 912 882 4336 x257

St. Marys, GA – The health and safety of visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners at Cumberland Island National Seashore is our number one priority. In order to reduce exposure and protect our visitors and employees and minimize transmission of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), ferry transportation to the island will cease starting March18, 2020, until further notice. Private charters are prohibited, and valid commercial use authorizations are suspended during this time.
 
All visitor facilities, including campgrounds, will be closed. This includes the mainland visitor center and store, museum, and headquarters. On island it includes Sea Camp ranger station, the Ice House Museum, and Plum Orchard. Visitor activities, including ranger-led programs and guided tours and activities operated by our concession and partners are also suspended until further notice. This includes dockside programs, ranger led walking tours, Plum Orchard mansion tours, any commercial use authorizations for guided activities, and concession operated Lands and Legacies tours.
 
Mainland restrooms at the Visitor Center and island restrooms will remain open. NPS staff are working to maintain clean and healthy facilities in accordance with CDC guidance.
 
Visitors holding campground reservations should be aware that there will be no ferry service provided to or from the island during the closure and their camping reservations will be cancelled and refunded.  
 Island roads, grounds, beach, and trails will remain open to visitors while the park believes it can do so and still follow the most current guidance and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and the Department of Interior’s Office of Emergency Management, as well as state and local public health and emergency management authorities. The U.S. Public Health Service officers assigned to the NPS are closely monitoring the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and outbreak of respiratory disease caused by COVID-19.
 
At this time, emergency operations on the island are not affected. Call 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency.
We will notify the public when we reopen and provide updates on our website (www.nps.gov/cuis) and social media platforms (https://www.facebook.com/CumberlandIslandNPS/).
 
While our NPS sites provide great opportunities for outdoor recreation, we urge all visitors to follow CDC and White House guidance to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. These measures include following routine precautions like washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth; covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze; maintaining at least a 6 foot distance between yourself and others and with less than 10 people, and most importantly, staying home if you feel sick.
 
For high-risk populations, such as the elderly and people with underlying conditions, we ask that they take extra caution and follow CDC guidance for those at higher risk of serious illness.   
 
Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus. Please check with individual parks for specific details about park operations. 
 
Please email [e-mail] for ferry transfers or refund information.
 
 
Cumberland Island is the largest barrier island off the coast of Georgia, encompassing more than 36,000 acres of maritime forests, salt marsh and beaches. The island is also home to over 9,800 acres of congressionally designated wilderness. The island’s natural and cultural resources provide a rich and diverse habitat for wildlife and offer a glimpse into the long history of coastal Georgia. The seashore is accessible by pedestrian-only passenger ferry from the historic community of St. Marys.
 
www.nps.gov
 
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube