---
title: "Things to Do in St. Marys: Heritage and History"
url: https://stacklist.com/card/aa49de3d-9f01-438e-8ecd-fe642fea6013
source_url: "https://visitstmarys.com/heritage-and-culture"
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summary: "Adventure Activities in St. Mary's is a comprehensive guide to outdoor recreation and ecotourism experiences in the St. Mary's area, including biking, kayaking, fishing, and boat tours to nearby Cumberland Island. The content highlights various activity providers, rental services, and natural attractions such as the Colonial Coast Birding Trail and Cumberland Island National Seashore."
tags: "adventure-activities, st-marys, ecotourism, outdoor-recreation, cumberland-island, biking, water-activities"
key_entities: "St. Mary's (location), Cumberland Island (location), Cumberland Island National Seashore (location), Budget Golf Carts of St. Marys (organization), Camden Bicycle Center (organization), Colonial Coast Birding Trail (location), Dungeness Historic Area (location), ecotourism (concept), Robert Stafford (person), Carnegie (person)"
classification: "reference"
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acp_version: "0.2"
token_counts_approximate: 3078
visibility: public
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status: "final"
---

# Things to Do in St. Marys: Heritage and History

Home STAY All Lodging Bed and Breakfasts Hotels Campgrounds and RV Parks Vacation Rentals EXPLORE Adventure Heritage and Culture St. Marys History Walk Shopping and Services Community Market Biking Trails On the Water Boat Ramps Parks Orange Hall Pet Services EAT Downtown St. Marys Midtown and Beyond All Area Dining Events Calendar Hello Summer - Fishing Music in the Park Crawfish Festival Independence Day Festival Memorial Day St. Marys Seafood Fest... Build-A-Scarecrow Haunted History Tour Christmas in the Park Christmas Tour of Homes Fireworks Soundtrack Merry Makers Market Mardi Gras Events Marina BLOG More WEDDINGS Videos Maps and Documents PRESS Contact Us Accessible Travel Transporation HISTORY Fun Things to Do Birding ~ Biking ~ Fishing ~ Kayaking ~ Pottery Making & More We're big on ecotourism! Get Outdoors for Fresh Air & Fun! Golf Carts - Rentals Budget Golf Carts of St. Marys - Create amazing vacation memories cruising around small town St. Marys. These affordable rentals make your explorations super easy and fun.  Delivered right to your rental or pick up downtown. Call for locations.  Website Cumberland Island Ferry Cumberland Island is only accessible by boat and is located just seven miles east of St. Marys. Our short 45-minute ferry ride makes for a scenic and pleasant form of transportation to the island. Our concession-operated passenger ferry departs from downtown St. Marys throughout the day and provides round-trip transportation services to Cumberland Island year-round.  WEBSITES: Ferry Reservations  Cumberland Island National Seashore Cumberland Island Trail Map Cumberland Island Trail Descriptions Cumberland Island Lands & Legacy Van Tour  A motorized tour to the north end of Cumberland Island. Visitors see cultural & natural landmarks, including the remains of Robert Stafford’s plantation and cemetery, Plum Orchard Mansion, Cumberland Wharf, the Settlement, and First African Baptist Church. This tour is a rugged five- to six-hour trip that is open only to those visitors who take the 9 a.m. ferry to the island or who are campers already staying on. Website Cumberland Island Walking Tour The only regularly offered tour covering the Dungeness Historic Area. Learn the tumultuous history of Cumberland Island, inhabited over the last 500 years by Native Americans, Spanish, British, and Americans, as you stroll palmetto-lined trails past wild horses and expansive marshes. Visit a historic graveyard, enter the Carnegies’ vast servants’ quarters, and more while your guide tells tales of famous figures with surprising links to the island.  904-735-8243 Website Cumberland Island Camping Whether you are looking to spend a night with family and friends around a campfire under the moss-covered branches of the live oak trees, or looking for the rugged challenges and solitude of the wilderness, you will find it on Cumberland Island. The park includes a designated wilderness area, undeveloped beaches, historic sites, cultural ruins, critical habitat, nesting areas, and numerous plant and animal communities.  Website Camden Bicycle Center ​On land, the finest way to discover the delights of the area is on two wheels.  Did you know that just 3 hours of biking a week can reduce your risk of heart disease by 50%?  Serving all of southeast Georgia and northeast Florida, Camden Bicycle Center is a full service bike shop that offers an amazing selection of name brand bikes for all ages plus a wide range if accessories, gear, and professional repair services. Rentals available. 1929 Osborne Rd.     912-576-9696 website Colonial Coast Birding Trail A visit to one or more sites along the Colonial Coast Birding Trail will provide you with the opportunity to experience the beauty of the area.  Each site along the trail is unique and many offer the chance to watch birds and visit 18th and 19th Century historic places. The numbers of birds found along the trail change with the rising and falling of the tides and with the seasons. website trail map species checklist Crooked River State Park  This park offers cozy facilities in a beautiful setting. Campsites are surrounded by Spanish moss-draped oaks, while most cottages overlook the river. Hikers can explore the nature trails, which winds through maritime forest and salt marsh. A boat ramp is popular with anglers who often take to the water before sunrise.   3092 Ga. 40 Spur (Charlie Smith Sr. Hwy)    912-882-5256   website Southeast Coast Saltwater Paddling Trail Fishing Charters & Services St. Marys has several fishing charters available.  See why so many people love to fish here.     Captain Ken's  Elliotts Bluff Charter Company Fish Master Charters Lang Charters  Salt Grass Charters   St. Marys Boat Services (Yard)     More Fishing + Bait & Tackle No Limits Charters St. Marys Marine Charters - 912-673-6295 Tail Chaser, Andy Gowen Fishing Davidson's Bait & Tackle Knucklehead's Bait & Tackle North Star Bait & Tackle Golf Cart Tour Experience the St. Marys Historic District while having fun on this golf cart tour of downtown full of historical facts about various locations. It's a great way to soak in the small town atmosphere.   Advance Reservations Required. Call to check availability. PRICING: Adults $10/ Seniors 62+ Military, & Kids $5/ Kids  ​* Maximum six guests. *Self-guided History Tour Brochure also available at the welcome center.  400 Osborne Street. 912-882-4000.   Golf Courses You'll love to tee it up at one of these area courses. When it's time to get on the green enjoy the designs, challenge levels, and coastal backdrops. Trident Lakes - Kings Bay Osprey Cove - St. Marys Laurel Island Links - Kingsland Sanctuary Cove - Waverly Gum Branch Nature Preserve + Disc Golf A few miles west of St. Mary’s and Cumberland Island. It is in the upper reaches of Gum Branch, a creek flowing eastward to waters of the Crooked River and Cumberland Sound. You’ll see flatwoods type long-leaf and slash pine forest with heavy blueberry and gallberry under-story. Camden PSA has set up a disc golf course on the paths. website The Disc Golf Scene course info Incacheetoo Plantation and Petting Zoo Incacheetoo Plantation and Petting Zoo is a great a great experience with animals, outdoor activities, hay rides, and many beautiful photo opportunities. 161 Boston Way W., Waverly  912-223-0868  Facebook Kayak Excursions - Adventures Up the Creek Kayaking is one of life's simple pleasures.  It's easy to learn and fun for all.  With miles of quiet marshes and thriving estuaries just outside our door in St. Marys, Adventures Up the Creek has been sharing their love of kayaking with eager paddlers for over 15 years.  When you are ready for an adventure, they would love to take you. 912-882-0911 website Kayak Excursions - Knucklehead's Water Rentals Come with us, or alone to explore the waters of the St. Marys River and Coast of Georgia! Single Kayaks, tandem kayaks, and paddle boards (SUP's)  are available for rent at our site!  201 W. St. Marys Street at the St. Marys Waterfront Park 912-882-3512 b Kayak - Southeast Coast Saltwater Paddling Trail The Georgia coastline stretches over 100 miles from the St. Marys River Sound to the Savannah River Sound. A majority of the trail in Georgia is for intermediate to advanced paddlers only. Contacting an experienced outfitter/guide is highly recommended. The trail is divided into 11 sections starting at St. Marys and going north.  website Marsh Mud Pottery Studio Plan a day of creativity with at Marsh Mud Pottery Studio. Paint ready-made pieces that are ready for firing or get your hands in the clay and start from scratch. Plan a special event or girls gathering and create a piece that will solidify the day in your memory for years to come.  Facebook Okefenokee Adventures - Folkston Okefenokee Adventures (the concessionair for the refuge) offers guided boat tours, canoe/kayak rentals, boat rentals, and a gift shop. They also provid food service on-site and have those last minute items for your swamp adventure. They can also tell you all about the latest wildlife sightings.  2700 Suwanee Canal Rd., Folkston  website Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge - Folkston Take a quick daytrip and check out the visitor center, Swamp Island Drive, and the Chesser Island Homestead.  A boat ride from Okefenokee Adventures is always fun.  The swamp wildlife include black bears, alligators, tortoises, and a variety of shore birds, so bring your camera! 2700 Suwanee Canal Rd., Folkston 912-496-7836  website St. Marys Aquatic Center Relax in the Lazy River or ride the Orange Crush. Swim in the lap pool or just swim freestyle.  There's a great children's pool and water playground. Soak up the sun or lounge under umbrellas.  Drinks and snacks are available onsite. Open Seasonally!  311 Herb Bauer Dr.    912-673-8118   website St. Marys Waterfront Park Also called Howard Gilman Memorial Park, it's the ideal spot to watch the shrimp boats come in, take a stroll along the boardwalks and piers, have a picnic, or witness a stunning sunset.  Experience St. Marys by joining us for one of our many community activities that take  place seasonally throughout the year in the park. facebook St. Marys Tabby Trail (Bike & Multi-use Path) An 11-mile bike and mult-use path from St. Marys Waterfront Park to Crooked River State Park. Comfort stations are located at Sweetwater Park on Pt. Peter Road and at the McIntosh Sugar Mill Ruins on Ga Spur 40 (across from the Stimson Gate of NSB Kings Bay). Restrooms and a Bike Repair Station are located at the St. Marys Waterfront Park.  Paths are still in progress along the route.  Bike - St. Marys Tabby Trail Map Tilden Norris Marsh Walk The Tilden Norris Marsh Walk includes a boardwalk leading to a covered gazebo built into the marsh of the St. Marys River in historic downtown St. Marys. The marsh walk is located to the west of the St. Marys Waterfront Park, between the park entrance and Bartlett Street. This is a great spot to view water birds and the perfect location for nature photos. Unleashed Camden Unleashed Camden is an indoor entertainment facility, 15 minutes away in Kingsland, featuring axe throwing, a rage room, and a paint splash room! Hone your inner lumberjack skills & express yourself!   258 Haddock Rd., Kingsland 912-510-0136 facebook website USS Bancroft Sail Exhibit Memorial At the entrance to Naval Subase Kings Bay is the display of the sail of the USS Georgia Bancroft (SSBN-643), a Benjamin Franklin Class Ballistic Missile Submarine. Mounted atop a concrete hull form mockup, the sail appears to be surfacing out of the grassy field.  Park in the visitor's lot and walk on top for a great photo opportunity! Corner of St. Marys Road and Charlie Smith Hwy. website Woodbine Riverwalk & Rail-Trail A great place to walk, run, or bike. Part of the Georgia Coast Rail-Trail. This 3-mile segment offers scenery changes from wetlands, to live oaks, to Victorian homes. You can also enjoy the Satilla River Waterfront Park at the northern end, where you'll find a boardwalk observation pier that was once a railroad trestle. Satilla River Waterfront Park on E. 1st Street in Woodbine. website Plan Your Adventures! Copyright © 2020 St. Marys Convention & Visitors Bureau - Visit St. Marys & Cumberland Island Ga - All Rights Reserved.    The mission of the St. Marys Convention & Visitors Bureau (SMCVB) is to promote St. Marys, Cumberland Island, and the Camden County area as a desirable tourist destination, increase the overall economic impact and overnight stays of visitors to the area, and foster a quality visitor experience to benefit the city. Home PRESS Contact Us HISTORY Privacy Policy Powered by This website uses cookies. We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data. Accept