Maritime forest on Cumberland Island, Georgia

© Chris Moore/Tandem Stills + Motion

Maritime forest on Cumberland Island, Georgia

Georgia’s largest barrier island is as rich in history as it is in nature. Here you’ll find miles of unspoiled beaches, maritime forests, and the remnants of early island inhabitants such as missionaries and cotton farmers. Only ruins remain at the site of Dungeness, a mansion built by industrialist Thomas M. Carnegie, brother of steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, in the 1880s. But in its prime, the ornate 59-room residence served as a home for Carnegie’s family and their guests. These days, the island’s band of wild horses enjoys grazing at the site.