Discover Outdoor Adventure & Things To Do In Kingsland
When the Lowcountry calls, Kingsland is where the adventure begins. Situated on the southeast coast of Georgia and right off I-95, this charming town’s hospitality and lodging options set the stage for a stay “Where Nature Reigns.” With bright sandy beaches, dense maritime forests, and tranquil intracoastal waters in every direction, Kingsland is the perfect launching pad for an unforgettable Colonial Coast vacation.
Make Kingsland Your Basecamp for Adventure
Set among vast swaths of wilderness to explore, Kingsland is a comfortable, convenient homebase for your Georgia coastal adventures. Entering Kingsland from Florida just 3 miles to the south brings you across the town’s iconic Blue Bridge, which replaced a ferry crossing across the St. Marys River nearly 100 years ago. A stroll along downtown’s red-brick sidewalks will set your heart rate to vacation mode as you window shop beneath whimsical storefronts and hanging flower baskets.
Stretch your legs at Gum Branch Nature Preserve, a woodsy hidden gem popular with hikers, bikers, and disc golfers. For a true taste of local culture, visit during one of the annual catfish, Mardi Gras, and seafood festivals in Kingsland.
Kingsland restaurants
Stop in at Blue Bridge Coffeehouse, a local favorite known for its smiling staff, buttery muffins, and cold-foam lattes. For a hearty meal, Steffens Restaurant offers diner fare like catfish and banana pudding reminiscent of your favorite family kitchen.
Kingsland hotels
Kingsland hotels and campgrounds are budget-friendly, meaning you can spend your hard-earned vacation dollars on another round of oysters. Whether you prefer a comfortable guest room or the open-air freedom of a nearby RV park or campsite, you’ll find the perfect place to reset between excursions.
Explore Timeless Landscapes on Cumberland Island National Seashore
Just a 15-minute drive from Kingsland is the town of St. Marys, where the Cumberland Island Ferry departs. Cumberland Island National Seashore’s 9,800 acres of undisturbed wilderness is a masterclass in coastal geography arranged in a perfect progression: The rolling Atlantic Ocean gives way to 17 miles of uninterrupted, white-sand beaches, which rise into billowing dunes. The dunes act as a natural fortress, shielding a gnarled oak forest that eventually opens up into the peaceful salt marshes facing the mainland.
Cumberland Island is a sanctuary for more than just hikers, boaters, and fishermen — it’s home to a diverse cast of wildlife, including sun-seeking alligators, nesting sea turtles, and rummaging armadillos. Don’t leave without seeing the island's famous wild horses. Roaming the dunes and maritime forests, they represent one of the only self-sustaining wild herds on the Atlantic coast.
For history buffs, the island offers a glimpse into the area’s eclectic past. Snap a few photos at the Dungeness Ruins — the once-lavish Carnegie home built during the Gilded Age — or head to the northern end to find the Settlement. This historic community was established by the region’s Black residents, some of whom were formerly enslaved people, after the Civil War; today, it remains a place of solitude, anchored by the one-room First African Baptist Church, built in 1893. Because the Settlement is tough to reach, consider joining the popular Lands and Legacies Tour.
Paddle the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge
Trade the salt for the swamp with a 45-minute jaunt inland from Kingsland to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, the largest national refuge east of the Mississippi River and the headwaters for the Suwannee and St. Marys rivers. The 353,981-acre wilderness area shelters many threatened and endangered species like nesting sites for the red-cockaded woodpecker and swampy hunting grounds for the glossy eastern indigo snake.
The park’s blackwater channels are tea-colored from decaying plants and mirror the towering cypress trees so perfectly, you might not be able to tell where the sky ends and the water begins. Choose from numerous hiking and canoeing trails, with daily or overnight watercraft rentals available on-site. The Orange Trail follows a late-19th-century drainage canal — a failed attempt to drain the swamp — leading paddlers to a remote picnic spot at Coffee Bay. As you navigate the waterways, try to count the alligators basking on sunny logs along the banks; with more than 15,000 of these prehistoric residents calling the Okefenokee home, you’ll quickly lose track.
Relax in Crooked River State Park
Tucked into a bend on the Crooked River, Crooked River State Park is less than 30 minutes from Kingsland and is a local’s favorite for sunrise fishing, relaxing picnics, and strolling through oaks draped in wispy moss. At the nature center, learn about the local wildlife, including frequent run-ins with Georgia’s state reptile, the gopher tortoise, or get the kids’ energy out at the mini-golf course.
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