Things to do
There’s always something to do in Camden County. Our excellent location in Southeast Georgia gives us a fairly temperate and predictable climate year round, which means you can stay active all year.
For nature lovers there is simply nothing like the breathtaking, and largely untouched beaches of Cumberland Island. Here pristine maritime forests, undeveloped beaches and wide marshes whisper the stories of both man and nature. Natives, missionaries, enslaved African Americans and Wealthy Industrialists all walked here. Cumberland Island is also home to over 9,800 acres of Congressionally designated Wilderness. Cumberland Island can be reached via ferry from St. Marys, and while you’re down there you can explore the historic downtown area, stay the night at a beautiful bed-and-breakfast, and eat or shop in one of the local stores.
If you need some more nature in your life, just up the road lies Crooked River State Park. This park is the perfect spot for enjoying the Intracoastal Waterway and maritime forest. Campsites are surrounded by palmettos and Spanish moss-draped oaks, while cottages are set near the tidal river. A boat ramp is popular with anglers who often take to the water before sunrise. The park’s nature trail winds through forest and salt marsh, and hikers may see gopher tortoises, fiddler crabs, herons and other birds. A nature center features fish, snakes, turtles and other animals native to coastal Georgia. Visitors may venture to the nearby ruins of a tabby mill, built around 1825 and later used as a starch factory during the Civil War. The park features over 500 acres of wilderness, 11 cottages, and more than 60 campsites of various type.
If local culture is what you’re after, Camden County holds three annual festivals that highlight all the local charm we have to offer. In St. Marys, the Rock Shrimp Festival shows off our coastal community and one of our local seafood favorites: rock shrimp. Every year in Kingsland the Catfish Festival brings Camden residents and many visitors from outside of the County to historic and quaint Downtown Kingsland. In the north end of the County, the Crawfish Festival brings everyone to the County Seat in Woodbine to enjoy some freshly boiled crawfish or crawfish etoufee. All of these festivals bring vendors, musicians, food and drink, and people from all over the country to get a taste of Camden County.
If golf is more your thing, Camden County boasts two highly rated golf courses. Osprey Cove, a gated community in St. Marys, features an 18-hole course designed by former PGA Tour winner Mark McCumber. This course has been listed among Golfweek’s top-5 courses in Georgia. In Kingsland, beautiful Laurel Island another of Camden County’s premier neighborhoods. Opened in 1996, Laurel Island Links has unique natural features that make it play like no other course in Southeast Georgia. Magnificent marsh views complement the 18-hole links-style course – a Davis Love III signature design. Just down the road from Camden County, avid golfers can venture to Sea Island or down to Amelia Island and golf along the beach at Amelia National or even try their hand at world-famous TPC Sawgrass in Jacksonville. With great weather year-round and beautiful coastal backdrops, a golfer should never get tired of the Camden County lifestyle.
For weekend trips, or a nice night on the town, Camden County offers easy access to Amelia Island, Jacksonville, or St. Augustine to the south.
Take in historic Fort Clinch State Park on your way to one of the country’s fastest growing cities in downtown Jacksonville and travel just a bit further to America’s oldest city in St. Augustine. Just north of Camden County, Glynn County is the gateway to the Golden Isles: St. Simons Island, Sea Island, and Jekyll Island. Further north lies the beautiful antebellum city of Savannah with its green city squares and famous River Street shops. All of these locations are within easy driving distance from your home base in Camden County, but if you want to go further, Jacksonville International Airport lies just 20 miles south and can take you anywhere you want to go.