Georgia · National Seashore trail

River Trail Stop 1

in Georgia · centroid 31 mi from Jacksonville

Stop #1: Pine (Pinus sp) Yellow pine is a generic term for several species of pine trees that are found in the Southeastern United States. When facing post number one, look east and slightly south. The Pine tree towers into the canopy above Red Bay and shrubs.

Vines climb the trunk of the tree. The pine trees found on Cumberland Island in Timucuan times would have been much larger than any found here today. These large trees were harvested to make canoe-like vessels called pirogues.

Timucuans did not carve these trees into canoes but used the power of fire to hollow out a cavity. Embers would be set on the log to char the top of the log. The charred wood was scooped out with shell tools and the burning continued until the log was hollowed out to make a canoe.

States: Georgia
Trail type: National Seashore trail
Centroid nearest city: Jacksonville, FL · 31 mi · ~55 min drive
Centroid coords: 30.7556°, -81.4730°

About Cumberland Island National Seashore

National Seashore

This trail is inside Cumberland Island National Seashore, a national seashore managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.

Entrance fee: $15 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.

Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/river-trail-stop-1.htm

Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/cuis/index.htm

Plan your hike

Practical notes

Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.

Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.

When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.

If you've hiked River Trail Stop 1 and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.

Stay nearby

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Driving in? The nearest documented metro is Jacksonville, FL — 31 miles away (~55 min drive). See accommodation in Jacksonville on Booking.com → RoamFound earns a small commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you. How we handle affiliate links.