People come to Cabin Bluff for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the striking views and abundant wildlife. Its location is the secret to its magic, hidden in the woods and overlooking the marshes and bluffs of Coastal Georgia. Meandering up the driveway to Cabin Bluff, you’ll immediately get the sense that you are somewhere unlike any place you’ve ever been. The drive up to the bluff is a lot like a drive through a South Georgia pine forest on a well-kept path — because that’s essentially what it is. Arriving at the cabins, you’ll find more surprises as the hospitality, beauty and attention to detail provides you with the best of a world and time that is all but forgotten. And you haven’t even seen the water yet!
Cabin Bluff is located on the Cumberland River (a part of the Intracoastal Waterway, or ICW) and is surrounded by tidal marsh creeks that represent some of the finest scenery and fishing in the region. In fact, it is safe to say that there’s no place in the world quite like this. To make this often unseen side of Cabin Bluff more accessible to its guests, kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding have been added to the long list of relaxing and exhilarating adventures available in this wooded and watery wonderland. Though there are many options available to those wanting to enjoy the waters of Cabin Bluff, three popular kayak outings offer the best of the best of local paddling: Pine Tree Creek, Shellbine Creek and Cumberland Island.
Pine Tree Creek is perhaps the most popular and flexible kayak outing available at the Bluff. Launching from the beach, just a few steps from the main cabins, guests are treated to paddling experience unique to this part of the Atlantic coast. Heading south, along the Cumberland River, Ospreys, Pelicans, Wood Storks and an occasional Bald Eagle are among the bird life that competes for your attention with Dolphins, breaching Rays and the landscape itself. The first leg of the Pine Tree Creek trip is perfectly suited for, and often used as, the playing field for team-building outings and activities using kayaks. But it’s the weathered and twisted trunks and branches draping the bluffs of Pine Tree Creek that give this place both its name and its most stunning scenery.
Shellbine Creek is more typical of the salt-marsh creeks in this region. Teeming with shrimp, Shellbine is a favorite fast food hangout for the Atlantic Bottle-nose Dolphin. Shellbine Creek winds through miles and miles of salt-marsh filled with local and migratory birds, wild hogs, deer and dozens of other creatures and critters enjoying the view and looking for a bite to eat. The wildlife comes here for the same reasons we all do — to relax and unwind in one of the most beautiful settings nature has to offer. You can be sure the Dolphins and birds that frequent Shellbine Creek for its shrimp and fish would agree with Cabin Bluff’s human visitors: “The food here is every bit as amazing as the scenery!” Shellbine Creek has a pretty remarkable tidal range and, for best access, it is best paddled in the hour or two immediately before and after high tide.
Cumberland Island, located just across the Cumberland River from Cabin Bluff, is indeed a national treasure. Guests of Cabin Bluff have the opportunity to paddle down the Cumberland River to Plum Orchard mansion on Cumberland Island for a full-day excursion. Paddling with the tide, the trip to Cumberland is slightly over an hour depending on wind conditions. Once on the Island, there are a variety of options for exploration — from an hour-long hike over to a deserted, pristine, sugar-sand beach to a tour of historic Plum Orchard mansion. Cumberland’s wild horses are constant residents of the meadows around the mansion and there’s a pond behind the mansion that’s home to at least one American Alligator. Though the return trip retraces the route over, it is a completely different experience from a brand new perspective. Sliding up to the beach at Cabin Bluff marks the end of the trip, but not the end of a great day; there’s always more fun to be had. After all, you are at Cabin Bluff!
