St. Marys, Georgia: The Little River Town Most People Drive Right Past
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If you've ever driven I-95 between Georgia and Florida, you've passed the exit for St. Marys. Most people do. We drove by this exit dozens of times and never stopped. Then it became a convenient location for our transition from our house on Amelia Island to RV life.
St. Marys is a tiny river town right at the Georgia–Florida line. It has a sleepy downtown waterfront, the ferry to Cumberland Island, and a state park full of marsh views. Here's exactly where we ate, where we walked, and the one thing you have to pack.
Where to Stay
If you're camping: We parked the RV at Country Oaks RV Park, a Good Sam park, so bring your Good Sam card for the discount. It's tucked under huge live oaks dripping with Spanish moss, and the rustic wooden office has rocking chairs and a porch swing out front. The sign on the porch says "Heaven's a little closer on the porch," and honestly? They're right. Ask for Dottie or Shelly and they will take good care of you. It's family owned. We like that.
Welcome to Country Oaks, where the porch rockers are calling your name.
Home sweet home for the week, parked under the Spanish moss.
Another great option is Crooked River State Park, which has campsites just minutes from town (more on the park below).
If you'd rather have a real bed: Downtown St. Marys has a handful of charming small inns and B&Bs, all within walking distance of the waterfront and the Cumberland Island ferry.
- Goodbread House, 209 Osborne St. A historic B&B with themed rooms and breakfast on the veranda. Guests rave about the hostess.
- Spencer House Inn, 200 Osborne St. A restored inn with breakfast included (the grits get a lot of love), and an elevator, which is rare for a house this old.
- Riverview Hotel, 105 Osborne St. A small historic hotel with just 18 rooms, river and ferry views, and Seagles restaurant and bar downstairs. Book early.
- Emma's Cottage House, 300 Conyers St W. Quiet cottages with wraparound porches and a kitchen, tucked a few blocks off the main street.
The splurge: Greyfield Inn is the only inn on Cumberland Island itself, a historic mansion. Its private boat leaves from Fernandina Beach, Florida, not the St. Marys ferry dock. It's a bucket-list stay.
Sunset Dinner at Locals Dockside
If you only do ONE thing in St. Marys, make it dinner at Locals Dockside right on the river. Great service, great food, and the sunset view? An 11 out of 10. I'm not exaggerating.
Golden hour on the Locals Dockside patio. Grab a table by the rail.
Grab a seat on the patio and time it so you're there about 30 to 45 minutes before sunset. You get the whole show: the river going gold, then pink, then dark.
The 11-out-of-10 sunset over the marsh. No filter needed.
Eating gluten-free? The menu marks the gluten-free-available dishes, and there are good ones: the local shrimp dinner ($24), the triggerfish plate ($23), and scallops your way ($28), each grilled, fried, or blackened, with two sides. Go grilled or blackened, and tell your server about any allergies. The menu is upfront that the kitchen isn't gluten-free, so cross-contact is possible.
My tip: bring bug spray. The second the sun goes down, the bugs come off the marsh. We learned that one the itchy way. This is the one I use: my bug spray on Amazon.
Heads up: Locals Dockside is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Where Else We Ate
Drunken Noodle. I'm a pad thai girl, and theirs hits the spot. The menu is HUGE: sushi, curry, pho, pad thai, and a lot more, so everyone at the table finds something. And there's plenty of seating, which matters more than you'd think after a long day.
Honest confession: we're actually bigger fans of Mini Drunken Noodle down on Amelia Island. It has more character. But it's tiny, so if you want a sure seat and a bigger menu, the St. Marys location is your spot. If you're heading south into Florida anyway, try both and tell me which one wins.
San Jose Mexican Restaurant. Out on Kings Bay Road. I had the tamales and tacos. It's an easy, no-fuss dinner when you don't want to think too hard.
Publix subs for the park. Not every meal has to be a discovery. Before Crooked River, we grabbed Publix subs and had ourselves a picnic. Zero regrets.
Stocking Up
RVers, you're covered here. St. Marys has a Publix, a MASSIVE Walmart, an Aldi, a Tractor Supply, and more. It's a great stop to restock the fridge, grab camp supplies, and get ready for your next leg.
Short Walks at Crooked River State Park
Crooked River State Park is just a few minutes from town, and it's perfect for an easy afternoon. We did two trails:
- River Trail. Only a few hundred yards, and it takes you right down to the marsh. Golden grass, river views, and the biggest payoff for the least effort.
- Palmetto Trail. About 1.5 miles through open woods. Keep an eye out for osprey, woodpeckers, and gopher tortoises.
The pups leading the way under the tall pines down to the river.
The pups came along on leash, and they had the best time sniffing their way under the tall pines down to the water.
And the highlight? We spotted a gopher tortoise just strolling across the sandy trail like he owned the place. Keep your eyes on the ground. They blend right in.
Our trail buddy: a gopher tortoise taking his sweet time.
Trail this way... or that way. You can't go wrong.
My one regret: we skipped the Bay Boardwalk Trail, a boardwalk over a wetland of bay trees. Don't be like me. Add it on.
Parking is $10 per car (trail info, trail map). And yes, bring that bug spray again. The marsh edges get buggy.
Not an RVer? The park also has cabins with screened porches, plus a big screened picnic pavilion.
Not an RVer? The park's cabins come with screened porches.
The Waterfront and the Cumberland Island Ferry
Downtown St. Marys sits right on the river, and it's an easy place to wander. The waterfront has playgrounds, so if you're traveling with grandkids (or kids at heart), plan a stop.
This is also where you catch the ferry to Cumberland Island, and it's worth building a whole day around. We did it on a past visit, and it's still one of my favorite days anywhere.
We wandered the ruins and watched the wild horses graze like we weren't even there. Then we walked the shoreline past these HUGE dunes and made our way back to the ferry through one of the campgrounds. The sun was setting as we rode the ferry back to St. Marys. I'll never forget it.
Wild horses grazing in front of the Dungeness ruins.
Framed perfectly by the old stone archway.
Lunch under the live oaks and Spanish moss.
The boardwalk through the dunes. The ocean is just past those trees.
Heading back from the beach, one boardwalk plank at a time.
Miles of empty shoreline. Just us and the shorebirds.
Before you go:
- Book the ferry ahead of time on their website. Don't count on walking up.
- Bring EVERYTHING you'll need for the day: food, water, sunscreen, and yes, bug spray. Once you're on the island, there's nowhere to buy anything.
Quick Tips Before You Go
- Pack bug spray. You'll want it at sunset and on the trails.
- Book your Locals Dockside dinner around sunset, and skip Mondays and Tuesdays when it's closed.
- Do the Bay Boardwalk Trail at Crooked River. Learn from my mistake.
- Grab picnic food in town before you head to the park. Book the Cumberland Island ferry ahead, and pack everything you'll need for the day.
- Heading into Florida next? Stop at Mini Drunken Noodle on Amelia Island.
St. Marys is the kind of place you only find if you take the exit. So take the exit. Don't wait for someday.
Have you been to St. Marys?
