River Trail Stop 2
Photo: NPS Photo- 0.6 mi
- round trip
- 30 ft
- climb
- 19 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Sep–May
- best months
Is River Trail Stop 2 open right now?
Alert in the area
The National Park Service lists an alert for Cumberland Island National Seashore.
Scam Warning - Book ferry tickets through concessioner site only
Park alert covering Cumberland Island National Seashore · NPS · Cumberland Island National Seashore
As of · Source: NPS · Cumberland Island National Seashore. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Stop #2: Cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto) Cabbage palms are native to our area and provided many uses to native peoples. When facing post number two, a cabbage palm grows directly behind the post, and another to the right of the post. They grow vertically into the typical palm tree shape and are easy to identify after a few years of growth. As young plants just emerging from the ground, they can be easily confused with other palm species. It can be distinguished from saw palmetto by a long midrib that extends into the leaf, giving it a ‘v’ shape. Clusters of small dark blue berries ripen in winter and are reported to taste like dates. Seeds and berries were used for treating headaches and fevers. Fibers can be peeled from the leaves and woven into rope, which was used for fishing nets and traps. The large leaves were pulled into strips and used to weave mats.
- Nearby · River Trail Stop 1 · Parallel Trail · River Trail Stop 3
Best time to go · Sep–May
Best time to visit River Trail Stop 2
Best months: September–May. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
62° / 43°
8 wet
Feb
65° / 45°
8 wet
Mar
70° / 51°
8 wet
Apr
76° / 57°
7 wet
May
82° / 65°
8 wet
Jun
86° / 71°
11 wet
Jul
89° / 74°
12 wet
Aug
88° / 74°
13 wet
Sep
85° / 71°
11 wet
Oct
79° / 62°
9 wet
Nov
71° / 52°
7 wet
Dec
65° / 46°
8 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Brunswick 23 S, GA, 3.6 mi away at 25 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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Stop #7: Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) The live oak trunk is to the left of post number 7. The live oak is the dominant tree in the maritime forest. Its dark green leaves are present throughout winter until the new leaves appear in the spring. The outstretched branches form…
Photo: Rob Bixby, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Parallel Trail
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River Trail Stop 8
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Stop #8: Smilax (Smilax sp.) Look above the shrubs to find this vine. You can also see the smilax growing on the west side of the trail on top of Red Bay and up from the ground. It may be hard to identify in the winter months, as some species are deciduous. Smilax is a genus…
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River Trail Stop 9
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Stop #9: Wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera) Wax Myrtle is the small shrubby plant surrounding post number 9. Its leaves are light to dark green and are skinny, elongated leaves, with slight toothing near the edge. This evergreen shrub is found in the dunes as well as the forest.…
