Wow! What a Live Oak!  It is in the interior of the island and one of the largest Live Oaks I have ever seen or tried to photograph. Notice how it is fairly straight up but the ones along the coast lean from the constant coastal winds. This photo was taken around noon and the island colors are much different than they are later in the day when everything warms up and looks rich, especially with the wooded forest floor.

Trees on the coastline lean toward the center of the island. They protect this barrier island from potentially damaging winds.

Cumberland’s trees really dominate the landscape, and you realize pretty fast that without these, the island would be in serious trouble.

They open and unfold across the landscape like giant canopies covering and offering shade to hikers and campers.

Like lace in the sky, they form a maze of branches and leave visitors speechless. I just kept taking photos of them and thinking fantastic! They may seem to dominate many of the views but there is a lot more to this island.

This particular Live Oak was at the edge of the woods but also at the beginning of a vast area of marshes.

Looking out from a place where you can see the mainland in the distance. The tidal creek was home to lots of oyster beds. I bet a lot of small fishing nets have been tossed out in this creek.

One of the many trees we passed as we walked through the sand dunes. In places, the dunes can be up to two stories high and they also provide extreme protection for the island.