Maritime forest in Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia, United States Jun 17, 2025

Before you hit the beach, you"ll hear it—the rustle of leaves in salty air, the creak of twisted trunks, the hush of an old world. Welcome to the maritime forest of Cumberland Island National Seashore on the southernmost stretch of Georgia"s Atlantic coast. Salt spray, sandy soil, hurricanes? The trees here stand their ground. Live oaks bend but don"t break. Saw palmettos crowd the ground like leafy bodyguards, while Spanish moss hangs from branches like nature"s fringe. This maritime forest is one of the best remaining examples of this rare habitat in the United States. Thanks to its national seashore status, the island has been spared from the concrete creep seen on other coastlines.

© Chris Moore/TANDEM Stills + Motion

palette

Today in History

Jun 17, 2024Green-crowned brilliant

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Feb 25, 2025Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, United States
Dec 26, 2023Dedham, Colchester, England
Oct 21, 2024Cypress trees in George L. Smith State Park, Georgia, United States
Oct 24, 2025RMS Queen Mary, California
Dec 30, 2025Whooper swans
Mar 4, 2024Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica
Sep 4, 2023Marshes of Bourges, France
Oct 30, 2025Camels, Rajasthan, India
Aug 18, 2024Huntington Beach Pier, California, USA
Nov 16, 2025A traboule in Lyon, France
Jun 24, 2025Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah, United States
Nov 18, 2023Polar bear mother and cubs
Sep 12, 2024Dolphin pod near Réunion island
Mar 17, 2025Samuel Beckett Bridge, Dublin, Ireland
Apr 16, 2024Union Square, Manhattan, New York, USA
Jun 3, 2025Bicycles on a bridge in Utrecht, Netherlands
Aug 12, 2025African elephants
Dec 7, 2024Arraial do Cabo, Brazil
Apr 15, 2025Castillo de La Calahorra, Granada, Spain
Aug 26, 2024Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
Jun 15, 2025Lesser rheas, Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile
Aug 6, 2024Molokini crater, Maui, Hawaii, USA
Feb 3, 2026Emerald Bay and Fannette Island, Lake Tahoe, California, United States
Sep 30, 2023Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA
Aug 31, 2025Scotts Bluff National Monument
Nov 11, 2023Val di Funes, South Tyrol, Italy
Sep 30, 2024Walruses in Svalbard, Norway
Jul 2, 2025Spine-cheeked anemonefish
Sep 3, 2024Crystal Lake in the Enchantments, Washington, United States
Dec 4, 2023Cheetah and her cubs