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

Maritime forest in Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia, United States

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 in the United States. 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

Paddle power
A grand view
Jun. 17, 2024Pollinator Week
Jun 17, 2026Tremola Road on the Saint Gotthard Pass in Airolo, Switzerland

More Desktop Wallpapers:

The lonely castle
Sep. 10, 2024Vasco da Gama Bridge, Lisbon, Portugal
Postcard from the Canadian Rockies
An old bridge in a new light
Nov. 15, 2025Irohazaka Road in autumn, Nikko, Tochigi, Japan
Nov. 19, 2024Tasmans Arch, Tasman National Park, Tasmania, Australia
Oct. 11, 2025World Migratory Bird Day
Apr. 22, 2025Earth Day
Feb. 6, 2025Waitangi Day in New Zealand
Jan. 11, 2024Eurasian lynx
Mar. 1, 2025Aurora borealis over Maligne Lake in Alberta
Jun 8, 2026World Oceans Day
Apr. 6, 2026Castle Day Japan
Jan. 25, 2024Snowy owl
Underwater underground
Jul. 17, 2025Lavender fields in Plateau de Valensole, France
Apr. 14, 2025Atlantic spotted dolphins
Nov. 12, 2024Arches National Park, Utah, United States
Sep. 16, 2025Nighttime view over the Gulf Coast
Feb. 1, 2024Polar bear, Churchill, Manitoba
A cuddling pair of Taiwan yuhina
Aug 1, 2026Lava flows spill into the ocean on Big Island, Hawaii, USA
Jul 7, 2026Plate-billed mountain toucan with orchids, Ecuador
Mar. 28, 2024Cherry blossoms in Shanghai, China
Aug 2, 2026Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
Nov. 6, 2023Lago Pehoé, Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
Mar. 15, 2026Pacific Rim Whale Festival
Mar. 13, 2026Church of Notre Dame de Bon-Port, Les Sables-dOlonne, France
Jan. 9, 2026Muir Woods National Monument, California, United States
Jul 22, 2026Coral Reef Awareness Week