Over the years, I’ve visited the massive Okefenokee Swamp deep in southeast Georgia numerous times — all parts of it, from its bottomland hardwood forests and sun-soaked prairies to its alligator-filled ponds and floating islands.
I’ve paddled canoes on its inky, mirror smooth blackwater channels under dense, soaring canopies of cypress and water tupelos draped in Spanish moss. I’ve gingerly stepped onto the floating islands of peat and decaying vegetation that quiver jellylike beneath my feet — the reason the Seminoles and Creeks called the Okefenokee “the land of the trembling earth.”
And I keep returning. Drawing me back year after year is the Okefenokee’s breathtaking splendor, magnificent array of plants and animals and its mind-soothing peacefulness and serenity.
Some people see swamps as sloughs of despond; dark, miasmic places filled with creepy, shadowy creatures. But to nature lovers like me, swamps are magical, teeming with wildlife — places of tranquility filled with otherworldly beauty.
Credit: Charles Seabrook
Credit: Charles Seabrook
The Okefenokee, in particular, is such a place. In the 1770s, naturalist William Bartram called it a “terrestrial paradise.” If you’re planning a visit, here are some things to know to help you enjoy and appreciate the great wetland.
About the swamp
A big, big place
The Okefenokee Swamp is vast, 438,000-440,000 acres spanning about 700 square miles mostly in Charlton, Ware and Clinch counties in Georgia‘s southeast corner. A small portion extends into northeast Florida.
About 60,000 acres of the swamp are shallow, watery prairies covered with grass, sedges and other aquatic plants rooted in thick beds of peat.
Most of the rain-fed wetland lies within the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
In 1974, Congress designated 350,000 acres of the refuge as a wilderness area, the nation’s highest level of protection for an ecosystem.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Two scenic rivers rise in the Okefenokee — the St. Marys, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean; and the Suwannee, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico.
A young swamp
The geological history of the Okefenokee is particularly fascinating.
In geological terms, the swamp is young. It is saucer-shaped, perched on a higher elevation than surrounding terrain — a result of a barrier island that existed about 2 million years ago when the ocean covered that part of Georgia. When the ocean receded to its present location, it left behind a relic sandbar that today is known as Trail Ridge.
The trail, acting as a dam, created a huge basin that filled with rainwater. Over the past 6,500 years, deep layers of peat (soggy, soil like material from partially decomposed plants) accumulated in the basin and created the unique “trembling earth” — floating peat mats and distinct blackwater features of the swamp today.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Without Trail Ridge, the Okefenokee would cease to exist in its present magnificence.
A pristine place
Most of the time, the Okefenokee may be the most pristine environment in Georgia. The air is remarkably clean and fresh.
Although the swamp’s water is the color of weakly brewed tea or cola (from tannins leaching from decaying vegetation), it is basically pure and clean. Centuries ago, sailing ships loaded casks of Okefenokee water for their trans-Atlantic voyages.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
The swamp, however, may not be so unblemished during times of fire. Fire, in fact, is vital to keeping the swamp healthy. Without occasional fire, peat layers would build up and overwhelm the integrity of the swamp.
What you’ll see
A botanical paradise
More than 600 plants, an amazing number, are native to the Okefenokee.
Its most common trees are water tupelos, bald cypresses and pond cypresses, usually draped in Spanish moss. With their swollen, flaring buttresses and soaring heights of 80 feet or more, the trees are awe-inspiring when reflected in the dark water.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
The swamp’s most common — and dramatic — wildflower, especially in the prairie regions, is the white-flowered water lily, which floats in large masses in the reflective water during spring.
Spring also brings out the beautiful golden club with its bright yellow flowers clustered at the tip of a spike. Fall wildflowers are just as stunning — goldenrods, yellow tickseed, lavender-colored blazing star.
Insect eating plants
Not surprisingly, the Okefenokee abounds with carnivorous, insect eating plants, including three species of pitcher plants — yellow trumpet, hooded and parrot.
Other insect-eating flora include butterwort, sundews and bladderwort, all of which add their own magic and intrigue to the swamp.
Amazing wildlife diversity
Making the Okefenokee world renowned is its diverse fauna. Its more than 440 vertebrate species include 39 fishes, 64 reptiles, 50 mammals and 235 birds (which make the Okefenokee a prime bird watching venue). Eleven of the species, including the red-cockaded woodpecker and the flatwoods salamander, are on the endangered species list.
But the swamp’s most famous denizen — the creature that visitors most want to see — is the American alligator. As many as 13,000 of the wily reptiles live in the swamp, adding a layer of spellbinding magic to the wetland.
Credit: HANDOUT
Credit: HANDOUT
Beyond gators, visitors are apt to spot sandhill cranes, river otters, white-tailed deer and perhaps a black bear. The Okefenokee is home to one of Georgia’s three populations of black bears, which are major predators of young alligators.
Countless insects and other invertebrates
Also not surprising is that the Okefenokee, being a swamp, is home to thousands of invertebrate species — butterflies, moths, bees, dragonflies, beetles, spiders and other soft-bodied creatures. Biologists say some 1,000 species of moths inhabit the swamp.
As much as 40% of the swamp’s forest canopy is consumed by insects and their larvae, an activity crucial to nutrient recycling. Of course, the list of invertebrates include mosquitoes, gnats, yellow flies, ticks and other biting pests, which are most annoying June through August but can be nuisances at other times of the year. Visitors are reminded to take proper precautions — such as bug spray — to ward off the pests.
How to visit
Public access
Because of its vastness and thick growth, most of the swamp is accessible only by helicopter or strenuous bushwhacking. Even so, most visitors can get striking views of the swamp’s remarkable beauty and wildlife from boat routes, hiking paths, biking trails and auto tours in different parts of the swamp.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
No one trail or route, though, offers the entirety of the swamp’s natural glory. To see that, you must visit all of the swamp’s various public areas, each of which offers its own kinds of natural habitats.
Three entry points
Visitors have three choices to enter the Okefenokee — the east, west and north entrances, each with its own public amenities and natural qualities. Each entrance has an entry fee and additional charges for boat rides, canoe rentals and other offerings.
Credit: The New School
Credit: The New School
Most visitors use the cities of Waycross and Folkston as bases (lodging and dining) for exploring the swamp.
If you’re a first-time visitor, a guided boat ride may be a good way to familiarize yourself with the swamp before taking a hike or canoe trek on your own.
- East entrance to prairies
The east entrance near Folkston takes one to the federally-operated Suwannee Canal Recreation Area ($5 per vehicle, valid for seven days). It’s considered the main gateway to the Okefenokee refuge.
Here, one can take a guided, covered boat tour or rent a canoe to travel down the historic, 11-mile-long Suwannee Canal and into the vast prairie regions to see alligators, a large variety of birds and swamp-loving flora.
A paved 7.5-mile auto tour, called the Swamp Island Drive, also begins here and takes visitors to several historic and wildlife viewing spots. A history stop is at the old Chesser family homestead that preserves the historic home and outbuildings of a typical family living in the swamp during the early 20th century. Another stop is at the 0.7-mile Chesser Island boardwalk that goes through a cypress swamp and ends at a 40-foot-high tower offering stunning panoramic views of the prairies and a bird-filled lake.
- West entrance at state park
The western entrance is at the Stephen C. Foster park, a well-maintained Georgia state park near the community of Fargo. A parking pass is required for entry.
Credit: Photos contributed by Georgia state parks and historic sites
Credit: Photos contributed by Georgia state parks and historic sites
The area around the park truly embodies the classic, primordial look of a southern swamp with its blackwater mirror reflections and towering cypress and tupelo trees with Spanish moss dangling from them. One can explore the swamp — including famed Billy’s Lake and Billy’s Island — by taking a guided boat tour, renting a canoe or walking the local boardwalk trail. Rental cabins and RV camping are available.
One other popular activity at the state park is stargazing: Because of its remoteness, the park is an internationally certified Dark Sky Park known as one of the best stargazing spots in the Southeast. It provides exceptionally dark skies with zero light pollution, offering mind-boggling views of the Milky Way and planets.
- North entrance
The north entrance is at the privately-operated, nonprofit, family-oriented Okefenokee Swamp Park near Waycross. A general admission ticket is $25 for adults and $24 for children aged 4-11. The ticket includes, among other things, access to exhibits, nature paths and a train ride. A naturalist-led boat tour and some other activities cost extra.
Overnight adventures
Finally, if you want more than just a day trip in the Okefenokee, overnight and multiday trips across the swamp are available. You can hire a guide or strike out on your own if you feel safe in doing so. Pack water, food and camping gear and stay only on designated water trails.
Overnight stays require a wilderness permit booked in advance by calling the refuge’s reservation line; walk-ins are not allowed. Only nonmotorized canoes and kayaks are permitted on overnight wilderness treks.
Overnight campers stay on wooden platforms built over the water or island edges. Most platforms have picnic tables and pit toilets. You must arrive before dark and remain until sunrise. An outfit called Okefenokee Adventures (okeswamp.org) can arrange guided wilderness excursions and camping trips in the swamp.
In my mind, there’s no greater outdoor experience than being in the Okefenokee at dusk and dawn. Nighttime in the Okefenokee is filled with a wild cacophony — the choruses of pig frogs, hooting owls, crickets and sometimes the deep, nerve-jerking bellowing of bull alligators.
Credit: Charles Seabrook
Credit: Charles Seabrook
At sunrise, the air is cool and refreshing; alligators emerge to bask in the early light; songbirds begin belting out song; stately wading birds like herons and egrets hunt along the water‘s edge and in the prairies; the dark, mirrorlike water reflects the glowing cypress trees and colorful morning sky.
I can’t wait to go back.
About the author
Charles Seabrook is The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “Wild Georgia” columnist. Seabrook is also co-author (along with artist Ann Litrel) of the new book “35 Natural Wonders of Georgia to See Before You Die” (University of Georgia Press). Seabrook and Litrel won the 2026 Georgia Author of the Year Award in specialty books from the Georgia Writers Association.
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