Jay T

USA - 05-Oct-24 -

Okefenokee, the land of trembling earth. Or perhaps etymologically, "bubbling water". Either origin describes this swamp well -- a land of peat and springs which serves as the headwaters for two rivers at the north end of the Florida peninsula. The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is aiming for inscription on the World Heritage Site list in 2026, so in July 2023 I took a trip down to southern Georgia to see what makes the swamp unique, especially in relation to the Everglades in neighboring Florida.

The Okefenokee Swamp in southern Georgia can be accessed through three points of entry: the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge on the east side of the swamp, the privately-owned Okefenokee Swamp Park on the north side, and Stephen C. Foster State Park on the west side. I started off with a morning visit to the National Wildlife Refuge, where I arrived early enough to take the first boat tour of the day. An alligator statue greets visitors outside the main visitor center, and indeed there were alligators swimming around the boat dock area when we departed. The boat tour starts off down the Suwanee canal before turning off into lakes strewn with water lilies. Cypress trees covered in Spanish moss lined the waterways, and birdlife, including owls, ibises, egrets, and herons, was abundant. We drew close to the edge of an island in the middle of one of the lakes to see carnivorous pitcher plants, which feed on insects within the swamp. Although I didn't take advantage of it, the visitor center also offers kayak and canoe rentals, which provide an even closer look at nature.

After the boat tour, I drove down to Chesser Island, also within the refuge, to hike a boardwalk out to an observation tower over the swamp. July weather is extremely humid in Georgia, and I was a bit soaked when I got to the tower, but it did offer a good view of Seagrove Lake. Also, be sure to bring water. I followed the hike with a short cultural diversion to see a homestead on the island, which gave me some idea of what life would have been like living in the swamp.

In the mid-afternoon I drove up to Okefenokee Swamp Park on the north side of the swamp. The site is non-profit, but appears a bit more commercial, with opportunities to see alligators, turtles, and even a Florida black bear. I started on an afternoon boat tour in the park to see more alligators and wildlife, but a thunderstorm cut the tour short, and we returned to the main visitor center area in the rain. The storm also canceled the railroad tour I'd hoped to take after the boat tour, so to fill out the rest of the afternoon, I took in a nature presentation at the nature center. It's probably wise to give a weather warning to anyone visiting the swamp in the summer -- afternoon thunderstorms are common in the southeastern United States, and may affect boat tours. 

My main concern when I'd heard that Okefenokee was considering a World Heritage Site bid is that the Everglades is so close, and contains similar wildlife. That said, after my visit to Okefenokee, I think I can see a case for why it deserves a separate inscription, since it epitomizes a southeastern swamp, and serves as a source for a watershed, rather than the end of a watershed such as the Everglades. Like the Everglades, Okefenokee has well-run and well-maintained boat tours and trails which offer abundant opportunities to see a variety of flora and fauna, including the ever-popular alligators. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Okefenokee, and, like the Everglades, this is a place I'd be happy to visit again -- especially since I have yet to visit the west side through Stephen C. Foster State Park.

Logistics: Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge requires private transportation to access the park; the closest major city in the United States is Jacksonville, Florida, approximately 1.5 hours to the southeast.

Nan

Germany - 17-Oct-14 -

I went with my family in '95 at the end of my high school year in Georgia. This was a marvelous experience and we still talk about it today, almost 20 years later.

Okefenokee is a huge swamp off the beaten track. As such the park rangers take a live and let die approach to visitors. You can rent canoes and off you go.

Quite quickly you are alone in your canoe. If you discount the alligators, snakes and other reptiles that is. Expect small alligators to peak out of the water right next to your canoe. The land is crowded with snakes ...

This would be a great addition to the list. And it makes for a great day in any case.