Okefenokee Swamp
A peat bog the size of a small county in southern Georgia, whose floating islands shake underfoot and give it its name.
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Okefenokee covers around 1,770 square kilometres of peat bog behind an ancient shoreline ridge, and the name is generally traced to a Hitchiti term meaning trembling earth - peat mats build up until they float, plants root in them, and the resulting islands genuinely move underfoot. The water is blackwater, stained by tannins to the colour of strong tea and reflective enough that the cypress mirror in it. There are around ten to thirteen thousand alligators. Canoe trails run into the interior with platform campsites requiring permits, and the interior is otherwise unreachable. The refuge has extremely dark skies. A proposed titanium mine near the eastern edge has been a long-running conservation fight.
What you actually see
- Floating peat islands - which shake when walked on.
- Blackwater stained by tannin - reflective as a mirror.
- Ten thousand alligators or more - across the refuge.
- Canoe trails to platform camps - the only way into the interior.
When to go
October to April; summer heat and insects are severe. A full day or overnight.
Honest expectations
Interior trips need permits booked well ahead and are self-supported. Summer mosquitoes and heat are punishing. Drought lowers water and closes canoe trails; fire has closed the refuge in dry years. Alligators are numerous and real.
Nearby
Folkston is east; the Suwannee River leaves the swamp to the west.
What to pack for Okefenokee Swamp
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
