Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

Technically, the entire 402,000-acre Okefenokee Swamp is protected as the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and has been since 1937. What I’ll discuss in this post is the main entrance to the refuge near Folkston, Georgia. Officially, it’s called the Suwanee Canal Recreation Area.

If you only have time to visit one entrance to the Okefenokee Swamp, it should be this one. There is a stand of older cypress trees seen from the boat tour here, plus a pretty drive and authentic homestead. I REALLY enjoyed taking the boat tours at all three entrances, but if you have to pick just one, it’s this one.

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

From the Folkston entrance, you can take a 90-minute boat tour, drive on Swamp Island Drive, visit Chesser Island Homestead, walk a boardwalk to an observation tower, tour the visitor center, and eat lunch at a cafe in the gift shop. There are also some short hikes, and you can outfit for a more extended trip through the swamp from here, though you need to get a permit first.

Okefenokee Adventures Boat Tours

Since you’re here to visit the Okefenokee Swamp, I most recommend the boat tour. Any time you can take a boat into the swamp, take it! The outfit that runs the boat tours at Okefenokee Swamp Park, Okefenokee Adventures, also operates the boats out of the Suwanee Canal.

The Suwanee Canal

Unlike the natural, narrow lanes of the swamp near Waycross, the Suwanee Canal is a broad, straight man-made canal. There was a sawmill here before it was protected, and even an effort to drain the swamp, only the swamp didn’t cooperate. Instead, they floated cypress tree logs down this canal to the mill.

These days, boat tours launch from the end of the canal, and 90-minute guided tours navigate it towards deeper parts of the swamp. Along the way, your guide will point out birds and plant life and talk about the history of the swamp and the canal. The best sight along this stretch is a section of tall, pristine cypress trees that were spared from the 2007 (I think) wildfire. A pocket rainstorm protected this one stretch, and you get a taste of what the Okefenokee Swamp must have looked like before that fire devastated the swamp.

Chesser Pairie

After a while, you turn left off the canal toward the Chesser Prairie. (In a swamp, a “prairie” looks like a wide, shallow lake.) We saw several birds out in these open spaces, learned about bladderwort plants, and saw carnivorous pitcher plants in the wild.

And that’s not to mention the main draw, the alligators! We saw several gators sunning on sections of peat that had floated to the surface. I guess there’s no guarantee you’ll see an alligator on every tour, but the guides seem to know where they like to hang out.

Taking a boat tour

Tours are offered every hour on the half-hour. Opening hours vary by season; make sure to check before you go. Right now, they’re open 7:30 am-4:30 pm.

Tours cost $28 for adults 12 and up, $17 for kids 4-11, and free for under 4’s. And the boats here have canopies and seats with backs and an aisle up the middle. They’re very stable. On my tour, a family of four were the only other passengers, and by the end, we all felt very comfortable getting up and walking around for better views.

There’s a sunset tour option for $40 for adults and $30 for kids, though it’s not available during the summer due to biting flies. Okefenokee Adventures also provides guides & gear for extended excursions and even overnight trips. Book all boat tours here.

Swamp Island Drive

Aside from the boat tours, visitors can drive, bike, or walk along Swamp Island Drive, a 7.2-mile loop out to Chesser Homestead, and a boardwalk. Make sure to pick up the brochure at the first numbered spot (or perhaps in the visitor center.) Then at each number, you can read some additional facts about the area. Two short walking trails branch off the drive.

Keep in mind that the entrance to Swamp Island Drive closes before the rest of the refuge. The general rule seems to be 30 minutes before closing time, but right now, “due to some vandalism,” it closes at 3:30 pm, a full hour before the rest.

Chesser Island Homestead

At the furthest point of Swamp Island Drive is Chesser Island Homestead. This restored cabin belonged to a family who lived in the swamp in the ’20s-’30s. You can walk around the cabin anytime or tour the inside on weekends. Volunteers offer tours at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

There are a few short trails in this area. You can walk around the homestead loop, walk out to Ridleys Island, or walk to the boardwalk from here. Each trail is under a mile. In fact, all the trails in this area together would be just over 1.3 miles. Add in the boardwalk for another 1.5 miles. And since I’ve got out the calculator, all the trails in the entire park would be a little less than five miles total.

There are small bathrooms in the homestead and the boardwalk parking areas.

Boardwalk and Observation Tower

The last stop on Swamp Island Drive is the Chesser Island Boardwalk, a .75-mile walk out to the Owl’s Roost Tower for a view of the swamp prairie. There is a beautiful stand of Cypress trees at the entrance and more trees around the tower, but for the most part, it’s full in the sun, so make sure to wear sunscreen and/or a hat. There are three covered shelters along the way to rest.

The view is a lot of grassland and wildflowers, and you can see evidence of more recent fires. During my visit, I encountered a fat raccoon!

The tower is 40 feet tall and has beautiful views in all directions.

Visitor Center

Back near the entrance to the canal is the Richard S. Bolt Visitor Center. I actually didn’t go in here – I think I was under the impression that it was closed during my visit. I’m assuming it’s primarily a natural history exhibit.

Another building houses large bathrooms, an education room, and a gift shop with a cafe and snacks inside. Everyone who works here is very friendly! This is where you’d purchase your boat tour tickets if you didn’t get them online beforehand.

There’s one more small trail next to the canal, near the boat ramp. It sounds like this one is paved (the description says “fully accessible”) with benches and fishing platforms.

Admission

To enter the refuge costs $5 per private car and is good for seven days. You could also purchase an annual pass for $15. These costs are in addition to the boat tour prices.