Where: Folkston, Fargo, and Waycross, Georgia—the three entrances to the refuge
When: year-round
If you like: conservation, sports and the outdoors
Why you should go: The word Okefenokee is thought to have originated from the Miccosukee-Seminole term for “trembling earth,” and indeed, as you paddle or putt through the Okefenokee Swamp, the largest blackwater wetland ecosystem on the continent, which floats on the border of Georgia and Florida, the ferns and lilies over the tea-colored water and even the soft, peaty islands themselves quiver around you. In this preserved paradise, 350 species of reptiles (alligators and indigo snakes), birds (great blue herons and red-cockaded woodpeckers), and mammals (black bears and Seminole bats) live among the pines and cypresses. Amazingly, there are no invasive species here. “It’s the closest experience you’ll get to what earth was like before humans touched it,” says Faythe Hall, a director at the nonprofit Okefenokee Swamp Park & Adventures, through which visitors can take guided tours or rent kayaks, canoes, camping gear, and johnboats to explore the swamp.
But outside forces are threatening: A proposed titanium dioxide mine on the southeastern edge of the refuge imperils the wetland’s sanctity. Conservation organizations, legislators, and locals are working hard to stop it, with measures that include a potential boundary expansion and a push to become Georgia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. “We’re at a critical moment in time,” Hall says, urging those who wish to help to call their Georgia legislators or donate to organizations working to protect the swamp, like the Georgia River Network and the Georgia Conservancy. “If we don’t take steps forward as a community to preserve and protect the swamp, we’re in danger of losing it—and people’s voices are the strongest tools we have.”
G&G tip: The Okefenokee is a certified Dark Sky Park, and half of its animal residents flourish at night. Experience it with Okefenokee Adventures’ overnight tours, which range from one to four nights and include gear, food, and a naturalist to guide the trip.
