okefenokee national wildlife refuge

This would be a great place to come with your canoe. If you don't have a boat at least do the drive and walk the boardwalk out to the observation tower. The swamp is a very serene place. Watch for the small wildlife - dragon flies, lizards, water snakes, birds.

I love visiting the Okefenokee Swamp. A course you see water, but you can see alligators and other reptiles. The land area is also nice. If you are looking for a great place to sight see around Folkston, how about visiting the Okefenokee Swamp, I'm pretty sure you will enjoy it.

we loved seeing the alligators, the nature center is lovely, the ranger was very kind, the movie about the swamp is quality, the driving loop is pleasant. the old homestead is really amazing; it was so silent out there it almost hurt our ears.

If you want to see & enjoy the great outdoors as it was & is then Okefenokee is the place to visit. So much to see & do. Many walking areas, included boardwalks. Boat trip a must. Observation tower. Visit settlement. Start out @ visitor center. Rangers, volunteers etc most helpful. Great bunch of people.

We camped for four days over Thanksgiving weekend and enjoyed every minute of this beautiful remote retreat. The campground is clean and peaceful and the pull through sites are perfect for maneuvering the RV even late at night. However the real gem is the swamp and all the wildlife. Highly recommend taking the boat tour just for neat little tidbits of information especially if you have children. But you cannot visit here without renting a boat and taking to the swamp on your own. You will feel like you have stepped back in time to when the land was first being explored. Be sure to check out Billy's Island and of course make a game with your family to see who can find the most gators.

Even though the alligators and other large critters were hiding because of the cool weather, I still find the Okefenokee a magical and special place. The weather prevented any thoughts of hiking and so I just followed the Swamp Island Drive all the way to Chesser Island homestead, the boardwalk and the Observatory Tower. Magnificent oak trees draped with Spanish moss covered the homestead while insect eating plants, shrubs, vines, swamp plants like hibiscus, iris and orchids lined both sides of the boardwalk. My perfect day was capped off when I spotted a raccoon hiding among the swamp plants and migratory birds flying over the swamp breaking the silence with their high pitch calls.

Great boardwalk, $5 entry. Spend a few days and go on the concession's (Okefenokee Adventures) tours. Bring binos if you like birds! The interpretive center is OK. They have a great ranger program for kids.

Traveled there while in area for two days did the East and west side. Heard North gate was a tourist trap. Great boat tours and we got to see alligators!

It was too windy and cold to kayak marshes at Brunswick so we headed over to the Okefenoke NWR. Poor weather, as well as the off-season Sunday afternoon time, played a part in limiting visitors. We benefitted in getting our guide's exclusive attention. Colorful stories, great insights into natural and historic aspects of the Okefenokee, and great advice encouraging future visits were our experience. The staff at the visitor center were also very friendly and indulgent.

My husband and I recently visited the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. It was a fascinating place. We chose not to take the pontoon boot ride...but, will rent a kayak and tour the swamp the next time we visit. We would have loved to have done that on this visit, but were not dressed appropriately. We did enjoy the visitor center and the movie. We drove the Swamp Drive and stopped at Chesser Homestead. It was most interesting to see how the family lived there. We also walked the trail there too and saw different wildlife. We then walked the board walk to the observation tower. This a new boardwalk which was opened last year after the devastating fire that destroyed the previous one and many trees in that area. We just missed a bobcat that walked in front of visitors that were walking a little behind us. We also saw huge alligators sunning themselves along the side of swamp drive. We certainly plan to visit the refuge agin next year and hopefully kayak the inlets of the swamp.

While visiting relatives in northern Florida we decided to visit Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge in Folkston, Georgia. The only swamps my wife and I had ever seen before was in books, movies or television. We arrived in the early morning before the tours began. The area was covered in a low layer of fog only bringing to life what a swamp looks like in a bad dream - that is "spooky". While waiting for the tours to begin at 10:00 am we went inside the visitor center. There was a wide range of information and exhibits inside to prepare the visitor for the tour. Food and beverages was also available inside the visitor center. After paying our admission of $20.00 per person we boarded our small boat with guide at 10:00 am. Our four family members along with about ten other passengers headed out along the swamp. The fog began to lift as we started our trip allowing us to view a spectacular array of flora and fauna, birds and even several large alligators. Our guide brought us within six feet of one eight foot alligator that was in the water along the shoreline. The "gator" was huge and disinterested in our boat. Our knowledgeable guide mentioned that he was a 5th generation swamp historian. He provided us with a lot of history for the entire area. The entire boat experience lasted a little under two hours. It was well worth the money. This tour would be great for school age children. We also saw a lot of people renting their own boats at the visitor center to conduct their own water tours of the area. Although not "pushy" the guides on the tours expect "tips" for the experience and narration. After our swamp tour we stayed in the general area which offers many more attractions such as the Chesser Island Homestead. There is no fee. Visiting the homestead makes you really appreciate how good we live today compared to these rugged individuals. Life was hard and families close. We also walked along beautiful wooden walkways through the swamp areas. Lastly, be sure to bring a camera.

Rented an aluminum boat with motor, motor ran great, plenty of gas and lots of fun exploring the many inlets within the swamp. Don't forget to bring your camera, plenty of great pictures around every bend.

We went back to the Okefenokee Swamp today, after using another entrance yesterday. We decided to take a boat out with an outboards motor on it. It was really worth the $56 for 4 hours to take the boat out. It was a beautiful sunny day and the swamp was just wonderful. We saw so much wildlife just going down into the swamp very slowly. Of course there were quite a few alligators as well which was a bonus plus turtles and many birds. The reflections in the water were just magical. I just love it here. Shame I live in England otherwise I would be back time and time again.

We stayed at the state park and love it. The boat tour is great. The state park is only one hour from I75. We stay in the park in a RV.

The refuge is much better than the state park. The price of the sunset boat tour was good for what the tour offered. The refuge gave us good directions when we got lost getting there.