Georgia / Charlton County / Okefenokee Wilderness / Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Overnight Camping Permit

Open — Currently open for reservations accepted one month in advance. Dry conditions and low water levels are impacting several water trails and paddle-in platforms. No through-trips are available; all overnight trips must enter and exit from the same location. Routes may change or be canceled depending on water levels. Campfire restrictions in effect at Canal Run, Mixons Hammock, Floyds Island, and Stephen C. Foster State Park until further notice; portable gas stoves allowed.

About

Located in southeast Georgia, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge protects one of the largest intact freshwater wetlands in the world. Established in 1937, the refuge now encompasses over 407,000 acres with 353,981 acres designated as National Wilderness Area. The wilderness camping permit system provides access to seven overnight camping platforms and two interior island campsites scattered throughout approximately 120 miles of color-coded water trails. This is true wilderness paddling where campers experience complete solitude, as the refuge issues only one permit per platform each night. The swamp serves as the headwaters for the Suwannee and St. Marys rivers and provides critical habitat for threatened and endangered species including red-cockaded woodpeckers, wood storks, and eastern indigo snakes. An estimated 15,000 American alligators inhabit the swamp, and paddlers regularly encounter sandhill cranes, swallow-tailed kites, and barred owls. Paddlers should be prepared for challenging conditions. The trails pass through vast prairies, cypress forests, and narrow channels where paddling can be slow and strenuous. During low water periods, boaters may need to exit their canoe to push across peat blowups or shallow sections. Some routes enter one part of the refuge and exit at another, requiring shuttle arrangements. Itineraries can be complex and multi-day trips may traverse several different color-coded trail systems. Trail markers designate both color and mile markers to help with navigation.

Directions

Main entrance at Suwannee Canal Recreation Area: From Folkston, GA, turn onto Main Street heading west through two stoplights and across railroad tracks. Turn left at third light onto Okefenokee Trail (GA 121/23 South). Drive approximately 7 miles, then turn right at large beige Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge sign. Follow road 4 miles to parking area with Richard S. Bolt Visitor Center on left and Okefenokee Adventures next to boat basin. From I-95 exit 3, take GA 40 West approximately 22 miles to Folkston, then follow directions above. Some overnight trips also launch from Stephen C. Foster State Park on the west side of the refuge.

Nearby Campgrounds