If you’re planning a canoe or kayak trip, be sure to take necessary safety precautions. Okefenokee Swamp. The Okefenokee Protection Alliance, a coalition of environmental and other organizations, is fighting to stop the threats to the Okefenokee Swamp and protect one of the world's healthiest large-scale freshwater ecosystems. It’s the largest swamp in Georgia, home to more than 600 plant species and endangered animals like the wood stork and red-cockaded woodpecker. That’s probably how the Okefenokee got its name: from Native American Indian term for “land of trembling earth.”. The two rivers ultimately drain into the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, respectively. What: the Okefenokee Swamp is the oldest and the best preserved freshwater system in America. The Okefenokee area was a relic estuary formed eons in the past, and started as part of the Atlantic Ocean. The Okefenokee area was a relic estuary formed eons in the past, and started as part of the Atlantic Ocean. The dominant habitat of the swamp is called prairie. The name “Okefenokee” stems from Native American language meaning "Land of the Trembling Earth.” Most of the swamp is protected by the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the Okefenokee Wilderness. The Du Pont Company owned 16,000 acres of land in the Okefenokee and had plans to mine titanium in 1997 but, due to government and locals' opposition, abandoned the project. What were lush areas of vegetation became open prairies. Its banks are green with vines, shrubs, trees, and Spanish moss. Today, all that remains of human development is the canal, perhaps the most beautiful drainage ditch in the world. The Okefenokee shelters more than 30 kinds of fish, 200 types of birds, dozens of different amphibians and reptiles, and 600 to 800 black bear. Venturing into any swamp or marshland requires a degree of caution. If you are unaccustomed to wilderness trips, find an experienced guide who can safely lead your party. This swamp is the national wildlife refugee that is home to over 100 types of plants and animals. Sometimes the peat floats to the surface creating domes and little islands that are unstable, squishy to walk on. Fish & Wildlife Service: Okefenokee: Plan Your Visit, 159 Reasons: Baker County: Chickasawhatchee Swamp, Georgia: Chickasawhatchee Wildlife Management Area, University of Georgia: Salt Marsh Ecology, National Park Service: Cumberland Island National Seashore Habitats, National Park Service: Cumberland Island National Seashore: Things To Do, Bartelby.com: The Marshes of Glynn: Sidney Lanier, Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International, Good Places to Look for Arrowheads in Georgia, Privacy Notice/Your California Privacy Rights. The Wilderness Act, signed by President Lyndon Johnson 50 years ago, protects the Okefenokee from humans; but not from nature. But that’s not because of suspended mud or particles; the water is stained by the tannic acids leaching from the organic material in the swamp. The Causes And Effects Of Melting Glaciers. The hundred-or-so miles that make up Georgia’s coastline are home to ½ million acres of salt marshes, which span an area 4 to 8 miles wide between the mainland and the barrier islands off the Gulf Coast. The Okefenokee has about 700 square miles of wilderness situated in southeastern Georgia. A strong case could be made for the Okefenokee Swamp as the best bird-watching area in the Eastern United States. It’s also a crucial nesting ground for migratory birds like the wood thrush and prothonotary warbler. Trees are sprouting new branches and leaves. The area provides outdoor recreation and tours by kayak, canoe, and motorboat. Red shouldered hawks are the most common avian raptor in the Okefenokee. Managed by the U.S. National Park Service, this national seashore protects Georgia’s largest barrier island, along with 9,341 acres of salt marsh. The Okeefenokee is a blackwater swamp, the largest in North America, and the water really looks black. There are frequent fires in the swamp, started by lightning. The Okefenokee is considered today as one of America's most valuable wildlife refuges, home to around 440 types of mammals, fish, amphibians, and birds. Wilderness Awaits in the Okefenokee Swamp, How Past Contested Elections Have Changed American Democracy, Biden Confident of Impending Election Victory as Pennsylvania Lead Tops 20,000 Votes, Trump Chief of Staff Meadows Diagnosed With COVID-19, Pressure on Police as Presidential Vote Counting Nears an End. The Okefenokee Swamp is located in southeastern Georgia, and is the second largest freshwater swamp in the entire United States. Cypress trees sway in the breeze. What Is Biodiversity And Why Is It Important? It is filled with shallow "black water." Fish and Wildlife Service. Georgia’s second-largest swamp is the Chickasawhatchee, a sprawling wetland complex covering more than 30,000 acres along the Flint River Basin, just outside of Albany. When the Native American were here Okefenokee meaning “land of the trembling earth”. The state park includes boat rentals, water trails, fishing access, guided boat tours, interpretive programs, rental cabins and campsites for tents and RVs. Fire swept through the swamp, and when it finally died out, a year later, it had burned 85 percent of the Okeefenokee. Carnivorous plants also thrive in the swampy areas, such as Sarracenia minor var. It also has wading birds like bitterns, egrets, ibises, cranes, and herons. Leaf Group is a USA TODAY content partner providing general travel information. That proximity led to an ill-conceived plan at the beginning of the 20th century to drain the 180-thousand hectare wilderness and reclaim it as farmland. Swamps and marshes are some of the most crucial ecosystems in Georgia, providing a refuge for countless plant and animal species, and for those who venture into them, endless opportunities for outdoor recreation. Tourists come from China, Mexico, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. There’s something about a swamp that is simultaneously repelling and mesmerizing – all nature’s beauty and all its danger reflected in the dark water. If you dip some out in a glass, it looks like tea. The Okefenokee is the largest blackwater swamp in North America, comprised of about 440,000 acres, and is considered one of the world’s largest intact freshwater ecosystems. The Okefenokee Swamp: Located in the outer Coastal Plain region and southeastern Georgia, the Okefenokee Swamp is the second largest freshwater swamp in the entire United States. When it is dry, fire spreads. The Okefenokee was sold to a timber company, and for thirty years, until the 1930s, millions of cypress trees were cut down and hauled out of the swamp. As a result, Du Pont donated the land it owned to The Conservation Fund in 2003. They sun themselves along the banks of the canal, or hide, just below the water surface so only the tops of their heads can be seen. Spanning more than 400,000 acres across the Florida/Georgia border, the Okefenokee Swamp is one of the world’s largest intact freshwater ecosystems. The prairies have sandy bottoms covered by peat, a natural composting of the swamp’s organic material, like leaves and grass. Yellow flowers, called biddens, are coming out and shrubs and wild vines are starting to sprout. Reptiles can also be seen such as alligators, snakes, frigs, turtles, and toads. It's filled with shallow black water, stained by the tannic acid of the decaying vegetation. It is located on the outer Coastal Plain near way cross and folkstone. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions © 2020 worldatlas.com, Freshwater Swamp Forests – Forest Types Around the World, Peat Swamp Forests – Forest Types Around the World, Unique Species Of Africa: The Allen's Swamp Monkey. The annual number of visitors has reached 400,000 in recent years. A heron hunts along the shoreline. Its forests have bald cypress, swamp tupelo, evergreen oaks, and long leaf pine. Salt marshes can be seen along vast stretches of the Georgia coast, but one of the best places to see them is Cumberland Island National Seashore. Numerous songbirds and several species of woodpeckers also live in the swamp trees. Tourism has been a way of life for the Swampers since the area was turned into a national wildlife refuge. Developers dug a 19-kilometer long canal, right into the center of the swamp, called the Suwanee Canal. Fish & Wildlife Service: Okefenokee: About the Refuge, U.S. But, now, after the devastation comes rejuvenation. By Rolando Y. Wee on April 25 2017 in Environment. Stephen C. Foster State Park is within Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, and it’s managed jointly by the Georgia DNR and the U.S. When it is very dry, fire spreads underground, burning down along tree roots. When they find an alligator nest, they will dig it up and eat every egg in it. The Wildlife Management Area is also open to hunting, so use caution if you visit during one of Georgia’s hunting seasons. OKEFENOKEE SWAMP, GEORGIA - When you look at it on a map, the Okefenokee Swamp seems too close to the Atlantic Ocean’s white sandy beaches and Florida’s golf courses and theme parks to be a wilderness area. The Okefenokee Swamp is a 438,000-acre, shallow, peat-filled, freshwater wetland straddling the Georgia-Florida state line. Many areas in Okefenokee Swamp, Chickasawhatchee Swamp and the marshes along Cumberland Island are developed, with hiking trails, boardwalks, and well-maintained boat launches and fishing access sites that make them relatively safe, but deeper areas within these swamps are still very wild.
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