As owners and operators of Okefenokee Adventures, Chip and Joy have made a career sharing their passion for the swamp and guiding others to the discovery of this extraordinary landmark.Consider the 10,000 to 12,000 alligators that call the Okefenokee home. It truly is their home, and the Campbells’ great respect for the swamp’s native species shows through in the design of all of their many tours offered to the public.
One of the most popular—the 90-minute guided interpretive swamp tour—begins on the Suwannee Canal and takes guests deep into the swamp. Along the way, alligators, turtles, great blue herons, egrets, ibis and sandhill cranes conduct daily life against a stunning backdrop of fragrant cypress and dark tannic swamp waters. Occasionally, a bear, bobcat, or deer is spotted out in the prairie or along the banks of the canal.
Romance seekers and those with a penchant for drama are drawn to the sunset/moonlight/full moon tours which cover the same area as the 90-minute tour, but allow guests to see the swamp in a totally different light. The tour begins about an hour before sunset so that guests can watch the sun drop over the horizon of the prairie. Awash with the hush of the evening, guests are often spellbound on the return trip as they gaze in wonder at the millions of stars and gasp when guides shine alligator eyes with flashlights.
Okefenokee Adventures offers extended excursions as well—the perfect tours for birders, photographers, naturalists and others who want a more in-depth swamp excursion. The extended excursions are done by quiet motorboats, canoes, or kayaks and last from four to five hours.
For those looking for real adventure and have the time, Okefenokee Adventures’ overnight excursions are a great option. These are guided tours that take guests deep into the heart of the swamp where they sleep on covered wooden platforms elevated enough to avoid unwelcome contact with gators. Land-based sites are available for campers as well.
You can design your own tour of the Okefenokee by renting a boat, canoe or kayak and following the water trails that are detailed in guide maps. Or you can take a land tour combining driving, walking and biking. (Rental bikes are available.)
No matter how you see the great Okefenokee, here is what’s not to be missed: An orientation at the Visitor Center that features an award-winning film showcasing the swamp through emotionally stirring vistas that will take your breath away. A stopover at the Chesser Island Homestead where visitors can re-live everyday life as it was in the pioneering 20s. And the 50-foot observation tower overlooking Chesser Prairie that gives visitors a panoramic view of the swamp, the wildlife, and the multitude of plant life native to the wetlands area. No matter what time of the year one chooses to venture through the Great Okefenokee, there are a bounty of wondrous creatures to be seen and heard.
In January, wood ducks and sandhill cranes make a grand showing. Ospreys begin nesting there in February, and aerial courtship displays of red-tailed hawks can often be seen during that month as well. In March, alligators in numbers begin their seasonal sunning on the banks of the water trails. Crane chicks and osprey hatch in April. Endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers become active around their nesting colonies in May. June is the month when white water lilies bloom and great frog choruses begin to be heard. Deer make themselves visible in the early mornings of July. And August is when the alligator nests start to hatch, and the young alligators can be heard “clucking” to their mothers. Fall migration begins in September with flocks of birds moving through the area. Black bears get active in October. Cranes arrive with the cool weather of November. And December is a great month to see otters swimming in the lakes and boat trails.
The Okefenokee Swamp covers 438,000 acres, roughly 38 miles long by 25 miles wide. It is estimated that the swamp is between 6,000 and 8,000 years old and was once part of the ocean floor. Nearly 5,000 years after Native Americans settled in the Okefenokee and gave it
its name which means “land that trembles when you walk on it,” Chip and Joy Campbell and their guides continue to carry on the tradition of exploration. And people return again and again to experience the mystical magic of one of the world’s most amazing wetlands.
For more information, call
1-866-The Swamp, or visit
www.okefenokeeadventures.com |
