Okefenokee Options

Of all the wonderful natural places within driving distance of my home, why do I find myself making repeated five-hour … More

A Drive Down Swamp Island Drive

From our home in Athens, Georgia, the drive to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is about five hours. Even if … More

Swallowed at One Gulp

An excerpt from E. A. McIlhenny’s 1935 book, ​The Alligator’s Life History: “​When an alligator catches food that is too large … More

Okefenokee Swamp Launch Day!

An excerpt from my March 2022 Okefenokee Journal… Obtaining permits to paddle the interior of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge … More

Okefenokee Pastimes Camper Cabin

The trails, wildlife drive and guided boat tours at the Suwannee Canal entrance (on the eastern side) of the Okefenokee … More

Amazing Alligator Design: The Eyes

While we are inspired by an alligator basking in full glory on the bank of a canal or atop a … More

The ‘gator had the boy by the head

An old Okefenokee Swamper story as told by Owen Smith in the journals of naturalist Francis Harper, 1929: “Henry Bennett … More

Okefenokee Pine and Palmetto Uplands

Not all of the Okefenokee is swamped with water. There are some sandy islands within the refuge and plenty of … More

Okefenokee’s Double-crested Cormorant

The Double-crested Cormorant is a strange looking bird. Cornell’s website http://www.allaboutbirds.org states, “They look like a combination of a goose … More

Bellowing like a Bull

Excerpt from the 1926 History of the Okefenokee Swamp by AS McQueen and Hamp Mizell: “The alligators, especially at mating season, keep … More