The Okefenokee National Park spreads across 685 square miles in the southeastern corner of Georgia and northern Florida. During the winter the temperature rise up to 70 degrees and the dry air holds insects, making the months a perfect time for a canoe trip. The place is very special, due to its old and best preserved freshwater systems in America.

One lifetime is not enough to explore the Okefenokee park. There is so much to do and with almost 402,000 acres (that’s roughly 300,000 football fields in size) of cypress forest, marsh, lakes and islands. Filled with alligators, Sandhill cranes, red-cockaded woodpeckers and over 400 other species of animals, it is a wonderful place to learn about the wildlife of Georgia and Florida.

A flock of birds takes flight. The vast variety of lush greenery make up different habitats from dry upland forests to open wetlands. Golden sunsets and thundering storms gives one to experience this magical place at its most beautiful and most inspiring.

There are a lot of ways to explore the Okefenokee Swamp. Some boat tours taking tourists through cypress forests, historic canals and open prairies. Water trails and platforms allow people to canoe for the day or stay overnight deep within the 354,000 acre wilderness.

Rolling boardwalks and trails head through extraordinary habitats, to observation towers and viewing platforms. There are huge opportunities for nature and macro photography, hunting and fishing are readily available. Some can even drive a car or ride a bike to a restored homestead to discover how “swampers” once made their home here.

One of the very interesting features in this magical national park is the seven overnight campsites in the Okefenokee, including the campsite at Coffee Bay. Most of them are 600-square-foot wooden platforms, some suspended above the water.

Photography by: Stephen Morton