The Okefenokee Paddler's Guide

What You're Paddling Into

407,000 acres

of swamp, prairie and pine uplands, most of it federal Wilderness since 1974.

1937

the year the swamp was set apart as a refuge for migratory birds and other wildlife.

July 25, 2026

inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List: Georgia's first World Heritage Site, and the first U.S. national wildlife refuge on the list.

Rain-fed

the largest lowland peatland in the world's subtropics, fed mainly by rain rather than rivers.

2 rivers

born here: the Suwannee leaves by the southwest toward the Gulf, the St. Marys by the southeast toward the Atlantic.

238 birds, 856 plants

and 18 carnivorous plants, including the hooded pitcher plant variety found only here.

The Swamp's Story

Chesser Island Homestead, the Suwannee Canal near Canal Run, swamp cypress. Photos: Chris M Morris (CC BY 2.0), USFWS.

Trembling earth. The name comes from the Muskogean words for shaking water in a low place. Mats of peat rise from the bottom and float; grasses, then shrubs and trees take root on them, and the trees in time anchor them. To the Creek Nation, whose ancestors rest here, it was and remains a most blissful spot on Earth.

Floyds Island. A Seminole town of fourteen or fifteen houses stood on Floyds Island as late as 1838, under oaks and laurels, until the wars of removal drove the people south into Florida.

The Chessers. In 1858 the Chesser family settled 25 acres of high ground inside the swamp, and it became Chesser Island. Their descendants lived there for a full century, the last swamper family out. Their restored homestead still stands.

The canal. In 1891 the Suwannee Canal Company bought 238,000 acres from the State of Georgia to drain the swamp for rice, sugar cane and cotton. Captain Henry Jackson's crews spent five years cutting eleven and a half miles of canal with steam dredges. The company went broke. The canal it left behind is the Orange Trail you paddle today.

The logging. From 1909 to 1927 the Hebard Cypress Company ran logging railroads on pilings deep into the swamp, and more than a million cubic meters of timber went out on the rails, much of it centuries-old cypress. A logging community of six hundred people lived on Billys Island. The pilings have rotted away; the old lines are now only faint traces.

The refuge. In 1936 the federal government bought the swamp from the lumber company. On March 30, 1937, Executive Order 7593 set it apart as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. Congress made most of it federal Wilderness in 1974.

The gators came back. Hide hunting nearly wiped out the alligator across most of its range; in Florida and Louisiana alone numbers fell 80 percent between 1880 and 1904. The swamp's remote, roadless interior was one of the places they held on. Federal protection under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, with closed hunting seasons, choked off the hide trade, and the World Heritage nomination now puts the refuge's count at 10,000 to 12,000 (the refuge website says about 15,000).

Fire and water. The swamp keeps a ledger of its droughts: 1844, 1856, 1860, 1902, 1909, 1932, 1943, 1954. Many of the lakes you cross today are credited to the great fire of 1844, which burned deep into the peat. The oldest peat under your boat is 7,000 to 7,500 years old, a record of every fire and every wet and dry century.

The world said yes. First proposed for World Heritage in 1982, the Okefenokee was inscribed on July 25, 2026, at the World Heritage Committee meeting in Busan, South Korea: Georgia's first World Heritage Site and the first U.S. national wildlife refuge on the World Heritage List.

History checked against the UNESCO World Heritage nomination dossier. The full story is in our companion book, The Okefenokee: Why the World Chose This Swamp.

Permits, Fees & Rules

How to get an overnight permit

• Call the Permit Reservation Line, 912-496-3331, Tuesday to Thursday, 7 to 10 a.m. Eastern, excluding federal holidays. No walk-ins.
• Normally you can reserve up to two months ahead. Make a Recreation.gov profile before you call; the refuge books and charges through it.
• Fees: a $10 non-refundable reservation fee plus $15 per person per night. Credit cards only. The permit covers the refuge entrance fee. No America the Beautiful discount.
• Cancel 14 or more days out and use fees come back, minus one person-night. 13 days or less, nothing comes back. If the refuge closes a trail or site, you get a full refund.
• Print your own permit and parking placard, up to 7 days before. Once printed, no changes.

The rules on the water

• Peak season, March 1 to April 30: 2 nights at most. Otherwise 1 to 4 nights.
• Canoes and kayaks only on overnight trips. No motors of any kind, gas or electric.
• Every boat carries a copy of the permit. Sign in and out at the launch (every launch but the Sill).
• Launch by 10 a.m. (by noon for Cedar Hammock, Mixons Hammock and Coffee Bay; the refuge lists Minnies Lake at noon, Recreation.gov at 10 a.m.). Be at your site between sunset and sunrise. Leave by 10 a.m.
• One group per site. 20 people per group, at most.
• Stay on the marked trail and go as directly as you can to the site on your permit.
• Fires only at Canal Run, Mixons Hammock and Floyds Island, and only in the ring. Use fallen wood or firewood bought on site. The refuge also allows certified heat-treated firewood, but the Canal Run and Mixons Hammock permit pages say no outside firewood. Fire bans happen in drought.
• No pets, no swimming. Children under 13 wear a PFD at all times; everyone carries one.
• Nothing collected, nothing fed, nothing harassed. Pack out every scrap.

What to Carry, and When to Go

You must carry

• PFD for each person
• Compass and a map of the refuge and trails
• Flashlight
• Stove and fuel if you cook
• Drinking water: the refuge recommends one gallon per person per day. Drinking or filtering swamp water is not recommended.
• Insect repellent or netting
• Trash bags
• Toilet paper

You should carry

• Extra lights and batteries
• Portable toilet with bags
• Rope for pulling the canoe
• First aid kit and rain gear
• Free-standing tent or hammock, and cord to tie it down
• Duct tape, spare paddle, bailer
• Dry bags
• Sun protection: hat, long sleeves, pants

Seasons

Winter: bare cypress and open views. Spring: March and April are peak season; book early, and peak season allows 2 nights at most. Summer: heat, afternoon thunderstorms and biting flies; start early.

Wildlife

Alligators are everywhere; estimates run from 10,000 to 12,000 (World Heritage nomination) to about 15,000 (refuge website). Stay calm, keep your line, give them room, never feed them, and keep your food and scraps out of the water. Black bears live here; keep a clean camp. Watch for herons, egrets, ibis, wood storks, barred owls and sandhill cranes. The refuge holds 18 carnivorous plants: pitcher plants, sundews, butterworts and bladderworts.

Stay safe

Cell service is spotty. Batteries die and phones go overboard; carry a compass and the refuge map and know how to use them. Thunderstorms build most summer afternoons: plan to be at your site early. Low water can close trails. Call before every trip, and turn back if the trail is not there.

Chapter · the entrances

Five Ways In

Where each door leads, what's there, and what to walk while you're at it.

Suwannee Canal Recreation Area Okefenokee State Park Kingfisher Landing Suwannee River Sill Okefenokee Swamp Park

Suwannee Canal Recreation Area

The refuge's main entrance and the paddler's front door: the Richard S. Bolt Visitor Center, Okefenokee Adventures (canoe, kayak and jon boat rentals and guided boat tours, 912-496-7156 ), the boat ramp onto the historic Suwannee Canal, and Swamp Island Drive with its trails and the Chesser Island Homestead.

Paddle from here

Yellow Trail to Cedar Hammock (3 mi), Orange Trail down the canal to Coffee Bay (6 mi) and Canal Run (10 mi), Pink Trail south to Buzzards Roost, Purple Trail to Round Top.

Fee

Refuge entrance pass: $5 per vehicle, good for 7 days; $15 for the year. Overnight permits include it.

Walks and drives here

Chesser Island Boardwalk to Owls Roost Tower, Canal Diggers Trail, Cane Pole Trail, Upland Discovery Trail, Chesser Island Homestead Trail, Deerstand Trail, Ridleys Island Boardwalk, Swamp Island Drive. Details in the Walks & Hikes chapter.

What’s here

• Visitor center Richard S. Bolt Visitor Center, with exhibits. 912-496-7836.
• Restrooms At the Suwannee Canal Recreation Area; a water refill station at the visitor center.
• Food Camp Cornelia Cafe at the Okefenokee Adventures concession, 912-496-7156.
• Boat ramp Ramp and boat basin onto the Suwannee Canal.
• Rentals Canoes, kayaks, jon boats and bikes from Okefenokee Adventures, 912-496-7156.
• Tours Guided boat tours and guided wilderness trips.
• Parking At the main entrance. Overnight paddlers need a wilderness permit and sign in and out.
• Accessibility Cane Pole Trail and Chesser Island Boardwalk are paved or planked; a wheelchair can be borrowed, first come, first served.
• Hours Gate opens 30 minutes before sunrise; closes 7:30 p.m. March to October, 5:30 p.m. November to February. Boats off by 6 p.m. (Mar-Oct) or 4 p.m. (Nov-Feb).

Okefenokee State Park

A Georgia state park inside the refuge, renamed Okefenokee State Park on September 1, 2026, and Georgia State Parks' only International Dark Sky Park: a boat basin and ramp, the trading post, boat tours and rentals, a boardwalk, 52 tent, trailer and RV sites, 9 cottages and a pioneer campground. It is the door to Billys Lake, Billys Island, Minnies Lake, Mixons Hammock and the Suwannee River Sill. Overnight paddlers leaving from the Sill park here. Park office 912-637-5274. The campground was rebuilt in 2025 and the boat basin in 2026.

Paddle from here

Brown Trail to Mixons Hammock (2 mi) and through the River Narrows toward the Sill (5 mi); Billys Lake and Billys Island (2 mi); Red Trail to Minnies Lake and Big Water (11 mi); Green Trail to Floyds Island (9 mi).

Fee

$5 refuge entrance fee plus the Georgia State Parks daily ParkPass.

Walks and drives here

Trembling Earth Trail, Jones Island Trail, Upland Pine Trail, Suwannee River Sill walk. Details in the Walks & Hikes chapter.

What’s here

• Trading post Park office and trading post. 912-637-5274.
• Boat ramp and dock Boat launch (10 HP limit) and a fishing dock.
• Rentals Canoes and kayaks for the day, first come, first served. Motorboats are not currently for rent.
• Tours Daily boat tours; reserve up to 7 days ahead.
• Camping 52 tent, trailer and RV sites with water and power, 9 cottages (10 more under construction) and a pioneer campground. Flush toilets and hot showers in both camping areas.
• Wi-Fi and cell Wi-Fi at the trading post reaches the parking lot.
• Hours Gates 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; locked at closing, no after-hours entry. Office 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Fees $5 refuge entrance fee plus the Georgia State Parks daily ParkPass.

Kingfisher Landing

The quietest door. A parking lot, a boat ramp, a portable restroom and a kiosk, and nobody on staff. Kings Canal, dug for peat mining before this was refuge, runs out to round open lakes: Durdin, Double Lakes, Bluff Lake. Hooded and trumpet pitcher plants, family groups of gators and good fishing. These are the most remote trails in the refuge.

Paddle from here

Green Trail to Bluff Lake (8 mi); Red Trail to Maul Hammock (12 mi).

Fee

No refuge entrance fee.

What’s here

• Restroom Portable restroom.
• Boat ramp Ramp for motor and paddle boats onto the Red and Green trails.
• Parking For day users and overnight permit holders headed to Maul Hammock or Bluff Lake.
• Staff and services None. No rentals, water, food or staff. Bring everything.
• Cell May be limited.
• Hours Sunrise to sunset.

Suwannee River Sill

The earthen dam at the head of the Suwannee. A launch for small boats, canoes and kayaks, fishing and wildlife watching. No sign-in and no permit to cross the Sill. The lot is day-use only; overnight parties park at Okefenokee State Park. Below the Sill the river runs about 17 miles to Fargo.

Paddle from here

Brown Trail up through the River Narrows toward Billys Lake; the Suwannee downstream to Fargo (see our Georgia Edition).

Fee

Refuge entrance pass rules apply. Ask the refuge, 912-496-7836.

Walks and drives here

Suwannee River Sill walk. Details in the Walks & Hikes chapter.

What’s here

• Boat ramps A launch for canoes, kayaks and small boats with motors of 10 HP or less, into the swamp and onto the upper Suwannee.
• Services No facilities listed.
• Parking Day use only. Overnight paddlers park at Okefenokee State Park.
• Hours Sunrise to sunset.

Okefenokee Swamp Park

The nonprofit park on the swamp's northern edge turns 80 in 2026. A boardwalk into the swamp, a 90-foot observation tower the park calls the tallest structure in the Okefenokee, the Camellia Garden Trail, Pioneer Island, guided boat tours, the train, a reptile encounter and exhibits.

Coming up 80th birthday celebration: Saturday, October 10, 2026.

Paddle from here

Guided boat tours from the park.

Fee

Park admission; see okeswamp.org.

Walks and drives here

Swamp Park boardwalk, 90-foot tower, Camellia Garden Trail, Pioneer Island. Details in the Walks & Hikes chapter.

What’s here

• Admission $25 adults, $24 children 4 to 11, free 3 and under. A 3-hour experience is $35 adults, $30 children. Parking is free.
• Tours 45-minute guided boat tour, the train, a reptile encounter, and a 3-hour experience.
• Food Snack Shack; the gift shop also sells snacks, ice cream and candy.
• Gift shop Gift shop and ticket office.
• Accessibility Pioneer Island may be hard going with limited mobility.
• Hours Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 912-283-0583.
• History Opened its doors in 1946.

Eight Trails, Leg by Leg

Yellow Trail

Easy · from Suwannee Canal Recreation Area · sites: Cedar Hammock

Runs north off the Suwannee Canal into Mizell Prairie: low plants, scrub-shrub and open views. With Mixons Hammock, one of the two easiest overnights in the refuge, and a good first trip for families.

• Suwannee Canal Rec Area → Cedar Hammock 3 mi

Orange Trail

Easy to moderate to Canal Run; difficult beyond · from Suwannee Canal Recreation Area or Okefenokee State Park · sites: Coffee Bay, Canal Run

Follows the historic Suwannee Canal, dug in the 1890s to drain the swamp. Past Canal Run the trail turns narrow and winding for five miles; in low water expect stumps, peat blowups and brush between Canal Run and Billys Island.

• Suwannee Canal Rec Area → Coffee Bay shelter 6 mi
• Suwannee Canal Rec Area → Canal Run 10 mi
• Canal Run → Billys Island 5 mi
• Billys Island → Okefenokee State Park 2 mi

Pink Trail

Moderate · from Suwannee Canal Recreation Area · sites: Buzzards Roost

Leaves the Suwannee Canal and heads south into Chesser Prairie, then Grand Prairie: some of the most iconic open prairie in the refuge, with gators, wading birds, water lilies and golden club.

• Suwannee Canal Rec Area → Buzzards Roost 8 mi

Purple Trail

Moderate · from Suwannee Canal Recreation Area · sites: Round Top

Connects the Orange Trail near Canal Run through Chase Prairie to Round Top and back to the Blue Trail. The work is the vegetation, which can slow you badly across the prairie.

• Suwannee Canal Rec Area → Round Top 12 mi
• Canal Run → Round Top, direct on the Purple Trail 3 mi
• Canal Run → Round Top, via the Blue Trail 6 mi

Blue Trail

Moderate · from Orange or Green Trail · sites: None

A connector along the edge of Chase Prairie, used mainly to get from the Orange Trail to Floyds Island or Bluff Lake. The deeper holes fish well. No overnight site of its own.

• Orange Trail → Green Trail about 2.6 mi

Green Trail

Moderate to difficult · from Kingfisher Landing or Okefenokee State Park · sites: Bluff Lake, Floyds Island

From Kingfisher, a canal dug for peat mining leads to open lakes and pitcher plants. Beyond Bluff Lake it runs through Territory and Chase Prairies to Floyds Island, then marsh and cypress to Billys Lake. The narrow, closed-in runs between prairies get hard in low water.

• Kingfisher Landing → Bluff Lake 8 mi
• Bluff Lake → Floyds Island about 9 mi
• Floyds Island → Okefenokee State Park 9 mi

Red Trail

Difficult · from Kingfisher Landing or Okefenokee State Park · sites: Maul Hammock, Big Water, Minnies Lake

A long day through scrub-shrub, marsh and small lakes to Maul Hammock, then a narrow, closed-in channel and a wider river run to Big Water. The last miles run through cypress forest past Minnies Lake and Billys Lake, with a slow current going your way.

• Kingfisher Landing → Maul Hammock 12 mi
• Maul Hammock → Big Water 8 mi
• Big Water → Okefenokee State Park, via Minnies Lake 11 mi

Brown Trail

Easy to Mixons; moderate in the Narrows · from Okefenokee State Park · sites: Mixons Hammock

An easy paddle across Billys Lake to Mixons Hammock, then through the River Narrows to the Sill and along it through cypress, bay and gum. There can be current in the Narrows that makes the trip back harder.

• Okefenokee State Park → Mixons Hammock 2 mi
• Okefenokee State Park → Suwannee River Sill, via the River Narrows 5 mi
• along the Sill 3 more

Every Platform and Island

Cedar Hammock

Platform · Yellow Trail · 3 mi from Suwannee Canal Rec Area

In Mizell Prairie with open views all around. Half-roofed platform, pit toilet, table. With Mixons Hammock, one of the two easiest overnights.

No photo of this site yet. Camped here? Send us yours and we will credit you.

Buzzards Roost

Platform · Pink Trail · 8 mi from Suwannee Canal Rec Area

Out in Grand Prairie. Wide open water for wildlife and fishing.

No photo of this site yet. Camped here? Send us yours and we will credit you.

Round Top

Platform · Purple Trail · 12 mi from Suwannee Canal Rec Area

In Chase Prairie with a 360-degree view of the swamp. One of the best spots in the refuge for stars, sunrise and sunset.

Canal Run

Platform, with a fire ring on the hammock · Orange Trail · 10 mi from Suwannee Canal Rec Area; 7 from Okefenokee State Park

On the bank of the historic canal among pines, cypress and loblolly bays hung with Spanish moss. Solid ground and a fire ring next to the platform.

Coffee Bay Paddled by BWJ

Shelter; camping when the refuge opens it · Orange Trail · 6 mi from Suwannee Canal Rec Area

The lunch stop on the canal, and an overnight site when the refuge opens it to camping, as it has during low water.

BWJ field note, from Rodney Our first overnight in the Okefenokee, Fourth of July weekend. We counted mile markers down the main canal, and the first three miles took us an hour and forty-five minutes before we found our pace. Big gators put their whole bodies up out of the water and did not care one bit that we were there. We made Coffee Bay a little past noon and got tight before the afternoon storm. The yellow flies came on thick come evening. The only thing that beat them was the smoke, and they are why we skipped Round Top. A gator held off camp into the dark and wanted nothing to do with us. Keep your scraps out of the water and give him room.

Watch the trip: A Gator Wouldn't Leave Our Camp

Floyds Island

Island, with fire ring · Green Trail · 9 mi from Okefenokee State Park; 13 from Suwannee Canal Rec Area

A real island camp under the trees. A trail of about 0.2 mile crosses east to west past an old hunting cabin; through trips carry the boat across. A Seminole town stood here as late as 1838.

Mixons Hammock Paddled by BWJ

Island, with fire ring · Brown Trail · 2 mi from Okefenokee State Park

At the west end of Billys Lake before the River Narrows. The shortest overnight in the refuge, big oaks, and the old logging rail bed.

BWJ field note, from Rodney Turn left at Billys Lake and it is a short paddle to Mixons. Fish on the way; we pulled a big warmouth, a stumpknocker and a catfish on a Beetle Spin. A gator met us at the landing. Big oaks, and the old railroad bed still runs through where the high ground meets the river. When we went, it was so dry and the water so low the swamp was under a fire ban, so no steaks over the flames. We seared them on a backpacking stove and cast iron and ate like kings. Bring a stove even where fires are allowed. The bear sign is there for a reason.

Watch the trip: The Swamp Said No Fire

Minnies Lake Paddled by BWJ

Platform; camping only when the refuge opens it · Red Trail · On the run from Okefenokee State Park toward Big Water

A raised deck out in the cypress on the way to Big Water, and some of the thickest gator water in the refuge.

BWJ field note, from Rodney We counted 162 alligators in two days on the run from the State Park through Billys Lake to Minnies, and we know we missed some. Ten and twelve footers sunning on the banks, little four footers hiding from the big ones. Where the trail narrows and you weave the cypress, they are right beside the boat. Stay calm, keep your line, give them room. You do not stop, you do not stand up, and you do not get in the water. At dark I counted better than thirty sets of eyes in one look from the platform. And check your tent bag for the poles before you leave the house.

Watch the trip: Platform Camp in the Deadliest Water

Big Water

Platform · Red Trail · 11 mi from Okefenokee State Park; 8 from Maul Hammock

At the north end of Big Water Lake. Seasonal fishing, and great night sky, sunrise and sunset.

No photo of this site yet. Camped here? Send us yours and we will credit you.

Bluff Lake

Platform · Green Trail · 8 mi from Kingfisher Landing

Paddle across Bluff Lake to the shelter. Dark, beautiful night sky.

No photo of this site yet. Camped here? Send us yours and we will credit you.

Maul Hammock

Platform · Red Trail · 12 mi from Kingfisher Landing

On the left edge of Maul Hammock Lake. Look behind you as you enter the lake or you will paddle past it. One of the most remote sites in the refuge.

No photo of this site yet. Camped here? Send us yours and we will credit you.

The Refuge's Suggested Trips

The refuge's own suggested routes, with the mileages as the refuge publishes them. Its trip table and its canoe guide differ by a mile on a few legs (Maul Hammock to Big Water is 8 in the table and 9 in the guide), so treat every figure as approximate. Some trips can be run in reverse, and cross-entrance trips need a shuttle. Highway distances between landings: Suwannee Canal Rec Area to Kingfisher 25 mi, to Okefenokee State Park 75 mi; Kingfisher to the State Park 95 mi.

1 night Trip 1: Canal Run

Start: Suwannee Canal Rec Area or Okefenokee State Park · shuttle only if you finish at the other entrance

• Paddle in to Canal Run: 10 mi from Suwannee Canal Rec Area, or 7 mi from Okefenokee State Park.
• Paddle out the way you came, or to the other entrance with a shuttle.

14 to 20 mi round trip · longest day 10 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

1 night Trip 2: Round Top

Start: Suwannee Canal Rec Area

• Suwannee Canal Rec Area to Round Top, 12 mi
• Round Top to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 12 mi

24 mi total · longest day 12 mi · Stove only; no campfires at these sites. See the trail pages for each leg.

1 night Trip 3: Buzzards Roost

Start: Suwannee Canal Rec Area

• Suwannee Canal Rec Area to Buzzards Roost, 8 mi
• Buzzards Roost to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 8 mi

16 mi total · longest day 8 mi · Stove only; no campfires at these sites. See the trail pages for each leg.

1 night Trip 4: Floyds Island

Start: Suwannee Canal Rec Area or Okefenokee State Park · shuttle only if you finish at the other entrance

• Paddle in to Floyds Island: 13 mi from Suwannee Canal Rec Area, or 9 mi from Okefenokee State Park.
• Paddle out the way you came, or to the other entrance with a shuttle.

18 to 26 mi round trip · longest day 13 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

1 night Trip 5: Cedar Hammock

Start: Suwannee Canal Rec Area

• Suwannee Canal Rec Area to Cedar Hammock, 3 mi
• Cedar Hammock to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 3 mi

6 mi total · longest day 3 mi · Stove only; no campfires at these sites. See the trail pages for each leg.

1 night Trip 6: Big Water

Start: Okefenokee State Park

• Okefenokee State Park to Big Water, 11 mi
• Big Water to Okefenokee State Park, 11 mi

22 mi total · longest day 11 mi · Stove only; no campfires at these sites. See the trail pages for each leg.

1 night Trip 7: Mixons Hammock

Start: Okefenokee State Park

• Okefenokee State Park to Mixons Hammock, 2 mi
• Mixons Hammock to Okefenokee State Park, 2 mi

4 mi total · longest day 2 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

1 night Trip 8: Bluff Lake

Start: Kingfisher Landing

• Kingfisher Landing to Bluff Lake, 8 mi
• Bluff Lake to Kingfisher Landing, 8 mi

16 mi total · longest day 8 mi · Stove only; no campfires at these sites. See the trail pages for each leg.

1 night Trip 9: Maul Hammock

Start: Kingfisher Landing

• Kingfisher Landing to Maul Hammock, 12 mi
• Maul Hammock to Kingfisher Landing, 12 mi

24 mi total · longest day 12 mi · Stove only; no campfires at these sites. See the trail pages for each leg.

2 nights Trip 10: Round Top → Canal Run

Start: Suwannee Canal Rec Area · shuttle only if you finish at the other entrance

• Suwannee Canal Rec Area to Round Top, 12 mi
• Round Top to Canal Run, 6 mi (3 by the direct Purple Trail route)
• Canal Run to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 10 mi (or to Okefenokee State Park, 7 mi)

22 to 28 mi total · longest day 12 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

2 nights Trip 11: Round Top → Cedar Hammock

Start: Suwannee Canal Rec Area

• Suwannee Canal Rec Area to Round Top, 12 mi
• Round Top to Cedar Hammock, 11 mi
• Cedar Hammock to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 3 mi

26 mi total · longest day 12 mi · Stove only; no campfires at these sites. See the trail pages for each leg.

2 nights Trip 12: Floyds Island → Canal Run

Start: Okefenokee State Park or Suwannee Canal Rec Area · shuttle only if you finish at the other entrance

• Okefenokee State Park to Floyds Island, 9 mi (or from Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 13 mi)
• Floyds Island to Canal Run, 5 mi
• Canal Run to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 10 mi (or to Okefenokee State Park, 7 mi)

21 to 28 mi total · longest day 13 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

2 nights Trip 13: Buzzards Roost → Cedar Hammock

Start: Suwannee Canal Rec Area

• Suwannee Canal Rec Area to Buzzards Roost, 8 mi
• Buzzards Roost to Cedar Hammock, 8 mi
• Cedar Hammock to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 3 mi

19 mi total · longest day 8 mi · Stove only; no campfires at these sites. See the trail pages for each leg.

2 nights Trip 14: Mixons Hammock → Canal Run

Start: Okefenokee State Park · shuttle only if you finish at the other entrance

• Okefenokee State Park to Mixons Hammock, 2 mi
• Mixons Hammock to Canal Run, 9 mi
• Canal Run to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 10 mi (or to Okefenokee State Park, 7 mi)

18 to 21 mi total · longest day 10 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

2 nights Trip 15: Floyds Island → Round Top

Start: Okefenokee State Park or Suwannee Canal Rec Area · shuttle only if you finish at the other entrance

• Okefenokee State Park to Floyds Island, 9 mi (or from Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 13 mi)
• Floyds Island to Round Top, 6 mi
• Round Top to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 12 mi

27 to 31 mi total · longest day 13 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

2 nights Trip 16: Mixons Hammock → Floyds Island

Start: Okefenokee State Park · shuttle only if you finish at the other entrance

• Okefenokee State Park to Mixons Hammock, 2 mi
• Mixons Hammock to Floyds Island, 11 mi
• Floyds Island to Okefenokee State Park, 9 mi (or to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 13 mi)

22 to 26 mi total · longest day 13 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

2 nights Trip 17: Maul Hammock → Big Water

Start: Kingfisher Landing · shuttle needed

• Kingfisher Landing to Maul Hammock, 12 mi
• Maul Hammock to Big Water, 8 mi
• Big Water to Okefenokee State Park, 11 mi

31 mi total · longest day 12 mi · Stove only; no campfires at these sites. See the trail pages for each leg.

2 nights Trip 18: Bluff Lake → Round Top

Start: Kingfisher Landing · shuttle needed

• Kingfisher Landing to Bluff Lake, 8 mi
• Bluff Lake to Round Top, 12 mi
• Round Top to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 12 mi

32 mi total · longest day 12 mi · Stove only; no campfires at these sites. See the trail pages for each leg.

3 nights Trip 19: Cedar Hammock → Round Top → Canal Run

Start: Suwannee Canal Rec Area · shuttle only if you finish at the other entrance · not in peak season (Mar-Apr)

• Suwannee Canal Rec Area to Cedar Hammock, 3 mi
• Cedar Hammock to Round Top, 11 mi
• Round Top to Canal Run, 6 mi (3 by the direct Purple Trail route)
• Canal Run to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 10 mi (or to Okefenokee State Park, 7 mi)

24 to 30 mi total · longest day 11 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

3 nights Trip 20: Buzzards Roost → Canal Run → Cedar Hammock

Start: Suwannee Canal Rec Area · not in peak season (Mar-Apr)

• Suwannee Canal Rec Area to Buzzards Roost, 8 mi
• Buzzards Roost to Canal Run, 13 mi
• Canal Run to Cedar Hammock, 9 mi
• Cedar Hammock to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 3 mi

33 mi total · longest day 13 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

3 nights Trip 21: Buzzards Roost → Canal Run → Round Top

Start: Suwannee Canal Rec Area · not in peak season (Mar-Apr)

• Suwannee Canal Rec Area to Buzzards Roost, 8 mi
• Buzzards Roost to Canal Run, 13 mi
• Canal Run to Round Top, 6 mi (3 by the direct Purple Trail route)
• Round Top to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 12 mi

36 to 39 mi total · longest day 13 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

3 nights Trip 22: Round Top → Cedar Hammock → Buzzards Roost

Start: Suwannee Canal Rec Area · not in peak season (Mar-Apr)

• Suwannee Canal Rec Area to Round Top, 12 mi
• Round Top to Cedar Hammock, 11 mi
• Cedar Hammock to Buzzards Roost, 7 mi
• Buzzards Roost to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 8 mi

38 mi total · longest day 12 mi · Stove only; no campfires at these sites. See the trail pages for each leg.

3 nights Trip 23: Round Top → Canal Run → Cedar Hammock

Start: Suwannee Canal Rec Area · not in peak season (Mar-Apr)

• Suwannee Canal Rec Area to Round Top, 12 mi
• Round Top to Canal Run, 6 mi (3 by the direct Purple Trail route)
• Canal Run to Cedar Hammock, 9 mi
• Cedar Hammock to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 3 mi

27 to 30 mi total · longest day 12 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

3 nights Trip 24: Canal Run → Round Top → Floyds Island

Start: Suwannee Canal Rec Area or Okefenokee State Park · shuttle only if you finish at the other entrance · not in peak season (Mar-Apr)

• Suwannee Canal Rec Area to Canal Run, 10 mi (or from Okefenokee State Park, 7 mi)
• Canal Run to Round Top, 6 mi (3 by the direct Purple Trail route)
• Round Top to Floyds Island, 6 mi
• Floyds Island to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 13 mi (or to Okefenokee State Park, 10 mi)

26 to 35 mi total · longest day 13 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

3 nights Trip 25: Floyds Island → Big Water → Mixons Hammock

Start: Okefenokee State Park · not in peak season (Mar-Apr)

• Okefenokee State Park to Floyds Island, 10 mi
• Floyds Island to Big Water, 8 mi
• Big Water to Mixons Hammock, 13 mi
• Mixons Hammock to Okefenokee State Park, 2 mi

33 mi total · longest day 13 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

3 nights Trip 26: Maul Hammock → Big Water → Floyds Island

Start: Kingfisher Landing · shuttle needed · not in peak season (Mar-Apr)

• Kingfisher Landing to Maul Hammock, 12 mi
• Maul Hammock to Big Water, 8 mi
• Big Water to Floyds Island, 8 mi
• Floyds Island to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 13 mi (or to Okefenokee State Park, 10 mi)

38 to 41 mi total · longest day 13 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

3 nights Trip 27: Bluff Lake → Round Top → Cedar Hammock

Start: Kingfisher Landing · shuttle needed · not in peak season (Mar-Apr)

• Kingfisher Landing to Bluff Lake, 8 mi
• Bluff Lake to Round Top, 12 mi
• Round Top to Cedar Hammock, 11 mi
• Cedar Hammock to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 3 mi

34 mi total · longest day 12 mi · Stove only; no campfires at these sites. See the trail pages for each leg.

4 nights Trip 28: Round Top → Canal Run → Buzzards Roost → Cedar Hammock

Start: Suwannee Canal Rec Area · not in peak season (Mar-Apr)

• Suwannee Canal Rec Area to Round Top, 12 mi
• Round Top to Canal Run, 6 mi (3 by the direct Purple Trail route)
• Canal Run to Buzzards Roost, 14 mi
• Buzzards Roost to Cedar Hammock, 8 mi
• Cedar Hammock to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 3 mi

40 to 43 mi total · longest day 14 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

4 nights Trip 29: Round Top → Canal Run → Cedar Hammock → Buzzards Roost

Start: Suwannee Canal Rec Area · not in peak season (Mar-Apr)

• Suwannee Canal Rec Area to Round Top, 12 mi
• Round Top to Canal Run, 6 mi (3 by the direct Purple Trail route)
• Canal Run to Cedar Hammock, 9 mi
• Cedar Hammock to Buzzards Roost, 7 mi
• Buzzards Roost to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 10 mi

41 to 44 mi total · longest day 12 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

4 nights Trip 30: Buzzards Roost → Canal Run → Round Top → Cedar Hammock

Start: Suwannee Canal Rec Area · not in peak season (Mar-Apr)

• Suwannee Canal Rec Area to Buzzards Roost, 8 mi
• Buzzards Roost to Canal Run, 14 mi
• Canal Run to Round Top, 6 mi (3 by the direct Purple Trail route)
• Round Top to Cedar Hammock, 11 mi
• Cedar Hammock to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 3 mi

39 to 42 mi total · longest day 14 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

4 nights Trip 31: Buzzards Roost → Cedar Hammock → Round Top → Canal Run

Start: Suwannee Canal Rec Area · shuttle only if you finish at the other entrance · not in peak season (Mar-Apr)

• Suwannee Canal Rec Area to Buzzards Roost, 8 mi
• Buzzards Roost to Cedar Hammock, 8 mi
• Cedar Hammock to Round Top, 11 mi
• Round Top to Canal Run, 6 mi (3 by the direct Purple Trail route)
• Canal Run to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 10 mi (or to Okefenokee State Park, 7 mi)

37 to 43 mi total · longest day 11 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

4 nights Trip 32: Canal Run → Round Top → Floyds Island → Mixons Hammock

Start: Okefenokee State Park or Suwannee Canal Rec Area · shuttle only if you finish at the other entrance · not in peak season (Mar-Apr)

• Okefenokee State Park to Canal Run, 7 mi (or from Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 10 mi)
• Canal Run to Round Top, 6 mi (3 by the direct Purple Trail route)
• Round Top to Floyds Island, 6 mi
• Floyds Island to Mixons Hammock, 11 mi
• Mixons Hammock to Okefenokee State Park, 2 mi

29 to 35 mi total · longest day 11 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

4 nights Trip 33: Floyds Island → Canal Run → Round Top → Cedar Hammock

Start: Okefenokee State Park or Suwannee Canal Rec Area · shuttle only if you finish at the other entrance · not in peak season (Mar-Apr)

• Okefenokee State Park to Floyds Island, 9 mi (or from Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 13 mi)
• Floyds Island to Canal Run, 5 mi
• Canal Run to Round Top, 6 mi (3 by the direct Purple Trail route)
• Round Top to Cedar Hammock, 11 mi
• Cedar Hammock to Suwannee Canal Rec Area, 3 mi

31 to 38 mi total · longest day 13 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

4 nights Trip 34: Maul Hammock → Big Water → Floyds Island → Bluff Lake

Start: Kingfisher Landing · not in peak season (Mar-Apr)

• Kingfisher Landing to Maul Hammock, 12 mi
• Maul Hammock to Big Water, 8 mi
• Big Water to Floyds Island, 8 mi
• Floyds Island to Bluff Lake, 9 mi
• Bluff Lake to Kingfisher Landing, 8 mi

45 mi total · longest day 12 mi · Fires only in provided rings where allowed; check the refuge alerts page before every trip; stove everywhere else. See the trail pages for each leg.

Day Paddles From Each Entrance

From Suwannee Canal Recreation Area

Rentals: Canoes, kayaks and jon boats from Okefenokee Adventures; guided boat tours.

• Cedar Hammock and back Out the canal and north into Mizell Prairie: open prairie, pitcher plants and water lilies. Yellow Trail Easy 6 mi round trip
• Coffee Bay shelter and back Straight down the 1890s Suwannee Canal, gators on the banks, lunch under the shelter. Orange Trail Easy to moderate 12 mi round trip
• Into Chesser Prairie The iconic open prairie south of the canal; wading birds, gators and golden club. Pink Trail Moderate As far as you like

From Okefenokee State Park

Rentals: Boat rentals and guided tours from the park; boat basin and ramp.

• Billys Island Across Billys Lake to the site of the old logging town; walk the short trail back into it. Billys Lake, Orange Trail Easy About 2 mi each way
• Mixons Hammock Left at Billys Lake to the island under the oaks. Fish the edges on the way. Brown Trail Easy 2 mi each way
• River Narrows toward the Sill Narrow cypress runs where the Suwannee begins. There can be current against you on the way back. Brown Trail Moderate 5 mi each way
• Minnies Lake Cypress forest and some of the thickest gator water in the refuge. Red Trail Difficult Plan a full day

From Kingfisher Landing

Rentals: None. Bring your own boat. No staff on site.

• Kings Canal toward Durdin Lake The peat-mining canal out to round open lakes, hooded and trumpet pitcher plants, and family groups of gators. Green Trail Moderate to difficult Out and back, as far as you like

From Suwannee River Sill

Rentals: None. Bring your own boat.

• Along the Sill Cypress, bay and gum along the dam at the head of the Suwannee. No sign-in here. Brown Trail Easy to moderate Up to 3 mi along the Sill

Day-use rules

Day paddlers sign in and out at every launch but the Sill. Boats with motors of 10 HP or less are allowed only on the designated day-use trails; no motors of any kind on overnight trips. Be off the water by the posted closing time for your entrance. Carry a PFD for everyone, and water for the whole day.

Chapter · on foot

Walks and Hikes

Boardwalks over the prairie, a 40-foot tower, the Chesser family homestead, and the trails at every entrance.

Suwannee Canal Recreation Area Okefenokee State Park Okefenokee Swamp Park Out in the swamp

Suwannee Canal Recreation Area

• Chesser Island Boardwalk to Owls Roost Tower Out over Chesser Prairie on a boardwalk to Owls Roost Tower, 40 feet up with a view across the swamp. 1.5 miles out and back. No bikes or pets. 3/4 mi each way
• Chesser Island Homestead Trail A loop around the Chesser family homestead, where one family lived on the island for a hundred years, through oak, palmetto and Spanish moss. 0.7 mi loop
• Deerstand Trail Connects the homestead to the boardwalk. 0.5 mi
• Ridleys Island Boardwalk A short boardwalk off the homestead trail. 0.16 mi spur
• Canal Diggers Trail Follows what is left of the 1890s Suwannee Canal diggings. Loop
• Cane Pole Trail Paved, then boardwalk to a covered lookout. Accessible. 0.35 mi each way
• Upland Discovery Trail Longleaf pine and red-cockaded woodpecker cavity trees, on Swamp Island Drive. 0.25 mi loop
• Swamp Island Drive The self-guided auto tour, 12 numbered stops, pull-offs for wildlife. Bike it or drive it. 7.4 mi

Leashed pets (6-foot leash at most) are welcome on the trails, but not on any boardwalk, in boats or on platforms. No bikes on the boardwalks. Everything here is open during refuge hours.

Okefenokee State Park

• Trembling Earth Trail Boardwalk loop by the boat basin and trading post. 0.7 mi loop
• Jones Island Trail From the park gate, behind the camping loops, to the trading post lot. 0.85 mi
• Upland Pine Trail Pine uplands, reached from several points along GA 177. 1.1 mi
• Suwannee River Sill walk Along the earthen dam. The first 1.5 miles are paved to the bridge and spillway. 3 to 4 mi

Okefenokee Swamp Park

• Swamp Park boardwalk, 90-foot tower, Camellia Garden Trail, Pioneer Island The boardwalk runs out into the swamp to the 90-foot observation tower. Lengths are not published; ask at the gate. Short walks

Out in the swamp

• Billys Island trail Reached by canoe. Walk back into the logging town of 600 that stood here in the early 1900s. About a half-mile loop
• Floyds Island crossing Across the island past the old hunting cabin. Through trips carry the boat across. 1/4 mi