What's going on around the swamp, the week's river news, what is open in the Okefenokee, and a live call on whether you can paddle every river this weekend.
Week of October 22, 2026 · Levels read live from USGS. They refresh every time you open this page.
Rivers at flood or above the safe level, from the live gauges. Every river and its level
Checking the gauges...
Events at the swamp's gates in the next two weeks. Dates and prices are from each organizer's own page, checked October 23.
Okefenokee Swamp Park, south of Waycross · $15 a person
A spooky train ride through the swamp and a haunted island. The scare zone is recommended for ages 13 and up, with fog, strobes and jump scares, and there is a non-scary way out. Come before dark if you want it tamer. Last tickets sell at 9. Details and tickets
Main Street, Folkston · Charlton County Chamber
Rained out on October 10 and moved to this Saturday. Over 100 vendors, food trucks, live music, a car show, the parade at 10 AM and the Swamp Hollerin' Contest at 1 PM. Details
Crooked River State Park, St. Marys · parking fee
A ranger guided night hike to look for owls. Space is limited; call 912-882-5256 or stop by the main office to register. Details
St. Marys Riverkeeper · Traders Hill Boat Ramp, Folkston · register to save a spot
Paddle the St. Marys into the evening as the full Hunter's Moon rises, with stories of the river's history along the way. Leaves at 6 PM sharp. Bring your own canoe or kayak, plus a light and a whistle (Florida law requires both). No facilities at the ramp. Weather and river permitting. Details and registration
Main Street, Folkston · Charlton County Chamber
Candy, goody bags and activities for kids along the Main Street sidewalks. Groups that want to hand out treats register by October 26. Details
Okefenokee State Park, Fargo · $35 adults, $25 ages 14 and under, plus parking
A Halloween night on the water from the west entrance. Details
Real stories from the rivers, and why each one matters if you paddle.
The Atkinson gauge read 13.6 ft on Thursday. The Satilla Riverkeeper puts flood at 13 ft for the lower landings. Up at Waycross it read 13.5 ft, above the 6 to 10 ft ideal and below flood at 16.
This is the week the sandbars disappear. Do not launch the lower river at flood. Let it come down and the bars come back.
After a low-water year that closed most of the swamp, the refuge has four campsites open and staff are clearing trail before reopening more (update dated Oct 19).
If you've been waiting on the swamp, Mixons Hammock off the Brown Trail is the easiest overnight that's open right now.
Inside Climate News went to Folkston to ask how the July UNESCO designation will change the town at the swamp's east gate. Some estimates have the refuge's visitors doubling. Residents are split: some see a long-awaited opening for local business, while others in the three counties around the refuge worry about outside control. Former mayor and cafe owner Dixie McGurn put the hopeful side this way: "I hope people will see this as another window, or even a door." Read the full story at Inside Climate News.
Rodney told the Georgia Recorder in July, before the vote: “I think that if it’s done right and you’ve got the right people behind it, I think that it can have a positive impact on these smaller communities.” He also put the size of it plainly: “Fargo has a Dollar General. That’s about all.” Georgia Recorder, July 22
More than 40 people gathered at the edge of the Okefenokee last Saturday for a multi-faith prayer service for the swamp, hosted by Georgians for the Okefenokee, Georgia Interfaith Power and Light and Adamah ATL, The Current GA reports. Read it at The Current.
From the refuge update dated October 19, 2026. Low water this year closed most of the trails. The water is rising, and staff are inspecting more than 100 miles of trail before more sites reopen. Permits: 912-496-3331. Every campsite, one by one.
The call comes from the ranges the river groups publish (Satilla Riverkeeper, WWALS and Suwannee Riverkeeper, the National Weather Service). Where nobody publishes a range, we show the reading and say so. Always look at the river before you unload.
FOR KIDS