The Wonderful Okefenokee: Okefenokee Swamp, America’s largest “Black Water Swamp” or Seminole; “Land of the Trembling Earth” located in SE Georgia and northern Florida. Stopped by...

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

Okefenokee Swamp, America’s largest “Black Water Swamp” or Seminole; “Land of the Trembling Earth” located in SE Georgia and northern Florida. Stopped by there a week ago on the way home during a cold spell, it was 37 degrees, very windy but clear. The swamp is approximately 25 miles wide and 40 miles long and covers an area of more than 600 square miles. Lying about 50 miles (80 km) inland from the Atlantic coast. The swamp is partially drained southward into the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico by the Suwannee and St Mary’s Rivers.

Beautiful day, absolutely beautiful swamp and silly me, I was the only one on a really cold, windy boat tour. While many think of a swamp as an eerie movie setting, they are actually a thriving ecosystem that is extremely important to the environment as a whole. These swamps provide food, nesting areas, shelter and water to the many incredible species that live in Georgia & Florida. Although the water in the Okefenokee is dark and ‘black’ from tannins, its extremely clean and pure.

There’s a tremendous amount of history about the Okefenokee from settlements to timbering to drainage for agriculture. Its now a National Wildlife Reserve and the swamp itself is designated as a National Historic Landmark.

An interesting settlement was the Chesser Homestead known as Chesser Island. Settled in the mid-1800’s the Chessers were carving a life out of extremely harsh conditions, similar to many of the settlers in that time period. W.T. Chesser had 7 children and two of his younger sons has 22 children. This current house was built in 1927 by one of the grandsons of W.T. Chesser, the original settler, and is made of yellow pine and cypress and was built in 21 days for $150. The white sand yard is common in this area primarily to act as a fire break and to easily spot the many venomous snakes that inhabit the swamp. They harvested wood and grew sugar cane. They had a corn crib, syrup shed, smokehouse, hog pen, chickenyard & coup, grindstone…all the amenities a growing family could use. Unfortunately the house was not open the day I visited, would loved to have seen the interior.

Here are just a few samplings of the park and homestead, hope you enjoy.

Ever driving through Folkston GA, stop by, you won’t regret a visti to the Okefenokee, even on a cold day.

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Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Number three is my favorite.

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

Longshadow wrote:

Number three is my favorite.

Ditto LS, I do like that one also.

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

Very good series, Blaster.

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

Earnest Botello wrote:

Very good series, Blaster.

Thanks Earnest, appreciate it

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

Very nice and thanks for including the narrative.

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

kpmac wrote:

Very nice and thanks for including the narrative.

Thanks kp, glad you enjoyed it.

JustJill Loc: Iowa

Blaster34 wrote:

Okefenokee Swamp, America’s largest “Black Water Swamp” or Seminole; “Land of the Trembling Earth” located in SE Georgia and northern Florida. Stopped by there a week ago on the way home during a cold spell, it was 37 degrees, very windy but clear. The swamp is approximately 25 miles wide and 40 miles long and covers an area of more than 600 square miles. Lying about 50 miles (80 km) inland from the Atlantic coast. The swamp is partially drained southward into the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico by the Suwannee and St Mary’s Rivers.

Beautiful day, absolutely beautiful swamp and silly me, I was the only one on a really cold, windy boat tour. While many think of a swamp as an eerie movie setting, they are actually a thriving ecosystem that is extremely important to the environment as a whole. These swamps provide food, nesting areas, shelter and water to the many incredible species that live in Georgia & Florida. Although the water in the Okefenokee is dark and ‘black’ from tannins, its extremely clean and pure.

There’s a tremendous amount of history about the Okefenokee from settlements to timbering to drainage for agriculture. Its now a National Wildlife Reserve and the swamp itself is designated as a National Historic Landmark.

An interesting settlement was the Chesser Homestead known as Chesser Island. Settled in the mid-1800’s the Chessers were carving a life out of extremely harsh conditions, similar to many of the settlers in that time period. W.T. Chesser had 7 children and two of his younger sons has 22 children. This current house was built in 1927 by one of the grandsons of W.T. Chesser, the original settler, and is made of yellow pine and cypress and was built in 21 days for $150. The white sand yard is common in this area primarily to act as a fire break and to easily spot the many venomous snakes that inhabit the swamp. They harvested wood and grew sugar cane. They had a corn crib, syrup shed, smokehouse, hog pen, chickenyard & coup, grindstone…all the amenities a growing family could use. Unfortunately the house was not open the day I visited, would loved to have seen the interior.

Here are just a few samplings of the park and homestead, hope you enjoy.

Ever driving through Folkston GA, stop by, you won’t regret a visti to the Okefenokee, even on a cold day.

Okefenokee Swamp, America’s largest “Black Water S... (show quote)

My sister and I were there a few years ago. Out swamp tour guide was very informative. Your pictures are beautiful.

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

JustJill wrote:

My sister and I were there a few years ago. Out swamp tour guide was very informative. Your pictures are beautiful.

Thanks JustJill, appreciate the comment...and the old tour guide I had (one on one) was also very informative.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

You've brought back memories from 50 years ago. I was passing through and stopped in Waycross GA. There is an entrance into the swamp for tourists there. This was in early fall. I used to be wary of bees, but as we walked a catwalk over the swampy waters, the air was cloudy with them, but they parted like a school of fish as we passed. There was a ranger observation tower.

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

PHRubin wrote:

You've brought back memories from 50 years ago. I was passing through and stopped in Waycross GA. There is an entrance into the swamp for tourists there. This was in early fall. I used to be wary of bees, but as we walked a catwalk over the swampy waters, the air was cloudy with them, but they parted like a school of fish as we passed. There was a ranger observation tower.

Thanks Paul, glad I ticked the memories….

Cwilson341 Loc: Central Florida

Excellent series and your narrative adds to the experience!

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

Blaster34 wrote:

Okefenokee Swamp, America’s largest “Black Water Swamp” or Seminole; “Land of the Trembling Earth” located in SE Georgia and northern Florida. Stopped by there a week ago on the way home during a cold spell, it was 37 degrees, very windy but clear. The swamp is approximately 25 miles wide and 40 miles long and covers an area of more than 600 square miles. Lying about 50 miles (80 km) inland from the Atlantic coast. The swamp is partially drained southward into the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico by the Suwannee and St Mary’s Rivers.

Beautiful day, absolutely beautiful swamp and silly me, I was the only one on a really cold, windy boat tour. While many think of a swamp as an eerie movie setting, they are actually a thriving ecosystem that is extremely important to the environment as a whole. These swamps provide food, nesting areas, shelter and water to the many incredible species that live in Georgia & Florida. Although the water in the Okefenokee is dark and ‘black’ from tannins, its extremely clean and pure.

There’s a tremendous amount of history about the Okefenokee from settlements to timbering to drainage for agriculture. Its now a National Wildlife Reserve and the swamp itself is designated as a National Historic Landmark.

An interesting settlement was the Chesser Homestead known as Chesser Island. Settled in the mid-1800’s the Chessers were carving a life out of extremely harsh conditions, similar to many of the settlers in that time period. W.T. Chesser had 7 children and two of his younger sons has 22 children. This current house was built in 1927 by one of the grandsons of W.T. Chesser, the original settler, and is made of yellow pine and cypress and was built in 21 days for $150. The white sand yard is common in this area primarily to act as a fire break and to easily spot the many venomous snakes that inhabit the swamp. They harvested wood and grew sugar cane. They had a corn crib, syrup shed, smokehouse, hog pen, chickenyard & coup, grindstone…all the amenities a growing family could use. Unfortunately the house was not open the day I visited, would loved to have seen the interior.

Here are just a few samplings of the park and homestead, hope you enjoy.

Ever driving through Folkston GA, stop by, you won’t regret a visti to the Okefenokee, even on a cold day.

Okefenokee Swamp, America’s largest “Black Water S... (show quote)

Nice shots. I didn't see Pogo or Albert the Alligator, though.

Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

A few years ago a buddy and I took a trip to Florida to watch and photograph one of the final space shuttle launches. While there we took two days and went up to the Okefenokee. Truly a great place. We didn’t take a tour. Instead we rented a small aluminum rowboat with a 10 hp motor and spent two days roaming the swamp. (With your permission I’ll post one of my favorites from the trip)

Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

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