Stephen C Foster State Park

There are three major entrances to Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Okefenokee Swamp Park in Waycross, the Suwanee Canal Recreation Area near Folkston, and Stephen C. Foster State Park in Fargo.

Stephen C Foster State Park

The Stephen C Foster (of “way down upon the Suwanee River” fame) entrance is the most remote of the three, so if you’re looking to get away from it all, this is the place. The state park has campsites, cabins, trails, canoe & kayak rentals, and guided boat tours into the swamp.

The park office/trading post stands near the boat docks. This is where you park and buy your tickets for the boat tour if you hadn’t already called ahead. There are also gifts and some food available for purchase. The only non-campsite bathroom is here – and there’s only one small one! Though at one point, I heard the office ladies offer the use of one inside.

The same $5 per-car fee for entry into the National Wildlife Refuge is valid for seven days.

Boat Tours

I am mainly here for the boat tour, which proved a little tricky to get a reservation for. They only offer tours at 10 am and 2 pm during the week and at 9:00, 11:00, and 2:00 on weekends. And it depends a little on what demand there is, I think. They make it sound like it’s all a bit subjective.

When I finally secured a tour, I found this western section of the swamp very different from either of the other tours I had already taken. Here, the tour mainly sticks to a stretch of Billy’s Lake. Since it’s more open, there are more birds and sky to see, and our delightful guide, John, pointed out spots of interest like the “five sisters” cypress trees, a cove good for spotting alligators, and stumps where you can see how huge the cypress trees were before the area was subject to logging.

John coached us on the history and biology of the swamp and even read a passage from a pioneer diary of someone who lived in the swamp years ago. I loved it all just as much as I loved my private tour from Okefenokee Swamp Park. And again, being in the Okefenokee Swamp feels so calming and enchanting, especially after the sensory overload of visiting Disney World during Christmas.

Boats and Costs

The boats at Stephen C Foster State Park are a similar flat-bottomed, extra-stable style as those operated by Okefenokee Adventures. They also have a canopy but have far less capacity with two long benches on each side. We had a fairly full boat with six passengers plus our guide. Even so, there were opportunities to move around and get better pictures.

The cost for a 90-minute boat tour is only $15 per adult, and you can make reservations up to 7 days in advance by calling the park office at 912-637-5274. They also have group and student rates, which can be arranged up to 6 months in advance.

Canoe & Kayak Rentals

If you want to get out into the swamp on your own, there are kayaks and canoes for rent. Prices range from $15 for two hours, $20 for four, and $30 for 8 hours of paddling around the day-use trails. For deeper exploring and overnight stays, you must get a permit by applying two months in advance.

Hiking & Biking

To explore on land, there is the Trembling Earth Nature Trail behind the boat bay. Pretty boardwalks span sections of marsh on this .75-mile walk.

Combining boating and walking by taking a canoe or kayak to Billy’s Island for a 1-mile loop featuring a Native American ceremonial mound, a pioneer cemetery, and remnants from the logging industry.

Trails running behind the campsites and cabins on either side of the entrance road add another two miles of unpaved trails. You can rent bicycles for these trails and the two miles of paved road in the park. (No bikes on the boardwalk nature trail, however.) Or ride a bike 5.5 miles south to the Suwanee River Still and bike along the swamp itself. (See below.)

Camping & Cabins

Stephen C Foster State Park is the only entrance to the Okefenokee Swamp where you can stay overnight. They provide 63 campsites for tents, trailers, or RVs with electric hookups, including three host sites with water hookups, 5-6 pull-through sites for larger motor homes, and two handicap-accessible sites.

Nine two-bedroom cottages with full kitchens and bathrooms are available for rent. And the nearby Suwanee River Eco-Lodge can host up to 40 people, plus a large meeting room and commercial kitchen. Or, rent one of the ten cottages without renting the meeting facilities. Cottages hold between 2-8 people, and four are wheelchair-accessible.

Stephen C Foster State Park is a “dark sky park,” so it’s worth staying overnight to see all the stars.

BONUS: Suwanee River Sill

Just 5.5 miles before the entrance to Stephen C Foster State Park is the Suwanee River Sill. This five-mile-long earthen berm was created in the 1960s to help keep water in the swamp and decrease the chance of drought and wildfires.

The first 1.5 miles of the sill is paved and ends in a small parking lot. There’s a bridge and spillway – basically the start of the Suwanee River, which carves through the Florida panhandle and into the Gulf of Mexico. You may park and walk along the berm for another few miles, though be careful not to walk too close to the water. There are just as many alligators and other wildlife here as in the rest of the swamp. Other than a sole porta-potty, there are no facilities here.

Conclusion

I wouldn’t put a visit to Stephen C Foster State Park above visits to either the main National Wildlife Refuge entrance or the Okefenokee Swamp Park. But a day visit here, especially to take the boat tour or paddle around on your own, is well worth it. All three entrances to the Okefenokee Swamp are so different that it’s worth visiting them all.

What I’d love to do is stay here overnight. I guess I’d need to score some camping equipment, make enough money to justify renting a cabin, or get up a group to come with me – I’m not entirely sure I want to kayak into the swamp alone; that seems a little unsafe. But I would have loved to walk around Billy’s Island or poke around in the tranquillity of the swamp some more.