Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was established in 1936 to preserve the 438,000 acre Okefenokee Swamp. Presently, the refuge encompasses approximately 402,000 acres. In 1974, to further ensure the protection of this unique ecosystem, the interior 353,981 acres of the refuge were designated a National Wilderness Area. The swamp remains one of the oldest and most well preserved freshwater areas in America.

Okefenokee at a Glance:

The Okefenokee Swamp is located in Ware, Charlton, and Clinch Counties, Georgia and Baker County, Florida.
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge was established by Executive Order in 1936.
The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is over 402,000 acres. The wilderness area consists of 353,981 acres and was created by the Okefenokee Wilderness Act of 1974 which is part of the Wilderness Preservation System.
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is the largest National Wildlife Refuge in the eastern United States.
The Okefenokee Swamp is approximately 7000 years old. It is a vast peat-filled bog inside a huge, saucer-shaped depression that was once part of the ocean floor.
The elevation of the swamp varies. There is a 25 foot drop from the northwest side to the southwest side. The range in elevation is from 128 feet above sea level on the northeast side to 103 feet on the southwest side. The vegetative indicator of the natural swamp line is the presence of the saw palmetto.
The Suwannee River is the principle outlet of the swamp. The Suwannee flows from the west side of the swamp and empties into the Gulf of Mexico near Cedar Key, Florida. The Suwannee River is 280 miles long.
A small area of the southeastern part of the swamp is drained by the St. Marys River. The St. Marys River empties into the Atlantic near St. Marys, Georgia. The St. Marys River is 190 miles long.
The Okefenokee Swamp derives its name from Choctaw Indian words meaning "quivering earth" or "Land of the Trembling Earth."
Islands in the swamp occupy 25,000 acres. There are 70 islands that are greater than 20 acres in area. Cowhouse is the largest island and occupies 8,200 acres. Billys Island covers 3,000 acres and is the second largest island in the swamp. The third largest island is Blackjack Island.
There are 60 named lakes in the Okefenokee that occupy approximately 500 acres. Billy Lake (60 acres), Double Lake, and Big Water Lake are the largest lakes.
The prairies are untimbered areas in the swamp (marsh or pond areas) and cover 60,500 acres.
There are 22 named prairies in the Okefenokee Swamp. Chase Prairie is the largest prairie (6,600 acres), followed by Floyd's Prairie and Sapling Prairie. In normal water levels the prairies are flooded with 6-18 inches of water. The predominant vegetation that occurs in the prairies includes: water lily, golden club, paintroot, bladderwort, maidencane, and a variety of sedges and grasses.
Eight habitat types occur in the Okefenokee Swamp:

Shrub swamp (34%)
Mixed cypress forest (23%)
Prairies (21%)
Pure cypress forest (9%)
Swamp islands (8%)
Blackgum forest (6%)
Bay forest (6%)

370,000 acres of the Okefenokee Swamp are classified as wetlands.
There are 233 species of birds that have been identified in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, 49 species of mammals, 64 species of reptiles, 37 species of amphibians and 39 species of fish. Endangered species found on the refuge include the red-cockaded woodpecker, American bald eagle, and the wood stork. The American alligator was formerly listed as an endangered species. Its population has recovered to the point that it has been taken off the Endangered Species List. The American alligator is now classified as "threatened due to similarity of appearance," because its hide is very similar to those of other crocodilians which may be extremely endangered. It was removed from the Endangered Species List in June of 1987.

Contact an America Outdoors outfitter for recreational opportunities in Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.