
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge
April 2 & 3 2023
We spent a couple of days exploring the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, it’s a massive swamp with a 17 mile long canal right down the center that was dug in the late 1800’s in an effort to drain the swamp and use it for farm land, that failed, the swamp kept filling up. The 6 foot deep Channel was used to float old growth timber out of the swamp. The swamp & canal are also the head waters for the Suwannee River.
Lots of gators there so I wouldn’t advise going for a swim. We talked to 1 lady who caught a fish, at a fishing platform, and she tossed it back, only the gator, that was watching her, snatched it out of the air.
They also have a nice 3/4 mile – 1 way – boardwalk, Chesser Island Boardwalk, out to an observation tower that was a good walk that we did a couple of times, note to self next time wear a hat and take water.
As a side note most of the “islands” in the swamp were inhabited, we toured the homestead of the Chessers on what else Chesser Island. William T Cesser built a rough log cabin here in 1858. He cleared and planted fields and by the 1880’s had established a large family settlement. This home, built by his grandson Tom Chesser, was preserved in the 1970’s as a tribute to the rugged, independent families who lived in the great Okefenokee Swamp.
I’m not sure how big this island was but it was big enough to grow and process sugar cane to sell along with a vegetable garden. We were able to drive to it, back when people lived on the island they had to slosh through the swamp or use a shallow boat or canoe.
The End
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