Field Trips
at Okefenokee Swamp Park
OSP Field Trips located at:
Okefenokee Swamp Park
5700 Okefenokee Swamp Park Rd
Waycross, Georgia 31503
Choose a toggle below for more information and to reserve a field trip for your group.
Reservations for Okefenokee Regional Education Service Agency (RESA) area school districts (Atkinson, Bacon, Brantley, Camden, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Pierce, and Ware Counties) must be made by filling out the form below.
We consider school groups to be 25 or more paid students/adults. Advance reservations are required and must be made at least 4 weeks prior to the trip date – the sooner the better. Our peak season is March, April, and May, so reservations may need to be made sooner if you are planning your trip for those times. Your reservation date is NOT secured until you receive a confirmation email from us.
You will need the following information when completing the School Field Trip form below:
- Name of School or Group
- School’s or Group’s address
- 2 Contact Phone Numbers
- 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Choice Preferred Dates
- Time of Arrival
- Time of departure
- Approximate number of students, teachers, & parents/chaperones
- Transportation type
- If you will be bringing and eating lunch while at the park or if you plan to utilize our Snack Shack options.
- Your selection of Field Trip Options. View the current options here: Field Trip Rotation Descriptions
If chaperones/parents will be attending with your group and wish to participate in the field trip or tour, we must have an accurate count prior to your arrival and their payment should be included with your total payment for the trip. Chaperones who arrive at the park who were not included in the total count may not be able to participate in all field trip activities.
Rates:
***(Please bring your tax exempt form on the day of your trip.)***
- General Admission (everything but Boat Tour ) RESA School Field Trip Rate:
- Students (Middle School and Under): $13.00
- Adults (High School and Over): $15.00
- Adults (if paid individually on the day of the trip): $16.00
- 20 Minute Boat Tour Package ( Includes General Admission ) RESA School Field Trip Rate:
- Students (Middle School and Under): $19.00
- Adults (High School and Over): $20.00
- Adults (if paid individually on the day of the trip): $21.00
Reserve a School Field Trip:
Reservations for school groups of 25 or more must be made by filling out the form below.
We consider school groups to be 25 or more paid students/adults. Advance reservations are required and must be made at least 4 weeks prior to the trip date – the sooner the better. Our peak season is March, April, and May, so reservations may need to be made sooner if you are planning your trip for those times. Your reservation date is NOT secured until you receive a confirmation email from us.
You will need the following information when completing the School Field Trip form below:
- Name of School or Group
- School’s or Group’s address
- 2 Contact Phone Numbers
- 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Choice Preferred Dates
- Time of Arrival
- Time of departure
- Approximate number of students, teachers, & parents/chaperones
- Transportation type
- If you will be bringing and eating lunch while at the park or if you plan to utilize our Snack Shack options.
- Your selection of Field Trip Options. View the current options here: Field Trip Rotation Descriptions. Please note pricing changes for the 2022-2023 school year below.
If chaperones/parents will be attending with your group and wish to participate in the field trip or tour, we must have an accurate count prior to your arrival and their payment should be included with your total payment for the trip. Chaperones who arrive at the park who were not included in the total count may not be able to participate in all field trip activities.
Rates:
***(If you are tax exempt, please bring your tax exempt form on the day of your trip.)***
- General Admission (Train Exploration, Nature Show, 1 Education Program) School Field Trip Rate:
- Students (Middle School and Under): $18.00
- Adults (High School and Over): $19.00
- Adults (if paid individually on the day of the trip): $20.00
- Each additional program (excluding the boat tour) beyond the first three is an additional $1/person/program.
- 20 Minute Boat Tour Package (Replaces Education Program in General Admission with Boat Tour) School Field Trip Rate:
- Students (Middle School and Under): $22.00
- Adults (High School and Over): $23.00
- Adults (if paid individually on the day of the trip): $24.00
- Each additional program beyond the first three is an additional $1/person/program. (example: Water Excursion, Train Exploration, Nature Show, and Living History would cost $23.00 per student and $24.00 per adult.)
Reserve a Private Tour:
Reservations for private group tours of 25 or more must be made by filling out the form below.
We consider private group tours to be 25 or more paid participants. Advance reservations are required and must be made at least 4 weeks prior to the trip date – the sooner the better. Our peak season is March, April, and May, so reservations may need to be made sooner if you are planning your trip for those times. Your reservation date is NOT secured until you receive a confirmation email from us.
You will need the following information when completing the Private Group Tour form below:
- Name of Group
- 2 Contact Phone Numbers
- 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Choice Preferred Dates
- Time of Arrival
- Time of departure
- Approximate number of participants
- Transportation type
- If you will be bringing and eating lunch while at the park or if you plan to utilize our Snack Shack options.
- Your selection of Field Trip Options. View the current options here: Field Trip Rotation Descriptions. Please note pricing changes for the 2022-2023 school year below.
Rates:
*(If you are tax exempt, please bring your tax exempt form on the day of your trip.)*
- General Admission (Train Exploration, Nature Show, 1 Education Program) School Field Trip Rate:
- Students (Middle School and Under): $18.00
- Adults (High School and Over): $19.00
- Adults (if paid individually on the day of the trip): $20.00
- Each additional program (excluding the boat tour) beyond the first three is an additional $1/person/program.
- 20 Minute Boat Tour Package (Replaces Education Program in General Admission with Boat Tour) School Field Trip Rate:
- Students (Middle School and Under): $22.00
- Adults (High School and Over): $23.00
- Adults (if paid individually on the day of the trip): $24.00
- Each additional program beyond the first three is an additional $1/person/program. (example: Water Excursion, Train Exploration, Nature Show, and Living History would cost $23.00 per student and $24.00 per adult.)
Reserve a Tour Operator Visit:
Reservations for tour operator groups of 25 or more must be made by filling out the form below. The programming options for a tour group are limited to a water excursion, train ride, and nature show.
We consider tour operator groups to be 25 or more paid participants. Advance reservations are required and must be made at least 4 weeks prior to the trip date – the sooner the better. Our peak season is March, April, and May, so reservations may need to be made sooner if you are planning your trip for those times. Your reservation date is NOT secured until you receive a confirmation email from us.
You will need the following information when completing the Tour Operator Field Trip form below:
- Name of Group
- 2 Contact Phone Numbers
- 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Choice Preferred Dates
- Time of Arrival
- Time of departure
- Approximate number of group participants
- If you will be bringing and eating lunch while at the park or if you plan to utilize our Snack Shack options.
Rates:
*(If you are tax exempt, please bring your tax exempt form on the day of your trip.)*
- General Admission (Train Exploration, Nature Show, 1 Education Program) School Field Trip Rate:
- Students (Middle School and Under): $18.00
- Adults (High School and Over): $19.00
- Adults (if paid individually on the day of the trip): $20.00
- Each additional program (excluding the boat tour) beyond the first three is an additional $1/person/program.
- 20 Minute Boat Tour Package (Replaces Education Program in General Admission with Boat Tour) School Field Trip Rate:
- Students (Middle School and Under): $22.00
- Adults (High School and Over): $23.00
- Adults (if paid individually on the day of the trip): $24.00
- Each additional program beyond the first three is an additional $1/person/program. (example: Water Excursion, Train Exploration, Nature Show, and Living History would cost $22.00 per student and $24.00 per adult.)
Simple Guidelines:
If you are bringing a school group or a group of children, we require one chaperon per ten children. Those chaperones will be complimentary. Any chaperones who attend that are not complimentary will need to give their field trip/tour fee to the group leader or organizer ahead of time to include in the total payment. Chaperones who wait to make their payment until they arrive at the park are not guaranteed to complete all field trip activities. Escort and driver are complimentary. Please allow 3 to 4 hours to see and complete all activities at the park. We will create the schedule for you so you’ll know who needs to be where and when. Once you receive your confirmation letter please read it carefully. If something is not correct, contact us as soon as possible. Should you need to cancel, please allow us at least one day advance notice. Please note that we will be contacting you using the email address that is collected on the Field Trip Reservation Form.
Payment:
We do not require a deposit; however, payment is due on the day you arrive and must be paid with one payment transaction.
Arrival:
It is extremely important that your group arrives at the Okefenokee Swamp Park at least 30 minutes prior to the start time for your field trip. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to provide your full field trip selections if you are late.
For Georgia Schools:
Tax Exempt Notice: You must pay with a school check and provide a Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Exemption when you come. Failure to do this will result in the 8% being added to your total. You must bring this form EVERY time you come, no exceptions. Parents or others not covered in the one to ten chaperones will have to pay separately and pay tax, unless you include them in the school check. Prices will be given when you set up the visit.
FAQs
The park has one gift shop available to guests. We ask that teachers only allow 25 students at a time and as soon as purchases are made to exit to make room for others. Prices range from $1.99 and up.
Depending upon the size of the group, you will need from 4 to 6 hours.
Please contact Katie Antczak at kantczak@okresa.org to arrange access to educational materials.
We have picnic areas, one covered (with restroom facilities available), on a first-come, first-served basis. We do not charge for these facilities, but ask that you clean up after yourself.
Lunch may be available from our Snack Shack for an additional cost. Please contact William Baumler at william.baumler@okeswamp.org to make lunch arrangements at least 2 weeks prior to your field trip date.
Unless there is a severe weather event, all programs will continue as normal. Most of the field trip/tour activities are outdoors, so prepare for the weather. If the weather forecast predicts heavy rain, you may reschedule your trip/tour, but we need at least a 24-hr advanced notice. Sorry – no refunds for weather conditions or insects!
Most of the time you will need one or the other, if not both. Some months like October thru February, you’re safe, but bring them just in case! It’s better to be safe than sorry.
In order for things to go smoothly for you and the park, we request at least one chaperon per ten children. We will extend complimentary passes to the one chaperone per ten children. Chaperons will be with their kids at ALL times (in the park and gift shop) to ensure respectful behavior to our animals and other guests.
How much of your tour or field trip is guided is dependent upon your selections for field trip rotations. For example, if you choose the “Treasures of the Okefenokee” science program, you will have a naturalist or educator with you during the program, but you may have to walk to your next program (Water Excursion, Train Experience, Eye on Nature Show, etc.) on your own. We will take the guess-work out of “where do I need to be and when” by scheduling your group for the rotations that you have selected. It will include times for the gift shop, meals and bathroom breaks. If you have any special needs we will accommodate you the best way we can.
Water excursions via boat are dependent upon water levels and guide availability. There are times when we cannot take a large group due to low water which prevents us from taking the maximum number of persons per boat. Group boat excursion length is approximately 20 minutes.
To reserve your field trip or tour, please fill out the form and refer to the information found here.
