
Okefenokee Adventures
Folkston, Georgia
Testimonials
Terrific 90 minute tour. Jenny Smith was absolutely fascinating with her knowledge of the history of the swamp, early swamp life , alligators, edible plants etc. Her bubbly personality was both friendly and engaging. We highly recommend this tour.
JOY…..and Chip! 😉
Gary, Michelle and I went to Floyd’s Island in February. Hands down one of the most beautiful places I have ever paddled.
I don’t know of many places in the Eastern US as remote as this swamp. “Swamp” has a lot of bad connotations, this places in a liquid paradise to so many plants and animals. Every bend seemed to have a different ecosystem. I will be going back. I have a lot of people here at work who want to go, but, they don’t realize that canoe camping, in this place is not for the novice. Unless they have someone like you and your lovely wife to guide them. If they are truly serious, I will have them contact you, although I understand ya’ll may be retiring soon. Gary say you guys are THE foremost experts on the swamp. I wish you would write a book!
The knowledge you possess could be influential to future generations.
My husband and I were thrilled with our 4-hour guided canoe tour. Matt was the perfect guide. Knowledgeable about all things Okefenokee, he was able to answer every question we had. We learned so much! Since our visit, we tell everyone about what a wonderful, unique place the Okefenokee is and encourage them to take an Okefenokee Adventure tour.
We came for the Sunset Tour last Tuesday. Sheila was our guide and we had a marvellous time. We saw lots of birds and of course, we can’t leave out the alligators. But Okefenokee is more than just alligators. We had a tree frog barking away from under our seats and the bats guided us back just as it was getting dark. The place is magical and Sheila is rightfully proud of it. Thanks Sheila, we are still talking about it and telling everybody this side of the pond!
Chip gave me and my daughter a shuttle to King Fisher Landing. He told us a lot about the swamp in our short drive. His passion for the swamp was true. At the time I had no idea he is co-owner with his wife of the Okefenokee Adventure. A real down to earth guy. Wanted to thank him again for all the information. We had a great 4 nights in the swamp and covered over 45 miles. Trip of a lifetime. All of the staff was friendly and helpful. Highly recommend their services. Trent.
We had an excellent 3 day 2 night trip overnight wilderness canoe trip with Shelia. We had almost the full range of experience from watching the gators sun themselves, to a full rain storm, and even snow flurries on the tail end of the big snow storm on the east coast last week. But the swamp was truly magnificent – the birds, gators, Cypress trees, hanging moss. Sheila is an excellent guide. She was very knowledgeable, a great cook, and had lots of stories of her family, herself and others on the swamp. Joy went above and beyond getting the permits we needed for the trails we wanted to do. Thank you for the trip of a lifetime!
We had an excellent time. The sun brings out the Alligators on a chilly winter’s day. The canoeing was easy, and gets you out into beautiful places in the Swamp where you could really soak in the sights and sounds. We enjoyed learning about the local environment, as our guide Chip really knows his stuff.
We visited Okefenofee Swamp for the first time and an extraordinary experience. We took the 90 minute tour and it was fantastic from start to finish. Our guide was Jen and she is soecial, Answeaser about everything including gators, cypress trees, floating peat moss, numerous birds, and especially the plants and shrubs at the praire area seemde to be right on the tip of her tongue. In additions to what we were seeing she shared interesting stories about the history of the swamp including the logging, creationof the canal, and even the benefits to the swamp of the huge fire a few years ago.
In addition to being knowledgable she was delightful with a smile or grin always on her face.
Thanks JenThe weather was perfect for us and we are already talking about going back for a more extended tour.
These poeple know how to treat ther visitors.
Thanks,
Jerry, Angela, Chanlder Charles
Go Dawgs
My husband and I took the 3 day tour with Sheila. The beauty of the swamp was matched by Sheila’s uncanny story telling talent. It seemed she had a tale to tell behind every turn through out the whole trip. We learned as much about the history of Okeefenokee as we did about the ecology.
Thanks for giving us the get away of a lifetime, we can’t wait to come back in the spring!
Mr. Chip, our trip was just simply outstanding. Your knowledge was only surpassed by your personality. It
was the best Father-Daughter trip we have taken, one
we will never forget! Delainey told me she wants to make this an annual trip and I wholehartedly agree. We still
have not stop talking about our three day adventure.
This man knows his swamp and his history. Thanks, Chip.
Just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our trip. Everyone we encountered was friendly and very knowledgeable. I can’t say enough about our swamp guide, Niles. He was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and knew when to provide quiet time so we could take in the sounds of nature. We will definitely recommend you…and especially the sunset tour!, to our friends, and most definitely will be back again. Thanks for the hospitality!
The Wilson Clan went on a wonderful sunset tour with Jen this evening. She sure knows her wildlife!! We were so impressed with her knowledge and her sense of humour. We saw numerous gators and as we got close to one right alongside the boat, it caught a fish and we got to see it eating it! It was amazing! We also saw some turtles, kingfishers, blue herons, and the green eyes of frogs once it got dark out! The kids got a huge kick out of shining their flashlights out along the swamp and seeing all the red eyes of the ‘gators!! We are on our way to DisneyWorld, but I am willing to bet that the highlight of our trip and what we will be talking about long after we have returned was our sunset swamp tour! We’ll definitely be back! Thanks so much Jen!
My husband and I completed our 2nd two night trip with Chip a couple of weeks ago. Expected a lot of fire damage but the reserve is quickly covering up the scars with new growth. Roughing it for a couple of nights was well worth the sounds and sights. Having an expert guide in charge took away all pressure and learned so much more about this wonderful wild place.
We took the sunset cruise last night with Jen and had a wonderful time. We saw numerous alligators wading birds sandhill cranes and a beautiful sunset over the prairie. She was very knowledgeable and informative. She even provided us with a blanket. Thanks Jean!!
My husband and I took the 90-minute tour with Nile. We learned a lot about the plants and animals of the Okeefenokee and enjoyed the trip immensely. We saw woodpeckers, turtles, great egrets, kingfishers, and more. we’ll be back to kayak ourselves next time!
Our group had a wonderful time today! Our boat tours and lunch were great! Our small group was on the boat with Jen. She was delightful! She was very informative and quite knowledgeable about the swamp! My husband and I will absolutely come back and bring friends to enjoy another of your tours!
We had a great time. Every one we came in contact with was super nice and helpful. But our guide Jen was knowledgeable, had a great personality, lots of fun. She made our trip special and unforgettable. I will recommend okefenokee adventures to everyone.Thanks for a awesome time.
Chip gave me an extended tour on June 27th. He helped me get a grasp of the Okefenokee eco-system and a sense of the people who have lived and worked on and around it.
This man knows his swamp and his history. Thanks, Chip.
I took a group of 3 boys and 1 girl all under the ages of 11 for a birthday weekend of touring the swamp. We all decided that the Refuge was the best part of visiting the swamp. We really enjoyed our Sunset Boat tour. It was very educational. Thanks for running an exceptional program along with the Park System.
I took a boat tour of the swamp with my 5 year old last week. We were fortunate to have Chip as our guide. He was very knowledgeable,professional, and entertaining. We learned so much about this spectacular ecosystem! I was surprised how much of the information my son retained. I learned many new things as well (and I thought I knew it all!…lol) This was truly an awesome and memorable experience. I can’t wait to get back out there. Thank you for a great time!
Just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our trip. Everyone we encountered was friendly and very knowledgeable. I can’t say enough about our swamp guide, Niles. He was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and knew when to provide quiet time so we could take in the sounds of nature. We will definitely recommend you…and especially the sunset tour!, to our friends, and most definitely will be back again. Thanks for the hospitality!
I have lived in Jacksonville all my life (35 years) and have never been to the Okefenokee Swamp. We went today and had the most amazing time. I went with my parents, son and friend, I’m glad I bought the annual pass on the way in. We took the boat tour and our captain was Jen.. She was great!! She was very knowledgeable and had a great personality. She answered all our questions and really seemed to LOVE what she is doing. We all loved her. We saw so much wildlife. We had a great lunch at the little cafe as soon as we got off the boat, then we went exploring. Thank You Okefenokee Adventures for a wonderful day.. We will be back and bring everyone and tell everyone to come see you!
Joy and Chip -What a wonderful 2 days spent with you touring the swamp. From the sunset cruise to the guided paddle, the scenery, commentary and wealth of knowledge that you both shared, was amazing. How comforting to know that you two are the tireless stewards of such a great national treasure. Thank you so much
I brought my girl scout troop for a tour on 4/9/2012 and we loved every minute of it. Thank you so much for such a wonderful adventure. The girls are still talking about it. One even commented that she could take this off of her bucket list. Our tour guide, Joey, was fun and informative. Thank you for a great experience
Thanks to Chip a master Naturalist for a excellent sunset tour and full moon tour of the swamp. Learned more than we can remember about the reptiles , trees, water, and flowers. Excellent tour. Will do it again soon.
I recently moved to Jacksonville, and had heard about the Okefenokee. On my day off, I decided to take a trip to Folkston to explore the area. It was a sunny and warm day in December. The staff was very friendly and professional; they possessed much knowledge about the swamp. I took a tour on one of the larger boats with a very interesting tour guide. He showed me alligators, cranes, trees, and other life in the Okefenokee. I would definitely recommend Okefenokee Adventures! It’s reasonably priced, tours last for 1.5 hours, and action packed.
Chip-Joy,
We wanted to express what a wonderful time we had on the 2 day tour out to Monkey Island Nov. 1st & 2nd. Not only was it a enjoyable time, but ever so informative. Chip’s knowledge of the swamp, it’s chemical composition & it’s ecological makeup are unsurpassed. Not to mention Chip’s a fair bit of a camp cook as well! We will be happy to inform all who might inquire, of the terrific time that was had by all. We will be happy to recommend Okefenokee Adventures to anyone seeking out a very different journey.
My family of 4 took a summer east coast vacation that included visiting the Okefenokee Swamp. We had a great time with Okefenokee Adventures! All of the staff were friendly and welcoming. Our guide, Chip, was the best! He had an intimate knowledge of the swamp and its seasonal cycles developed over a lifetime. Although it was hot, all of us enjoyed paddling our own canoes. My kids really enjoyed the up close yet safe experience with nature. We saw numerous alligators (surfacing right next to our canoe), birds, and plants. We were awed by the inherent silent beauty of the swamp. Okefenokee Adventures actually operates in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge so the environment is much more pristine than other entrance points. All of us had a great time – it was a memorable family experience. Thank you very much to Chip and the team at Okefenokee Adventures!
I wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our extended excursion of the Okefenokee on. Sheila was a wonderful guide. She just didn’t provide general information on the natural area, but also gave us a good sense of what life in the swamp was like. Her anecdotes provided a lot of insight and made the trip more personal. All in all it was a great introduction and overview of the Okefenokee, and I would highly recommend an extended excursion with Okefenokee Adventures. We had a great day at the refuge. Thanks for your help!
Thanks so much for a wonderful and unique experience in the swamp. Sheila (our guide) was simply great. She was very knowledgeable and willing to share that knowledge and experience with us.
We were very happy with our three day trip and we hope to return again next year.
Joyce, Mark and Zachary