USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Georgia

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is a 402,000‑acre (1,627 km2) National Wildlife Refuge located in Charlton, Ware, and Clinch Counties of Georgia, and Baker County in Florida, United States. The refuge is administered from offices in Folkston, Georgia. The refuge was established in 1937 to protect a majority of the 438,000 acres (1,770 km2) in the Okefenokee Swamp. The name "Okefenokee", often translated as "land of trembling earth", is likely derived from Hitchiti oki fanôːki.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge407,615 acresUSFWSGA1 campground within 10 mi
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
1fire
active
Bee Haven Bay (24-06) · 39 mi from the center · 170 acres
Interagency incident data as of 2026-09-17
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateGeorgia
Size407,615 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 4
Center point30.7992, -82.3050
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 9)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

1 federal campground sits inside the boundary and 0 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FWS · Inside
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Overnight Camping Permit
Reservable12 sites

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Wildfire
    Bee Haven Bay (24-06)

    39 mi from the center point · 170 acres · 90% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 14 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge?

407,615 acres, measured from the published boundary polygon. The agency’s own figure can differ where the boundary includes water or inholdings.

Source: How acreage is computed

Who manages Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in?

Georgia.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge?

1 federal campground sits inside the boundary, including Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Overnight Camping Permit. 1 in all are within ten miles. Most refuges do not allow camping inside the refuge, so the campgrounds listed are outside it.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 30.799, -82.305. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Is there a fire near Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge right now?

1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Bee Haven Bay (24-06) at 39 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 9 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Are there historic places near Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge?

14 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Hopkins, John M., Cabin and Barber, Obediah, Homestead.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
  • Description: Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.