USFWS · Georgia

Okefenokee Wilderness

Imagine waking to a mist-enshrouded wetland, echoing with the calls of herons and ibis. Your camping site is a wooden platform surrounded by miles and miles of wet-prairie or moss-covered cypress. The only sounds you hear are the calls of native wildlife and those you make upon taking in such beauty. This is what it is like to experience a night in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Wilderness Area! The Okefenokee NWR encompasses the Okefenokee Swamp, one of the oldest and best-preserved freshwater areas in the country. This vast bog lies inside a huge depression that was once on the ocean floor. The refuge extends just over the state line into Florida.

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).

Wilderness353,981 acresUSFWSGADesignated 19741 campground within 10 mi
Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Okefenokee Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
1 fire
active
Bee Haven (2) (24-06) · 39 mi from the center · 2,060 acres
Interagency incident data as of 2026-11-01
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateGeorgia
Size353,981 acres
Designated1974, by Congress
Center point30.80° N, 82.30° W
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 9)

Boundary map

2 outlines

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.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Okefenokee Wilderness50°60°70°80°90°January: 3.87 inches of precipitationFebruary: 3.56 inches of precipitationMarch: 3.96 inches of precipitationApril: 3.34 inches of precipitationMay: 3.08 inches of precipitationJune: 7.00 inches of precipitationJuly: 6.08 inches of precipitationAugust: 6.47 inches of precipitationSeptember: 5.38 inches of precipitationOctober: 3.51 inches of precipitationNovember: 2.10 inches of precipitationDecember: 3.18 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 53.1°F averageFebruary: 56.9°F averageMarch: 62.9°F averageApril: 69.0°F averageMay: 75.6°F averageJune: 81.0°F averageJuly: 83.2°F averageAugust: 82.8°F averageSeptember: 79.2°F averageOctober: 70.3°F averageNovember: 61.4°F averageDecember: 55.7°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Fargo 17 NE, 4 miles from the center point at 124 feet, station USC00093325 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 52 inches a year.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

1 federal campground sits inside the boundary. 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 2026-11-01
  • Wildfire
    Bee Haven (2) (24-06)

    39 mi from the center point · 2,060 acres · 85% 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 · 9 in all · Register Atlas

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

Guidebooks for Georgia

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Hiking Georgia
    Donald Pfitzer and Jimmy Jacobs, 2020
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • 50 Hikes in the North Georgia Mountains
    Johnny Molloy, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Afoot and Afield: Atlanta
    Marcus Woolf, 2015
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Okefenokee Wilderness?

353,981 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Okefenokee Wilderness?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Okefenokee Wilderness in?

Georgia.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Okefenokee Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1974.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Okefenokee Wilderness?

Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Okefenokee Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 30.804° N, 82.302° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Is there a fire near Okefenokee Wilderness right now?

1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Bee Haven (2) (24-06) at 39 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

Are there historic places near Okefenokee Wilderness?

The National Register has 9 listings within 15 miles, including Hopkins, John M., Cabin and Barber, Obediah, Homestead.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
  • 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.