Your home base for Okefenokee Swamp Stays, South GA Stargazing and Folkston, GA Camping.
Private Oasis in Okefenokee
Tucked away in nature
With some pull through options
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is an awesomely vast expanse of wilderness southern swamp covering approximately 700 square miles and located mostly in the southeast corner of Georgia, U.S.A. The Okefenokee is crisscrossed by over 120 miles of paddle and motorboat water trails. It is a major destination for wetlands nature lovers paddlers and boaters.
The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge offers a good number of wonderfully easy to sometimes extremely challenging day use paddle only water trails. Also, enjoy numerous excitingly fun to navigate dual-use paddle or motorboat water trails all set up for the public to access without an overnight permit or fee requirement. A very controlled and limited number of overnight wilderness paddle trail fee permits for overnight camping paddlers are issued through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (the administrative and managing government agency at Okefenokee NWR).
We are the Best Maintained, Cleanest, Treed and Quietest park in Folkston, GA , We are the closest Accommodations to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.
At Okefenokee Pastimes, we understand that exploring the wilderness can work up an appetite. That’s why we’re delighted to offer an on-site food service and lounge that is open daily. After a day of adventure in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, treat yourself to a delicious meal and unwind in our cozy lounge area.
Our food service features a diverse menu with options to please every palate. Our talented cooks prepare delicious dishes ensuring freshness and flavor in every bite. Whether you’re craving comfort food, healthy choices, or something in between, our menu has something for everyone.
After enjoying a satisfying meal, head to our lounge and relax with a refreshing beverage. We offer a wide selection of drinks, including beers, wines, and specialty cocktails. Our lounge provides the perfect setting to socialize, meet fellow adventurers, or simply unwind and reflect on your day’s experiences.
At Okefenokee Pastimes, we believe that great food and a welcoming atmosphere are essential components of a memorable wilderness experience. Join us at our food service and lounge to add a touch of indulgence to your adventure in the Okefenokee Swamp.
The campground at Okefenokee Pastimes offers cabins, campsites, RV spots, food service and lounge open daily. Our goal is to provide you with the best stay you can find by the famous Okefenokee National Wildlife refuge.
This is your chance to get away from it all and spend some quality time in the great outdoors. You’ll have a private cabin with everything you need for an unforgettable experience, including use of amenities such as shade structures or grill stations near by at any given moment! With so many options available there’s no reason not find exactly what suits both budget & desire- just book now before these spots fill up too quickly!
Enjoy your privacy with no neighbors in the room next to you or above and below you
RV Sites with pull through options and full hook-ups
National Wildlife refuge that is home to nearly a half-million acres
We have everything you need to make stargazing fun and easy.
Experience delicious food and a cozy atmosphere for your wilderness adventures.
The Great Okefenokee Swamp is one of North America's most unspoiled, fascinating, and precious natural areas. It is the largest, intact, un-fragmented, freshwater, and black water wilderness swamp in North America. "Okefenokee" was the name used by the indigenous Creeks and was believed to mean, "Land of Trembling Earth". As it turns out, that's a popular but very loose and many believe incorrect translation. "Oka" means water in the Hitchiti Creek language and "Fenoke" means shaking in Hitchiti. So the original meaning of Okefenokee is more like "Waters Shaking" not the commonly held "Land of Trembling Earth."
This remote park is a primary entrance to the legendary Okefenokee Swamp—one of Georgia's seven natural wonders. Spanish moss-laced trees reflect off the black swamp waters, while cypress knees rise upward from the glass-like surface. Here, paddlers and photographers will enjoy breathtaking scenery and abundant wildlife. Alligators, turtles, raccoons, black bears, deer, ibis, herons, wood storks, red-cockaded woodpeckers and numerous other creatures make their homes in the 402,000 acre refuge. Stargazers will appreciate the particularly dark sky.
No need to invest in astronomy equipment, you can use a pair of binoculars if you have them. Just the naked eye with the Bortle 3 skies you can see the Milky Way, Andromeda and Orion (when in season). We will in the near future begin offering monthly leases for an observatory and RV spot, they will be available for purchase in weekly, 1 month, 3 months, and 6-month blocks and will be all-inclusive (you will need your own equipment). We hope to be able to begin offering this in March 2022 observatories will consist of 4 Sky Pod Sheds in the field with power. We will also be renting Dobsonian mounted Telescopes that you can use and view the planets and stars with (price to be determined) they will be set up on concrete pads and will have all the eyepieces you will need for viewing.
Take a guided tour down the river and get a beautiful and fun experience f Folkston Georgia. They have kayaks, motor boats, canoes and more.
Come visit the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens for a fun activity for the whole family. Here they have hundreds of animals from African Spoonbills to Giant Anteaters.
Enjoy hikes all over Georgia's Largest Barrier Island at the Cumberland Island National Seashore. They wild horses along with tons of awesome wildlife.
Camp Store Hours: 10am-6pm Monday- Sunday
Food service daily in our lounge!
Come get your snacks, drinks, sunscreen, s’mores kits, and more!
The speed limit in the park is 5mph.
Please respect the privacy of fellow guests. DO NOT walk or drive through other sites.
Quiet hours are from 10pm to 8am.
Visitors must check in to the office before entering the park.
No glass in the campground. Glass is permitted in your site or cabin area.
Garbage should be in sealed plastic bags and placed in garbage bins near the office. Do not leave garbage outside overnight. Aluminum can recycling is located near the office.
No smoking in any building or cabin. This includes a bathhouse, laundry room, office, and recreation hall. Do not throw cigarette buds on the ground. No fireworks!!
Campfires: Use only designated fire pits. Fire pits are for firewood purchased from camp store ONLY. Never leave fires unattended.
Fishing pond Is catch and release sunrise to sunset. Purchase permit in office.
No swimming in the pond. You are welcome to use the fish feeders.
Pets must be leashed and under physical control of the owner at all times. Please pick up after your pet.
Children must be supervised at all times.
Cabin Rules
Check out time is 11:00 a.m.
No smoking cabins or on the porch.
No dogs left unattended in the cabins!
RV Rules
A sewer hose seal (threaded connector) for your sewer hose is REQUIRED on all sewer hookups. We have them in the office to buy.
No electric heaters- propane only.
No washing of RV’s or vehicles.
Wi-Fi
Network: pastimes (1,2,3,4,5,10,11)
Password: pastimes
Management reserves the right to evict or refuse entry to any person who has evidenced a disregard for the rules without a refund. Guests and their visitors agree to use the campground at their own risk. The management and owners are not responsible for damage, injury or loss to persons, pets or property.
NO SHOWS ARE CHARGED ENTIRE RESERVATION AMOUNT. NO REFUNDS MADE FOR EARLY DEPARTURES or WEATHER.
A cancellation fee of $40.00 will be charged on All Reservation Cancellations. If cancellation is within 30 days up to 72 hours of arrival the Full Deposit will be forfeited, (based on reason of cancellation we may allow up to 6 months to reschedule stay and use existing deposit). Reservations canceled within 72 hours of arrival will be charged for all of the nights reserved.
All refunds processed via credit/debit card will be processed back to the original credit/debit card used.
As we continue to add and improve the Campground there will be ongoing construction. We try to keep noise to a minimum and only do equipment work between 10am and 5pm. Most work is going on on the North end of the campground however on occasion we may be out and about in the cabin or RV area during these times doing upgrades.