A new silhouette will soon rise above the tree line at Okefenokee Pastimes Cabins & Campground, and it will not be a cabin roofline or a canvas tent peak. It will be a geodesic dome, the first of six, taking shape on a private floating deck just steps from the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Folkston, Georgia.
For more than four decades, our family has welcomed guests to this corner of South Georgia, first with a simple campground, then cabins, then glamping tents and RV sites. This fall, between October and November, we are opening the newest chapter of that story. Six geodesic domes, built for travelers who want the comfort of a cabin, the wonder of sleeping under an open sky, and a front row seat to one of the darkest, most star filled skies in the eastern United States.
This post walks through how the domes will be built, what each one will be called, what is included inside, what you should know before you book, and how this new option fits into everything else Okefenokee Pastimes already offers.
Want to be first in line? Construction begins in just a few weeks. Sign up for our newsletter and we will keep you updated as opening details come together, before they are announced anywhere else.
Okefenokee Pastimes has been a working part of this land since 1980. What started as a small, family run campground near the Okefenokee Swamp has grown slowly and on purpose. Traditional campground sites came first. Then cabins for guests who wanted four walls and a real bed. Then RV sites for travelers passing through on the way to Florida or the coast. Then glamping tents for guests who wanted to camp without giving up comfort.
Geodesic domes are the next step in that same direction, not a departure from it. Glamping has grown into one of the fastest growing corners of travel, and guests keep telling us the same thing: they want a stay that feels like an experience, not just a place to sleep. A dome does that. The curved structure, the wall of window facing the star gazing field and sky, and the option to fall asleep to the sound of the wetland outside the park at the swamp make a dome feel closer to nature than a cabin, while still offering the climate control and furnishings of a real room.
As a veteran owned, family operated property, we also see the domes as a way to keep growing without losing what makes Okefenokee Pastimes feel like Okefenokee Pastimes. Same land. Same crew. Same warm welcome. Just one more way to stay on it.
Building near the gateway to a swamp takes a different approach than building on ordinary ground. Each of our six domes will sit on its own 26 foot by 26 foot floating deck, engineered to handle the shifting, moisture rich soil typical of this part of South Georgia without the cost and disruption of a poured foundation. The decks will be framed with pressure treated 2×8 and 2×10 lumber and set on floating deck blocks, a method that lets each structure settle naturally with the land instead of fighting against it.
Each deck is sized to comfortably support a 7 meter dome, with a bit of extra room out front for the fire pit and chairs, where guests can sit outside, morning coffee in hand, and take in the open sky before the day heats up.
A geodesic dome only works as a comfortable overnight stay if the inside matches the ambition of the outside. Each dome will be heated and cooled with a floor mounted mini split HVAC system, chosen specifically so the unit stays out of sight and out of the way rather than mounted awkwardly on a curved wall.
On the furnishing side, we have been sourcing real beds, soft rugs, layered lighting, textured throws and pillows, and touches of greenery for every dome, all within a dedicated furnishings budget separate from construction costs. The goal is simple. When a guest unzips the flap of a glamping tent, they expect rustic charm. When a guest opens the door of one of these domes, we want them to feel like they walked into a boutique hotel room that just happens to be shaped like a bubble and surrounded by nature, with the swamp itself just across from the park.
Every one of our six domes carries a name pulled from the night sky above them, a fitting match for one of the darkest stargazing destinations in the East. Here is the personality behind each stay:
We will share layouts and photos for each dome as it nears completion this fall.
Construction on all six domes breaks ground in just a few weeks, with decks, framing, HVAC, and furnishings all planned to move forward together. Our target opening window is October through November of this year, timed intentionally with cooler evening temperatures and the start of the region’s best stargazing season. Exact opening dates for each individual dome will be shared here on the blog as construction gets underway and wraps up.
Once construction begins, each dome will be outfitted with a real bed and quality linens, climate control for year round comfort, layered ambient lighting, soft furnishings like rugs and throws, small greenery accents that bring the outside in, and a coffee bar with a mini fridge and microwave for guests who want to keep meals simple. Guests can expect an experience closer to a well appointed hotel room than a traditional tent, wrapped inside a distinctive, curved dome structure with a fire pit and chairs set up in front of the dome.
With the domes joining our lineup, Okefenokee Pastimes offers several distinct ways to stay on the property, and each one suits a different kind of traveler.
Our cabins remain the choice for guests who want a fully enclosed, traditional home away from home, ideal for families or longer stays. Our existing glamping tents are perfect for guests chasing a more rustic, canvas covered camping experience with upgraded comfort. RV sites continue to serve travelers bringing their own rig, with hookups ready to go, and our campground remains open for guests who simply want to pitch a tent under the trees. Now, the geodesic domes give guests a new option in between all of them: more open and immersive than a cabin, more climate controlled and furnished than a tent, and built specifically around the view.
If you are not sure which stay is right for your trip, our team is always happy to help you choose based on your group size, budget, and what kind of experience you are looking for.
One of the biggest reasons we chose to build domes rather than any other type of accommodation is the sky itself. The Okefenokee region is known as true Dark Sky country, among the darkest, least light polluted stretches of the eastern United States. Our property sits at the edge of the nearly 400,000 acre Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, and that kind of protected, undeveloped wetland means very little artificial light for miles in any direction.
That kind of Dark Sky setting is exactly the backdrop we built these domes for, and it is why each dome is topped with glass. Guests fall asleep looking straight up at the stars, no need to step outside or set an alarm for a middle of the night viewing. Guests can expect a night sky dense with stars, the kind that is genuinely hard to find within a few hours’ drive of most Southeastern cities. Whether you are an experienced stargazer bringing a telescope or simply someone who wants to lie back in bed and watch the sky change after sunset, this is the kind of night sky experience that photos rarely do justice.
The geodesic domes are exciting on their own, but they matter most in the context of everything else already happening at Okefenokee Pastimes Cabins & Campground. This property has never been just one type of stay. It is a full destination.
Guests staying in a dome will have the same access as every other guest to our on site restaurant and bar, which is open to the public, not just overnight guests, so locals and day visitors from around Folkston and the wider Okefenokee area are always welcome to stop in for a meal. Our camp store, cabins, glamping tents, traditional campground sites, and RV sites all continue to operate exactly as they always have. The domes simply add a new option under the same roof, so to speak, for guests who want a slightly different kind of night.
As a veteran owned and family operated business, we have always built this property around community, hospitality, and a genuine connection to the land the Okefenokee sits on. The domes reflect that same philosophy. They are not an attempt to become something we are not. They are simply a new way for a new kind of traveler, whether a couple looking for a memorable weekend, a solo traveler chasing dark skies, or a family wanting to try something different, to experience Okefenokee Pastimes the way we have always hoped guests would: comfortable, connected to nature, and genuinely welcomed.
When can I book a dome?
Construction begins in a few weeks, with an opening window targeted for October through November. Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know as details come together.
How much will a dome cost?
Nights start at $249.
Are the domes pet-friendly?
The domes are not pet-friendly. Guests traveling with pets are welcome to book one of our pet-friendly cabins instead.
How many guests can stay in one dome?
Each dome comfortably sleeps up to four guests.
The domes are still taking shape, but the rest of Okefenokee Pastimes is open and ready for your visit right now. A trip booked this fall or winter means you will get to see the domes under construction firsthand, before most people even know they exist.
Reserve a cabin for a fully enclosed home base, book one of our glamping tents for a more rustic stay with upgraded comfort, or pull your RV into one of our sites with hookups ready to go. Traditional campground sites are open as well for anyone who wants to pitch a tent under the trees. Whichever you choose, you will be steps from the same swamp, the same sky, and the same restaurant and bar that will one day welcome dome guests too.
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