On the last day of my Fall 2022 solo Okefenokee paddle, I launched from Kingfisher Landing on the east side of the swamp to explore green canoe trail southward through Durden Prairie. I turned around at the 5 mile marker. This portion of the Okefenokee is lined with tall Pitcher Plants and yellow wildflowers. 

After paddling a mile from the Kingfisher Landing launch, the canoe trail splits. The red trail continues northward through Carter Prairie and continues many miles to Maul Hammock, Big Water, through Minnie's Lake and down to Billy's Lake. I chose to go southward along the green trail, not having paddled this route before. The green trail eventually takes you to Floyd's Island. 

I was delighted to see a few patches of Water Shield as I paddled the narrow channel. But my excitement soon faded as it became so thick that the trolling motor was useless and paddling was a challenge! 

I was quickly becoming a bit jaded fighting with the sphagnum and water shield, all without seeing much in the way of birds and wildlife. But as I considered turning back, the Okefenokee threw out another surprise as I saw two, possibly three, River Otters swimming the narrow channel. Two disappeared into the vegetation, but one was quite curious and stay ahead of me for a quarter mile, constantly diving and resurfacing to check me out. 

After reaching the five-mile marker, I reluctantly turned back and made the last leg of my Fall paddle through the Okefenokee Swamp. Leaving is always the worst part of every Oke trip. 

I was slow to leave the Okefenokee, for I knew it would be at least four or five months before I returned. As I loaded my canoe I could hear numerous Sandhill Crane calling. As I pulled away from the parking lot, I found them in a field. I was also distracted by a large group of perching birds in the pines. There were many Pine Warblers and at least one Black and White Warbler mixed in. I also shot my first American Kestrel within the refuge boundaries. 

During my solo Okefenokee Swamp paddle in October, I wanted to hit some trails that I had never paddled before. I decided to hit the green trail south of the Suwannee Canal down to Monkey Lake, and, if time, to Buzzards Roost Lake.

The first two miles out from the Okefenokee Adventures launch follows the Suwannee Canal (orange trail) for two miles before heading south. 

Approximately 2 miles out the Suwannee Canal the Green Canoe Trail down to Monkey Lake branches off to the left. The first view is of beautiful Chesser Prairie. 

So, you want to see some Okefenokee alligators and wading birds but don’t have the time for a paddle, the Suwannee River Sill Recreation area is a great place to stop for a few hours. The Sill is a long, manmade channel on the western side of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. It was made as an attempt to control the water levels within the swamp, but now primarily serves as a boat launch for day-trip fishing.

When approaching the Okefenokee Swamp on Georgia-177 from Fargo, The Sill is on the left just as you pass through the gates to enter the National Wildlife Refuge. A long driveway parallels the canal as you enter and there are several pull offs to stop and gawk at the monsters that are typically laying out in the sun. The driveway terminates in a parking lot at the dam (where a port-o-potty is conveniently located!).

From the main parking lot, you can look down the Suwannee River as it exits the Okefenokee and heads westward and eventually pours into to the Gulf of Mexico. You can also walk another mile or so northward along the canal and see some of the wildlife that are a bit more wary of the vehicles along the front half.
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I always make a drive-through of The Sill when arriving and leaving the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. I have seen some of my biggest Okefenokee alligators along The Sill. So if for whatever reason you happen to be passing through Fargo, or you are staying the night at the Stephen C Foster State Park, make at least one trip to The Sill. 

Even though I have my own canoe, and even though I've taken the guided tour several times, I still love to go on the Sunset Boat Tour offered at Okefenokee Adventures! It is a joy to load up into the small boat with several other visitors to the swamp. It is usually their first trip out into the Okefenokee and I love to see and hear their reactions. 

Day three of my Fall Okefenokee excursion was the paddle back from the Canal Run shelter where I had just spent the night. It was amazing how much quicker the return trip was by paddling with the current. 

There are two short walking trails off Swamp Island Drive in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. To be honest, I've driven past them many, many times and discounted them as not worthwhile. But arriving too late in the afternoon to launch my canoe, I decided to walk both the Canal Diggers Trail and the Upland Discovery Trail... and I'm so glad I did! 

I have been hoping to photograph a Red-cockaded Woodpecker in the Okefenokee for quite some time. I staked out some Longleaf Pines on the western side in the past but without luck. As I walked just a few hundred feet onto the short Upland Discovery Trail, I saw a couple woodpeckers flitting about and didn't recognize their call. My adrenaline went through the ceiling as I raised the lens and knew I was looking at not one, not two, not three... but four Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. 

Just after 8 miles of paddling upstream against the East Fork Suwannee River (orange trail), I made it to my overnight destination at the Canal Run shelter. I quickly set up camp and took a few observations for iNaturalist. A Barred Owl hooted in the distance and I brought him right over my head with a little playback. I then ate a cold can of ravioli, and then just sat with my feet dangling as I enjoyed the quiet sunset of the Okefenokee. 

​Is it safe to paddle the Okefenokee alone? I suppose that depends on many factors. I have made most of my trips through the swamp with my daughter or my friends, mostly to share the experience. But in addition to a few day trips, I also made a solo overnight excursion to the Canal Run shelter in October, 2022. While it is probably safer to have a partner, I believe a solo trip can be completed safely if you know where you’re going.

Long before overnight paddling by myself, I had made many paddles through the Refuge with partners. I could probably navigate many of the runs off Billy’s Lake without a map, but I would never be foolish enough to go without a map. I always bring an Okefenokee NWR map that shows all the canoe trails and mile markers. Even in this age of technology, an old-fashioned trail map printed on paper is essential. If you forget one, the Refuge always has them available at the various launch points in the Refuge.

​I also bring my handheld GPS that has many of the mile-markers and platforms marked as waypoints. The canoe trails are all marked and most of the side trails are too choked with water lilies to navigate, but if you happened to take a side run, it would be quite easy to get lost. I use a battery operated, handheld GPS and ensure I have extra batteries. Don’t rely on your phone for GPS navigation because it won’t last long. ​

Paddling a section of the East Fork Suwannee River (orange canoe trail) between mile markers 10 and 13 on my way to the Canal Run overnight shelter in the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. 

To go where one has not gone before is the call of every adventurer's heart. Many times my daughter and I had paddled eastward just past Billy's Island only to stop and stare at "permit required beyond this point" sign and wonder what lies down that channel. I was going to find out on my October 2022 solo trip.

Obtaining the permit for this section of trail that leads to the Canal Run shelter was quite easy, being a one-night trip. The platform availabilities and paddling routes are now on a website. No longer do you have spend time on the phone with Refuge staff to list the available routes. You can simply look up your desired dates and routes, and then call to book them. 

I booked this one night stay at the Canal Run Shelter so I could explore a short portion of canoe trail that runs between the Stephen C Foster State Park Launch and the Suwannee Canal. I would paddle the five mile 'permit only' portion of the East Fork Suwannee River, camp overnight at the platform, and backtrack the following day while taking photographic observations along the way. 

Being a relatively narrow and closed-in portion of the trail, the conditions weren't the best for photography, but great for exploration. In the close quarters, I used my cellphone camera more than my DSLR and long lens. It was hard to pinpoint the small birds and lizards that scurried among the thick, tangled vegetation. 

​A group of young alligators and their mother along the East Fork Suwannee River near Canal Run in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. 

A short morning walk on the trails in the Stephen C Foster State Park within the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge before heading out on the canoe. 

Wednesday, 9:47 AM - The first leg of my journey to my overnight camping in the Okefenokee Swamp takes me across Billy’s Lake. Billy’s Lake, especially first thing in the morning, is always a moving experience. You leave the bustle of the Stephen C Foster campground and come upon a large, open lake that is often smooth as glass in the morning. If there are no john boat motors running, the tranquility is tangible… I sometimes feel the splashing of my paddle is too loud!

​A boisterous Red-shouldered Hawk’s screams echo across the entire lake. A heron’s croak is clearly heard, although the bird itself is hidden in the Spatterdock and Maidencane. The flap of a cormorant’s wings can be heard a quarter mile across the water. I just want to sit and float, but the current lead’s me away from this day’s journey to the Canal Run platform. I must break the silence of mind and surroundings and push my paddle into the water toward’s Billy’s Island. 

​Seeing the extremely low waters of the Suwannee River Sill, I began to fear this trip might not be as productive as I had hoped. I took four days off work to make this five-day visit. But would I even be able to get my canoe through the low water to the areas I had hoped to explore?  But, as usual, the Okefenokee never disappoints.  

Low waters caused by drought in the Okefenokee might make paddling difficult and some areas inaccessible, but it isn't totally a bad thing. When water levels are higher, the critters can spread out over the Refuge’s 400,000 acres. But as the swamp dries out, the alligators and other critters tend to congregate in the deeper areas such as the lakes and channels that still contain water. 
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Being a manmade channel controlled by a dam, the Suwannee River Sill on the western side of the swamp typically maintains a decent level of water, even during a drought. And when the water levels are low, the alligators all become visible. Shallow waters and a warm, fall afternoon means a high concentration of big gators along the banks of The Sill! I certainly wasn’t disappointed on this fall trip. There are enough large alligators along the Suwanee River Sill Recreation Area to rival any Florida destination.