Inger and Jeff Latreille
A Bit Isolated
Updated: Feb 19, 2021
~Wednesday, February 10, 2021~
Day 241 (Travel Day)
Hopefully headed to better weather in Fargo, GA and can’t wait to see the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge. Most of the trip was via route 95 south, until we got onto a few smaller highways meandering us in and out of Georgia and Florida. I think we must have passed 4 or 5 “welcome” signs as we moved back and forth between the two states. As we approached our destination, we first thought we made a mistake on our GPS because it showed we had “arrived” but we really hadn’t. We didn’t pass any type of landmark (grocery, gas….anything) for the past 40 minutes. Finally, we saw a sign, a tiny sign labeled “Stephen C. Foster State Park” but with no mileage marker. So we kept driving. After a few miles, we eventually saw a gate and a check-in center/general store next to a small pond with signs that read “don’t feed the alligators”. Though we didn’t see any, at least today, this is the launch site for boat tours in the Okefenokee. This is absolutely on our list of excursions.
We probably should have stocked up a bit before coming here since the closest town is Fargo, about 18 miles away and with modest provisions…..1 Dollar store, 1 gas station, and 1 Convenience store. But I think we have enough to get by for the 3 days we’ll be here. Pulling up to our site in Loop 2, we noticed its privacy and snugness would pose a challenge getting into. Ultimately, it only took us about 10 minutes. On some of the sites, it looks like you can fit 2 rigs.
After setting up, we took a walk around the campground, with campsite #14 noted as the best one. There really isn’t a bad site to be had here, with many being quite large. In fact, some could fit 2 rigs on them. And each site is spaced apart and private thanks to the lush vegetation. This campground is basically out in the middle of “no man’s land” noted for being right in the center of the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge and its “International Dark Sky Park” status. The campground is literally surrounded by swamp. And with that comes peace and tranquility with the exception of swamp animal sounds. In fact, during the night, we could hear one animal that sounded like a prehistoric creature. This should be an interesting little visit.