What the heck has happened to the Okefenokee Swamp Park

[SemperFiDawg]

I've been going to that park every since I was about 4. Seems like every 4-5 years my kids would have a field trip there. Went with my youngest son last week. That place has went down a lot. Where the staff historically seemed to be locals, it wasn't. Apparently you now have to have nose rings, tattoos, speak with a imported Florida Yankee nasal accent and under 20 to get a job there. The train conductor was an "it" as in "it didn't know if it was a male or female.....and neither did I. The staff had no intrinsic knowledge of the swamp. If it wasn't on their rehearsed spill you were out of luck. My son knew more about the ecosystem than the Gen Zs did. Forget about asking a question and getting an answer.

The park itself wasn't well kept. There were stacks of limbs scattered around. The snake displays were all empty and the lights over them were off. The black bears were gone. The gators that always seemed so abundant were scarce. The staff made a comment about the previous owners "doing some stuff that was sketch." Yeah, that's the lingo you can expect so unless you speak "sketch"...

Overall the experience was bad to put it mildly. I can't see me ever going back, which is a dang shame because on my last visit some years back I was able to sit around and talk with an ole timer who worked there. He was from the area and was a wealth of information. It was just a joy to be able to converse with him. I learned a lot from him about the swamp in just the little time we spoke. Without a doubt, that's gone forever. It just makes me sick to see a place that has been such a part of my entire life and my kids life go down the drain.

 

[fishfryer]

I've been going to that park every since I was about 4. Seems like every 4-5 years my kids would have a field trip there. Went with my youngest son last week. That place has went down a lot. Where the staff historically seemed to be locals, it wasn't. Apparently you now have to have nose rings, tattoos, speak with a imported Florida Yankee nasal accent and under 20 to get a job there. The train conductor was an "it" as in "it didn't know if it was a male or female.....and neither did I. The staff had no intrinsic knowledge of the swamp. If it wasn't on their rehearsed spill you were out of luck. My son knew more about the ecosystem than the Gen Zs did. Forget about asking a question and getting an answer.

The park itself wasn't well kept. There were stacks of limbs scattered around. The snake displays were all empty and the lights over them were off. The black bears were gone. The gators that always seemed so abundant were scarce. The staff made a comment about the previous owners "doing some stuff that was sketch." Yeah, that's the lingo you can expect so unless you speak "sketch"...

Overall the experience was bad to put it mildly. I can't see me ever going back, which is a dang shame because on my last visit some years back I was able to sit around and talk with an ole timer who worked there. He was from the area and was a wealth of information. It was just a joy to be able to converse with him. I learned a lot from him about the swamp in just the little time we spoke. Without a doubt, that's gone forever. It just makes me sick to see a place that has been such a part of my entire life and my kids life go down the drain.

The more birthdays you have, the worse it gets

 

[Blackston]

They should haul them it’s to Billy’s island

 

[sinclair1]

Went once as a kid. Sad times

 

[NE GA Pappy]

They should haul them it’s to Billy’s island

if they want to come back, let'em swim

 

[Blackston]

if they want to come back, let'em swim

They know what they was if they got back ( they’d know who GOD is to from all the praying )

 

[SemperFiDawg]

@Nicodemus. Not sure if this is in your neck of the woods or not, but you know anything about this?

 

[Railroader]

@Nicodemus. Not sure if this is in your neck of the woods or not, but you know anything about this?

I do, I'll get back to this a little later...

 

[sinclair1]

If I remember correctly, the old grey beard guy who spoke to us about the swamp had been there decades.

 

[Railroader]

Very simple answer is that several years back, the place got took over by new owners, who only know business.

And of course they staffed it with young, woke, inclusive, idiots who look good on a DEI chart.

You saw the result, and it's pathetic.

 

[sinclair1]

 

[Blackston]

Okefenokee Joe would puke

 

[Danuwoa]

We were there two years ago and it was absolutely nothing like you describe. We enjoyed it. The girl that took us on the boat tour had that annoying young person accent but once she heard us talking she came off it and stopped talking like that.

I’m guessing some of them do it because they get tired of being made fun of by the Florida Yankees about the way they talk. I was a park ranger in another lifetime and Yankees will openly mock you. I would just embarrass them when they did it to me and continue speaking the way Gid intended but a lot of people are too passive for such.

 

[Danuwoa]

@Nicodemus. Not sure if this is in your neck of the woods or not, but you know anything about this?

Well south of Nic. Nic and I are neighbors.

 

[Nicodemus]

About all I`ve heard is just rumors, but they need to leave the Swamp alone. All they`ll end up doing is making a mess of it like they did the Everglades.

 

[Silver Britches]

There's an Alabama mining company (Twin Pines Minerals) wanting to mine less than 3 miles from the refuge. They're wanting to extract titanium and zirconium from a 584-acre tract on the east flank of the Okefenokee. I filled out a petition awhile back to stop them from mining near there. What a dang shame it would be if they're allowed to do so.

FAQ - Okefenokee NWR and Twin Pines Mine | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Does the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service oppose Twin Pines Mine?The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opposes the proposed Twin Pines Minerals LLC, mining project and reclamation activities adjacent to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Based on independent evaluations, there is currently not...

www.fws.gov

 

[Railroader]

Oddly enough, my grandson Little Brother went there yesterday on a field trip...

He said it was cool, but not much he didn't already know. He said they told them that the resident bear was old and sick, and they had to put him down late last year.

The boat tour wasn't running, but the train was, and he liked that.

 

[LonePine]

We went to the Folkston park a few weeks ago and the boat tour guide was a swamper that had been doing tours for years. Was a pretty good experience but have not been to the Waycross park in years. Same owner has them both.

My bigger concern is that they are pushing for the swamp to become designated as some kind of UN World Heritage site. Not sure what all is involved with that but bringing the UN into anything just means more red tape, restrictions, and bureaucracy. Don't see any good coming out of that

 

[valkrod]

I prefer the Folkston park than Waycross. More enjoyable park and the boat guide is top notch.