Stephen C. Foster State Park - Fargo, Georgia

Boat Tours lead into the Okefenokee Swamp

Located 18 miles from Fargo in the edge of the famed Okefenokee Swamp, Stephen C. Foster State Park is one of my favorite Georgia State Parks.

Popular with lovers of the massive 438,000 acre swamp and the night time skies of the South alike, the park is named for 19th century American composer Stephen C. Foster, who penned the much loved Florida State Song, "Suwannee River" ("Old Folks at Home"). It covers 80 acres and is located on a natural island in the Okefenokee.

While most visitors come for its guided boat tours; boat, canoe & kayak rentals, and the access it provides to the water trails that wind through the swamp, the park is actually a great place to learn about the history and ecosystems of the Okefenokee Swamp.

Interpretive Center at Stephen C. Foster State Park

An often overlooked feature (on the day I visited I had the place to myself) is the park's interpretive center. Basically a museum of the natural and cultural life of the Okefenokee. The displays include animals, snakes, insects and birds (some of them live, others mounted) along with both audio and written descriptions of them and their importance to the ecosystems of the swamp. Other displays explain how the swamp was formed and help visitors understand its natural importance.

The interpretive center also features artifacts, maps, historic photographs and other displays that detail the cultural history of the swamp, from prehistoric times to the modern era. There are exhibits on the Native Americans who once lived in the Okefenokee, on the Second Seminole War and on the early settlers and loggers who once made lives for themselves in the "Land of the Trembling Earth." Among the artifacts on display are weapons, tools and an original Okefenokee moonshine still.



Boat Rentals and Guided Tours leave the Park Marina

 The park also offers the Trembling Earth nature trail, a primarily boardwalk trail that winds through the edge of the Okefenokee. Interpretive panels point out a variety of animals, trees and plants while also explaining the history of the swamp.

Because the park is located so far from the lights of towns and cities (18 miles from the nearest town, Fargo), it is known for its spectacular night skies. For stargazers, it is a great place to come and watch meteor showers and just see the stars. The park has a variety of activities that help visitors learn about the skies at night.

To learn more about Stephen C. Foster State Park, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fostersp.

To learn more about the Okefenokee Swamp, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/okefenokee.

57th Annual Florida Folk Festival is this Weekend

If you are in the Deep South or will be traveling to Florida over the Memorial Day weekend and want to experience one of the finest heritage events in the region, be sure to check out the 57th Annual Florida Folk Festival.

The event takes place this weekend at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs (just off I-75, just north of the I-10 interchange).

Featuring more than 200 well-known Florida folk artists, as well as pine needle basket making, crafts, demonstrations, traditional Florida food (yes, including cornbread and collard greens as well as shrimp gumbo), and much more, the event is one of the most outstanding folk culture festivals in the country.

Gates open at 8 a.m. each day this weekend, including Monday, and admission prices are $25 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6 to 16. Children under 6 are admitted free.

For more information, visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/stephenfoster.

Flooding forces temporary cave tour halt at Florida Caverns State Park

Flood conditions on the Chipola River have forced a temporary halt to cave tours at Florida Caverns State Park as well as the temporary closure of much of the park.

The Chipola crested earlier this week at its highest level in years and water covered much of the flood plain area of the park, a major attraction near Marianna, Florida. The latest information from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection indicates that the cave tours, Blue Hole swimming area, campgrounds and Hickory Picnic Area are all closed. The Visitor Center remains open for day use visitors.

To learn more about Florida Caverns State Park, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/floridacaverns.

A number of other Florida State Parks are also completely or partially closed due to flooding, including the popular Suwannee River State Park (completely closed) and Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park (partially closed). Here is the complete list of closings as of today from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection:

Continued state park closures include:

Adams Tract River Camp
C/o Troy Springs State Park
674 N.E. Troy Springs RoadBranford, Florida 32008
*Closed until further notice.

Holton Creek River Camp
C/o Suwannee River State Park
3631 201st Path
Live Oak, Florida 32060
*Closed until further notice.

Dowling Park River Camp
C/o Suwannee River State Park
3631 201st Path
Live Oak, Florida 32060
*Closed until further notice.

Fanning Springs State Park
18020 N.W. Highway 19Fanning Springs, Florida 32693
*Closed to swimming until further notice. The cabins and park remain open for day use visitors.

Madison Blue Springs State Park
8300 N.E. State Road 6Lee, Florida 32059
*Closed until further notice.

Lafayette Blue Springs State Park
799 N.W. Blue Spring RoadMayo, Florida 32066
* Closed until further notice.

Manatee Springs State Park
11650 NW 115th Street
Chiefland, Florida 32626
*The Usher Boat Ramp, swimming and diving are closed until further notice. The park remains open for campers and day use visitors.

Peacock Springs State Park
12087 SW US Highway 27
Ft. White, Florida 32038
*Portions of the park, including swimming and diving, are closed to visitors until further notice.

Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park
U.S 41 North
White Springs, Florida 32096
* Hiking trails and other portions of the park are closed to visitors until further notice.

Suwannee River State Park
3631 201st Path
Live Oak, Florida 32060
*Closed until further notice. Adjacent U.S. 90 bridge is also closed to traffic.

Troy Springs State Park
674 N.E. Troy Springs RoadBranford, Florida 32008
*Closed to swimming and diving until further notice. The park remains open for day use visitors.

Florida Caverns State Park
3345 Caverns Road
Marianna, Florida 32246
*Campground, cave tours and the Blue Hole use area, and hickory picnic area are closed until further notice. The visitor center and is open for day use visitors.

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park
7525 W. Scenic Highway 30A
Santa Rosa Beach, Florida 32459
*The isolated day use area accessed by Topsail Road, off of Highway 98 is closed until further notice. The rest of the park remains open for day use and overnight visitors.

Visitors can contact state parks directly for the most up to date information on park closures, or visit http://www.floridastateparks.org/. For additional information on flood conditions, visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/, or visit http://www.fl511.com/ for traffic updates.

Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park - White Springs, Florida

On the banks of the Suwannee River at White Springs, Florida, stands the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State park.

A beautiful facility, the park memorializes the life of the 19th century composer that sparked the tourism boom that eventually led to the development of the modern Florida tourism industry and provides a place where visitors can explore the folk life and culture of the Suwannee River Valley.

It is remarkable that Stephen Foster's life and legacy are so intertwined with a state he never visited. He died in 1864 at the young age of 37 with only 37 cents in his pocket, but his songs captured the imagination of millions of people around the world.

Two Stephen Foster songs - Suwannee River and My Old Kentucky Home - are now the official state songs of Florida and Kentucky. Many of his other melodies - Oh! Susannah, Camptown Ladies, Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair and Beautiful Dreamer - are still familiar today.

Foster wrote Suwannee River without ever seeing the river or Florida. In fact, the original lyrics went "Way down upon the Pedee River." The combination didn't give the composer quite the sound he wanted, so he began scanning a map of the South for a better name. He saw the name Suwannee River on the chart and the rest is history.

If you would like to learn more about the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center, commonly known as the Stephen Foster Memorial, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/stephenfoster.