The Okefenokee Swamp is near the Trail Ridge of Georgia.
Three miles from the tiny town of Hoboken in southern Georgia is a U.S. historical marker demarcating the Trail Ridge in Georgia. The Trail Ridge is a geological feature, a naturally formed ridge that extends south for 130 miles into Florida. An ancient barrier beach was many miles offshore during the last Ice Age; now the top of the ridge is close to 160 feet above sea level. Native Americans and early European settlers once used the ridge as a natural trail.
The Okefenokee Swamp
Behind the Trail Ridge lies a large, poorly drained area fed by rivers in Charlton and Ware counties, according to the University of Georgia's Geology Department, which used to be part of the sea floor. This area, now the Okefenokee Swamp, is a fascinating place to explore. It is vast, with almost 402,000 acres of cypress forest, lakes, islands and marshland. The swamp is teaming with alligators and more than 400 other species of animals and birds. You can explore in a guided boat tour past cypress forests and historic canals, or canoe and stop to explore winding boardwalks and trails with platforms for wildlife viewing. Okefenokee Swamp is a Wetland of International Importance as designated by the United Nation's 1971 Ramsar Convention.
Annual Bluegrass Convention
Every year in Hoboken, the town closest to the Trail Ridge Historical marker, a private campground hosts two Bluegrass Music Conventions. Twin Oaks Park holds its first convention the weekend before Mother's Day and the second the weekend after Labor Day. The owner, Ira "Whit" Whitmer, and his wife combined their love of the outdoors and bluegrass music when they transformed a cow field into a campground decades ago. In September 2010, Twin Oaks hosted its 37th Annual Bluegrass Music Convention.
Okefenokee Heritage Center
For the past 30 years, the Okefenokee Heritage Center, just outside of Hoboken, has brought art and history to the eight-county community surrounding Waycross, Ga. The Heritage Center is about 15 minutes from the Trail Ridge. The Center displays historical artifacts, hosts educational tours, art exhibitions and fine art clubs. Popular attractions have included "Old Nine," a restored 1912 Baldwin, 100-ton, steam locomotive; an exhibit on Native American cultures of the region which once used the Trail Ridge as a natural passageway; and exhibits on Founder's Hall, the first local courthouse, a Black Heritage exhibit called "From These Roots."
Tags: Trail Ridge, Okefenokee Swamp, Heritage Center, Ridge Georgia, Trail Ridge Georgia, Annual Bluegrass
