Spanish moss trees over a boardwalk in the Okefenokee Swamp, Folkston, Georgia

© Emmer Photo/Alam

Dare to delve into this dense swamp. Okefenokee Swamp

Located primarily in southeast Georgia, the Okefenokee Swamp is the largest intact freshwater swamp in America. This vast and unique ecosystem covers 1,100 square kilometres, where one can find a dense array of wildlife like herons, cranes, bitterns, American alligators, woodpeckers, turtles, snakes, frogs and other creatures. The slow-moving blackwaters are stained brown by tannins from decaying organic matter. This area was once home to the Seminole Native Americans, a people made up of different groups that coalesced in this area in the 18th century. In modern days, a large part of the swamp was commercialised, and its peat deposits were mined for use as fuel.