Okefenokee Swamp

The Okefenokee is alien terrain for Midwest boys - 400,000 acres of blackwater swamp where alligators sun on logs and Spanish moss hangs from cypress trees. You'll paddle narrow channels through floating peat islands, camp on wooden platforms built above the water, and experience the Deep South's wildest ecosystem. It's not physically difficult - flat water, short paddles - but it's psychologically intense. Alligators are everywhere (they won't bother you, but your brain takes a while to accept that). The night sounds are primordial. This trip expands boys' definition of wilderness beyond mountains and forests. It's hot, buggy, humid, and absolutely fascinating.