Short answer
Okefenokee Chesser Island Boardwalk is a national wildlife refuge boardwalk in Folkston, Southeast Georgia. Hours: Entrance area: sunrise to dusk. Cost: $5 per vehicle. Dogs: no pets on the boardwalk. Read from its official page on October 22, 2026.
A 0.75-mile one-way boardwalk (1.5 miles round trip) over the water through cypress forest, scrub-shrub and prairie, ending at a 40-foot observation tower. It is mostly open, with little shade after the start.
Okefenokee Chesser Island Boardwalk Hours
The Suwannee Canal Recreation Area, where you enter, is open from 30 minutes before sunrise to 7:30 p.m. March 1–Oct. 31 and to 5:30 p.m. Nov. 1–Feb. 28, strictly enforced. The Richard S. Bolt Visitor Center is open Tuesday–Saturday 9–4, closed Sunday, Monday and federal holidays.
Okefenokee Chesser Island Boardwalk Admission and Costs
A vehicle entrance pass is $5 per vehicle for a day (valid 7 days) or $15 for a year. Entry is free on Fee Free Days and with a current signed Federal Duck Stamp or America the Beautiful pass. Tours and rentals cost extra.
Dogs and Strollers at Okefenokee Chesser Island Boardwalk
Dogs. Pets are not allowed on the boardwalk because of alligators. Service animals may go anywhere their owner goes, though alligators can still be a threat.
Strollers and wheelchairs. Strollers are not mentioned. The boardwalk has railing only at the covered rest areas and two short elevation changes near the tower, and the rest has about a 3-inch edge on each side. A wheelchair can be borrowed first come at the Bolt Visitor Center. The 40-foot observation tower is reached by stairs only.
Address and Parking
Address. Suwannee Canal Recreation Area, 4155 Suwannee Canal Road (visitor center), Folkston, GA 31537. Phone. Refuge (912) 206-6311; visitor center (912) 496-7836.
Parking. A larger lot suits buses and trailers, with a seating area and two single-person pit toilets.
More Near Folkston
More in Southeast Georgia: Southeast Georgia, and every garden and nature spot in the region on the gardens and nature page. Other places we have pages for in this region: Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (Suwannee Canal Recreation Area). Our guide that covers it: read the guide.
Where this comes from. Everything above was read from the place’s own pages on October 22, 2026: fws.gov/refuge/okefenokee/visit-us/activities/hiking · fws.gov/refuge/okefenokee/visit-us · fws.gov/refuge/okefenokee/visit-us/rules-policies. Where those pages say nothing we write “not published” instead of guessing. Prices and hours change, so confirm on the official site before you go.
Official site ↗Questions About These Places
What are the hours at Okefenokee Chesser Island Boardwalk?
The Suwannee Canal Recreation Area, where you enter, is open from 30 minutes before sunrise to 7:30 p.m. March 1–Oct. 31 and to 5:30 p.m. Nov. 1–Feb. 28, strictly enforced. The Richard S. Bolt Visitor Center is open Tuesday–Saturday 9–4, closed Sunday, Monday and federal holidays.
How much does Okefenokee Chesser Island Boardwalk cost?
A vehicle entrance pass is $5 per vehicle for a day (valid 7 days) or $15 for a year. Entry is free on Fee Free Days and with a current signed Federal Duck Stamp or America the Beautiful pass. Tours and rentals cost extra.
Are dogs and strollers allowed at Okefenokee Chesser Island Boardwalk?
Pets are not allowed on the boardwalk because of alligators. Service animals may go anywhere their owner goes, though alligators can still be a threat. Strollers are not mentioned. The boardwalk has railing only at the covered rest areas and two short elevation changes near the tower, and the rest has about a 3-inch edge on each side.
A wheelchair can be borrowed first come at the Bolt Visitor Center. The 40-foot observation tower is reached by stairs only.
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Cite this page: It's Georgia, “Okefenokee Chesser Island Boardwalk: Hours, Cost and Rules”, itsgeorgia.com/places-to-go-in-georgia/okefenokee-chesser-island-boardwalk/ (updated ). Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page.