RVs and pop-up campers up to 40 feet fit easily in campsites at Laura S. Walker State Park, nine miles southeast of Waycross. The facility has water, 20 and 30 amp electrical service, a grill, fire ring and picnic table. The comfort station has showers and a laundry. Go hiking and biking on the miles of park trails, or fish, boat and water ski on the lake. The Lakes golf course was named Best Municipal Course in Georgia by Golf Digest magazine in 2009.
Named for the famous songwriter, Stephen C. Foster State Park is the gateway to the fabled black waters of the Okefenokee Swamp. Close to Waycross geographically, campers must drive around the Okefenokee to reach the entrance. Campsites have water and electricity, and the park has comfort stations and playgrounds, a visitor center and miles of hiking and biking trails. Guided pontoon boat trips are available.
Daytime temperatures in coastal Georgia can be dangerously hot. Summertime temperatures are usually in the 90s, with high humidity making the air feel even hotter. Winters are generally mild, with daytime temperatures in the lower 60s. January and February are normally the coldest months, and July and August the hottest. Precipitation along the coast averages 50 inches per year.
Pets are not allowed in any boat at Stephen C. Foster State Park, and neither children nor pets should be allowed to wander close to the water's edge due to the danger from alligators.
The Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites website advises using a boat to safely look for some of the estimated 12,000 American alligators in the Okefenokee Swamp.
