And don't be surprised if they're all booked up. For peak periods, especially March and April, every available spot is usually taken within 15 minutes after the phone line opens in the morning. When making reservations, consider the skill level of individuals in your party before choosing a trail. You may have to get out of your canoe and push across peat blowups or shallow water. Swamp conditions may dictate closing certain trails.
Camping is permitted only at designated stops.
There are only seven designated stops within the swamp, hence only seven groups may be in the swamp on a given night. Trail Descriptions Orange Trail Follows the historic Suwannee Canal , which was dug in the late 1800's in an attempt to drain the swamp. Canal Run Shelter is ten straight miles from the east entrance, on the berm of the canal. Past Canal Run Shelter are five miles of narrow, winding trail that leads to Billy's Island. Follow Billy's Lake two miles to Stephen Foster State Park.