The Inn at Folkston is a deluxe bed and breakfast with the feel of a luxurious small hotel. Located in Folkston, Georgia -- the Gateway to the Okefenokee Swamp -- this beautifully restored inn provides a refuge of total luxury and relaxation. One writer described the inn's Sarah Jane English Garden room as "more akin to staying in a suite at a fine hotel than at a bed and breakfast."

In its 2003 Book of Lists, Arrington's Inn Traveler has chosen
The Inn at Folkston as one of the top 15 B&B/Country Inns in the country.
The award is for Best Interior Design and Decor.

Let The Inn at Folkston and the Okefenokee Swamp enchant you with a serenity found only in special places. In south Georgia, the quiet of the Okefenokee's dark still waters are synonymous with the sense of peace and tranquility that awaits you when you walk through the doors of The Inn at Folkston. From the moment you pass the Inn's Garden of Meditation with its gently flowing water fountain, your cares will drift away.

Guests love our restored 1920s heart-pine bungalow in the heart of southeast Georgia. The inn's atmosphere is that of casual elegance, rich with antiques and orientals, while at the same time comfortable and inviting, a place where one can totally relax. Enjoy the library, the common living area, or the solitude of your room. Relax on our grand verandah furnished with wicker, rockers, and a relaxing, spacious hot tub.

For the romantic, couples wishing to elope can get married in a day. With its award winning accommodations, the Inn at Folkston is perfect for a small, intimate wedding. The Sarah Jane English Garden room is a favorite for honeymoons, anniversaries and for those who appreciate the finest in accommodations.

The Inn at Folkston is ideal for the pleasure or business traveler who appreciates the warm, friendly hospitality of a bed and breakfast and the security of a private home. The inn offers four distinct, comfortable guest rooms with feather beds, private baths, luxurious robes, fresh flowers and central heat and air. A full breakfast and afternoon refreshments are served.

If you are driving through Georgia for business or pleasure, The Inn at Folkston is a perfect stopover. Folkston is just a 20-minute drive from I-95 (Exit 3) and for travelers on I-75, Folkton is easily accessed from Tifton and Valdosta in Georgia, or I-10 in north Florida.

The Inn at Folkston is a short distance from major destinations such as Savannah, Charleston, Jacksonville, St. Augustine and other locations in the southeast U.S. The inn is a perfect stopover when traveling to or from south Florida -- for instance, Miami, Naples, Ft. Lauderdale, or The Everglades. For those wanting to travel shorter distances, The Inn at Folkston is only 3 hours from Orlando and 4 hours from Tampa/St. Petersburg.

From The Inn at Folkston, visitors can explore the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, only a ten-minute drive from the inn. Folkston is an ideal home base for day-long trips to experience other nature-based recreational opportunities in south Georgia, from canoeing and kayaking on our rivers and coastal shorelines to visiting Georgia's coastal islands, including Cumberland Island and Jekyll Island, and other cultural, historical and recreational sites.

Inn guests will find numerous other activities offered in the area. Folkston is a mecca for train watchers who gather at the Folkston Funnel train viewing platform or the Historic Depot. Other activities include sporting clays, Jacksonville Jaguars football and other events at All-Tel Stadium, as well as local and regional golfing. Roller coaster enthusiasts will want to ride "Swamp Thing", the newest addition to Wild Adventures theme park in Valdosta, Georgia.

The inn is an example of the bungalow style of homes built in the early 20th century. The bungalow was said to have originated in India as a cooling rest stop for weary travelers. Adapted by the British, this long, low building with a wide verandah found its way to Britain and then to North America. The inn is a classic example of the first floor plan of many bungalows, sleeping rooms on one side of a long hallway and family rooms on the other. The inn had five bedrooms on the left as you entered the house and living, dining, and kitchen rooms to the right of the hallway. This floor plan used the long hallway as a funnel to move fresh air from the front door through the house and out the back door. The original plan of the house followed this plan, although it has been modified over the years by additions and changes.

Guests are always amazed at the size of the inn's interior --it looks deceptively small from the exterior. Inside, the space seems to expand, going on and on down a long, winding hallway to the inn's final bedrooms at the back of the structure.

The wide verandah of the inn is a typical bungalow porch, with deep overhanging eaves and high walls. The size of bungalow porches, usually across an entire facade, made them perfect to shade one side of the house. Because these porches were usually long and wide, the entire family could use them. Tables and chairs were set up for eating, card and board games. The broad steps were the perfect spot for children to bounce a ball. Although the bungalow was the last American house type to offer the large front porch, we are lucky enough at The Inn at Folkston to have a wonderful version of this marvelous design. In addition to rockers and wicker, the inn's verandah has a more modern amenity, a six-person hot tub for guests to enjoy.

Guests find the verandah and the surrounding two acres of inn property are excellent places to bird watch (Folkston is a designated bird sanctuary). Numerous sitting areas are situated around the inn to read, relax, birdwatch, or have a glass of wine. Try the deck for a sunny spot, or a relaxing chair or bench in the shade of the garden. The herb garden beside the deck provides fresh herbs for breakfast. Click here for garden photos.

The Inn at Folkston has an elegant yet relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. The common living areas are decorated with antiques and collectibles that Roger and Genna acquired both in the U.S. and abroad, including a collection of Persian carpets which adorn the heart-pine floors throughout the inn.

The living and dining rooms have gas-log fireplaces, and there is an extensive library of books in the dining room and each guest room. The living room provides a TV/VCR for guests' enjoyment, including videos of the Okefenokee Swamp to view prior to a visit to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and numerous train videos. Additionally, abundant reading materials are available, including many periodicals of varied interest and information on Georgia and local attractions. Guests can peruse articles from The Georgia Historical Quarterly, or enjoy such books as Walking the Wetlands, A Hiker's Guide to Common Plants and Animals of Marshes, Bogs, and Swamps, Touring the Coastal Georgia Backroads, Exploring the Okefenokee, Letters from the Expeditions in 1875, Native Trees of Georgia, and many other choices.

In the hallway, guests will find a hospitality room providing snacks, cold drinks, a small refrigerator in which to store items, and a butler pantry with incidentals they may have forgotten.

Each of the spacious four guest rooms is uniquely decorated with an individual theme:

Hanna's Norway Room honors Roger's 100% Norwegian ancestry and the coming of his ancestors to America. This room has also been designed with the guest in mind who uses a wheelchair or has mobility limitations. There is ample space for wheelchair maneuverability in both the bedroom and bath, and the bath has extra bars for stability, as well as a barrier-free shower.

Michael's Lighthouse Room, with a private porch and entrance, has a collection of lighthouse pictures and memorabilia, as well as a secluded patio.

Sarah Jane's English Garden Room, with wonderful views of the inn's two acres of land, has colorful English garden designs on the walls, windows, and bed treatments, and features a Japanese-inspired two-person whirlpool hideaway.

India's Oriental Room, a cool charcoal gray, white and terra-cotta red room highlighted with brass, copper and decorative fabrics from the Middle East. This light and airy room has extensive garden views.

Two bedrooms have gas log fireplaces. All of the inn's bedrooms come complete with such amenities as clock radios, ceiling fans, central air, luxurious robes embroidered with the inn's logo, hair dryers, dishes of candy, and bottles of spring water. You will find ample reading lights, including bedside lamps and easy chairs and rockers with floor or table lamps. Ample space is provided for storing guest's personal belongings. The inn's hosts have tried to anticipate their guests' every need.

Roger and Genna welcome you to come and visit their beautifully restored and decorated inn -- and stop and shop awhile in Folkston. To help you discover Folkston's hidden treasures, pick up a copy of Folkston Then and Now, a self-guided walking tour of Folkston, from the Inn's gift shop.You will surely enjoy the friendly, small town atmosphere and the hospitality of the citizens of Folkston. Perhaps you will meet Folkston's energetic Mayor, Dixie McGurn, as she dashes around town greeting residents or visitors alike with the friendliest smile this side of the St. Marys River, or perhaps Ms. Clora Lee Roddenberry will show you her quilt collection at Folkston Furniture.

Back at the inn, Genna will have prepared a fit and healthy breakfast to fortify you for the day. Genna's meals always begin with good coffee and a hearty serving of fruit, followed by one of her specialties, such as apple or banana/poppyseed waffles, apple pancakes, baked lemon yogurt, herbed oven roasted potatoes, Vidalia onion omelets, or other such delectables. And for the really hungry, culinary delights from Joyce's Sweet Kitchen are served. Genna can accommodate most types of dietary requirements or restrictions. We promise you will not go away hungry.


Because the innkeepers want families to enjoy the Okefenokee, children of all ages are welcome in the company of parents who are thoughtful of the innkeepers' goal of offering a peaceful and tranquil environment for all guests. Check with the innkeepers to see if they can accommodate your family.

Roger and Genna are members of the Okefenokee Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Nature-Based Tourism Association, the "Green" Hotels Association, and the Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII).