Georgia's last remaining duplicate route, GA 177 is divided into two separate highways by none other than the famous Okeefenokee Swamp. One of the most desolate state routes in Georgia, the route exists as access to two state parks and one privately owned park, all part of the Okeefenokee experience.

The highway to all appearances looks to have been planned for connection one day, but there is no evidence to support that it was ever the case before or in the future. For one, construction of the road across the swamp is well-known to be impossible as the Suwannee Canal even proved that the "Land of the Trembling Earth" could not be drained nor built on.

Regarding the two independent sections of the highway, the swamp and the parks are what makes them significant. The south portion is 18 miles long and located in Clinch, Ware and Charlton Counties. This portion runs parallel to the Suwannee River and simply exists to connect to Stephen Foster State Park and provide access to the swamp. The road ends at the park and basically at the swamp itself.

On the other end, the highway is shorter than the south end at 12 miles long. It is also rather crooked as it works its way around the swamp on higher ground. A more heavily used roadway, the highway starts at its northern end at US 82 and continues south by Laura S. Walker State Park before crossing U.S. 1. After crossing U.S. 1, the road continues 5 more miles before dead-ending at the site of the historic town of Okeefenokee, which is now a privately-owned park known as Okeefenokee Swamp Park. For those that haven't visited the Okeefenokee Park, it is a very unique experience that includes a boat ride through the swamp, dangerously close contact with the large alligators, historic buildings and a museum.

In all, it may be said that GA 177 is a very unique road going to one of the most famous and unique destinations in the South. However, it is also a very remote highway in parts, surrounded by subtropical wilderness. Nevertheless, it is still the road to the "Land of the Trembling Earth" and thus is very significant as a highway in Georgia.

Though the map may suggest that a plan existed to unite the two routes of GA 177, it is actually rather odd that the two roads even share the same number as they are neither connected at all, nor did they come into existance at the same time.

The original GA 177 is the northern portion. This road far predates the southern portion, originally commissioned in the 1940's and was originally unpaved. By the early 1950's, that portion was paved from U.S. 1 to the Okeefenokee Swamp Park, but it was still unpaved north of U.S. 1. By the mid-1950's, it was fully paved.

It was over a decade before the southern portion came into existance. A truly desolate road starting in what is probably the most undeveloped county in Georgia, the second portion of GA 177 was commissioned around 1960. As this then created another one of several duplicate routes including GA 82, 107, 143, 149 and 227, it is the last remaining in Georgia. Other than routine maintenance, no further changes have been made to the highway since that time.

Georgia 177 Termini Gallery

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GA 177 South Section Ends Photos
Southern Terminus: Intersection of U.S. 441/GA 89 and GA 94 in Edith
End signage and first reassurance shield northbound. Photos taken December 15, 2003 by Dave Johnsen.
Northern Terminus: Stephen C. Foster State Park
No photos available
GA 177 North Section Ends Photos
Southern Terminus: Okeefenokee Park (Site of historic town)
No photos available
Northern Terminus: U.S. 82/GA 520 east of Waycross
No photos available

Here are links related to sites and information on or near GA 177.

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