Congaree

Explorations of one of America’s forgotten National Parks.

Congaree National Park is one of the least visited “national parks” in the United States. Low visited national parks tend to be in very remote areas like Alaska or American Samoa. However, this one is right in the middle of South Carolina.

Congaree is not the flashiest national park out there. There aren’t any gorgeous vistas to be found here. Congaree protects a section of bottomland along the Congaree River where you can find old growth forests and giant trees rarely found today in the Eastern part of the United States. The Congaree River regularly floods. While this makes most of the trails impassible, the floodwaters provide the nutrients to create the giant trees found in the park.

I happened to visit on a low flooding day. Thankfully the park has this nice 2.4 mile long boardwalk trail.

Congaree National Park, South CarolinaJana Irving

Look at that gorgeous boardwalk over the mushy ground.

Congaree National Park, South CarolinaJana Irving

Didn’t even get my hiking shoes damp.

Congaree National Park, South CarolinaJana Irving

This would have been a pain to walk through.

Congaree National Park, South CarolinaJana Irving

A giant cypress tree…

Congaree National Park, South CarolinaJana Irving

… with its many, many knees.

Congaree National Park, South CarolinaJana Irving

A boardwalk through the trees.

Congaree National Park, South CarolinaJana Irving

The boardwalk dodging old growth trees.

Congaree National Park, South CarolinaJana Irving

A bit swampier here.

Congaree National Park, South CarolinaJana Irving

More swampy.

Congaree National Park, South CarolinaJana Irving

I have no idea how but swamps are super reflective.

Congaree National Park, South CarolinaJana Irving

I think this might be Weston Lake.

Congaree National Park, South CarolinaJana Irving

Super reflective.

water snake. Congaree National Park, South CarolinaJana Irving

I think that it’s a water snake. Not sure what kind though.

Congaree National Park, South CarolinaJana Irving

Love a good swamp.

turtle. Congaree National Park, South CarolinaJana Irving

Turtle!

skink. Congaree National Park, South CarolinaJana Irving

A little skink of some kind.

Congaree National Park, South CarolinaJana Irving

Boardwalk passing through the trees.

Congaree National Park, South CarolinaJana Irving

On the way out of the park the next morning, I stopped by at the trail head for the Kingsnake Trail. The water was super reflective that morning.

 

A good chunk of Congaree National Park is wilderness. The easiest place to access most of the trails is by the Visitor Center. Other trails feed off the boardwalk loop, which I mostly stayed on. It’s a neat park. It’s not developed as much as a lot of national parks, which makes it unique.

 

Check out my next update where I explore a bit of Savannah, Georgia!

or

Check out more National Parks and Public Lands!

 

 

About Wandering Jana

Traveling the world to discover the past.
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