Congaree National Park

[oldsparkey]

Anyone been to the Congaree National Park in South Carolina.

I have been looking at it on the web and it seams like an interesting place to try. There is camping , primitive camping , paddling , canoeing , kayaking and hiking.

Plus something really unusual today , No entrance fee or a fee for camping but you do have to stop at the visitor center for a permit.

 

[Jimmy W]

I went last fall. It is an interesting place and Cedar Creek is a nice paddle. I saw the largest pine tree that I have ever seen. I do plan to go back someday.

 

[Jimmy W]

Congaree National Park preserves the largest expanse of old-growth flood plain forest in America. It is often called Congaree Swamp but it really is a flood plain and not a swamp. A large portion of the park is flooded several times a year. I visited Congaree at the end of October last year. At that time of the year, the weather was pleasant and the Skeeter Meter was almost bottomed out.

Hurricane Hugo in 1989 blew over or broke off many of the largest trees, but the area still contains a number of state and national record trees. This Loblolly pine was a former state record, but a larger national record tree has been found nearby.

There are some large vines climbing some of the trees.

And some trees even have legs.

Cedar Creek is a very nice stream for paddling.

There is a 2.4 mile long boardwalk loop trail and over 20 miles of other hiking trails. Wilderness camping is possible, but you must camp away from any trail or the creek and fires are only allowed in the two designated campgrounds. One of the designated campgrounds must be hiked into. The two canoe put-ins require you to carry your boats a ways. You can't drive right up to the creek. A canoe cart would work well.