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Nature’s playground
Visitors to Congaree National Park have access to the largest old-growth floodplain forest in the country thanks to a series of boardwalks.
Photo by Andrew Haworth
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Walking and talking
Volunteer tour guide Steve Dennis talks with guests on a nature hike at Congaree National Park.
Photo by Andrew Haworth
Editor’s note: As this issue went to press, South Carolina was still in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic. Please check with the Congaree National Park Visitor Center for the latest updates on programs and access to the park by calling (803) 776-4396 or nps.gov/cong. For current health recommendations to stop the spread of the coronavirus, visit scdhec.gov/covid19.
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“Maples are in seed!” exclaims Steve Dennis, our volunteer tour guide on the Nature Discovery Walk at Congaree National Park. Our small group of visitors is zigzagging down the trail away from the Harry Hampton Visitor Center on a chilly Saturday morning, looking for the first signs of spring.
Situated 16 miles southeast of Columbia, Congaree National Park is one of 62 national parks and the only one in South Carolina. Boasting the largest old-growth floodplain forest in the country, Congaree is home to some of the country’s tallest trees of their species, known as “champion trees.” One such tree, endearingly referred to as the Richland County Pine, stands approximately 159 feet tall and holds the national champion status for a loblolly pine.
With 27,000 acres of designated wilderness area and a natural southern border created by the Congaree River, this majestic landscape offers adventures for outdoor enthusiasts, birders, naturalists and families alike. Hiking, biking, birding, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, camping and ranger- and volunteer-led excursions are just some of the available activities, all of which are free of charge.
Our gentle hike led by senior volunteer guide Dennis, who was accompanied by fellow volunteer Jim Wilson, was the perfect way to revisit the park. Devoted naturalists, both men have been leading tours at Congaree for over 12 years.
Along the trail, the unmistakable song of a Carolina wren could be heard off in the distance. “They sing all the time; they have several songs,” Dennis explains. A tufted titmouse of the chickadee family chimed in, and the two birds serenaded us as we strolled.
“People come [to Congaree] from all over the world for birding,” he continues. “There are over 200 species in the park, and it is especially important for breeding and neotropical migratory birds.”
According to Jon Manchester, park ranger and volunteer program manager, Congaree is “a major stopover for a number of migratory birds during the spring and fall. Neotropical migratory birds can be any species of bird that winters in Central or South America or the Caribbean and breeds in North America.”
As the seasons change, they bring annual events that make Congaree truly unique: the flooding of its floodplain in December and April, and the synchronous fireflies that light up the sky for two weeks in May and June. Both events tend to draw a crowd.
Our tour proceeded to the elevated boardwalk where there was unmistakable evidence of flooding. A higher than usual rainfall caused the Congaree River to overflow just one week before, and coincidentally, led to the second highest crest record in the park’s history. We came to an area completely flooded with turbid water, the tops of dwarf palmettos poking up through the mire. This brownish-blackish, nutrient-rich murky water gets its color from the tannins in decomposing leaves and other floating organic and inorganic matter. Lucky for us, the water had receded enough so that visitors could now pass along the boardwalk. Truly a sight to behold and unlike anything I had seen before.
After two hours of taking in the sights and sounds of these enchanted woods, our tour concluded back at the visitor center, the preferred gathering spot to begin or end an excursion. If you go, be sure to grab a trail guide, read the placards detailing the park’s rich history and catch a glimpse of the prominent mural painted by Columbia-based artist Blue Sky.
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Get There
Congaree National Park is located at 100 National Park Road in Hopkins.
Hours: The park is open 24 hours a day year-round. The Harry Hampton Visitor Center is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but closed on all federal holidays. Trail maps, brochures, restroom facilities and water refilling stations are available in the Visitor Center breezeway 24 hours a day.
Admission: Entrance to the park is free. There is no charge for camping or any ranger-led programs.
Details: Call (803) 776-4396 or visit nps.gov/cong.