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Row your boat
Visitors are once again free to explore the blackwater swamp at Cypress Gardens, one of Berkeley County’s most-loved attractions.
Photo by Alex Fox
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A toothy grin
While wild alligators have been known to inhabit the cypress swamps of the park, the best way to see gators up close is in the newly renovated Swamparium.
Photo by Alex Fox
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Google it
In the renovated butterfly house, guests can use a smartphone app, specifically created by Google for Cypress Gardens, to identify each winged insect.
Photo by Alex Fox
Joy Farrae sits on a wooden bench in a flat-bottomed swamp boat, sandwiched between her brother and husband, who are each manning a paddle. The boat moves slowly through the blackwater swamp at Cypress Gardens, cutting through a green rug of floating moss.
The trio knows there are alligators in this picturesque lagoon, and any moss-covered stick floating on the surface could easily be the tail of a reptile. As they dip their paddles into the water, weaving through overhanging trees and dodging cypress knobs, Farrae starts giggling with excitement.
“It feels like being a kid again,” she says.
One of the Charleston area’s best-loved outdoor attractions, Cypress Gardens reopened in April after the historic floods of 2015 severely damaged the park and forced Berkeley County officials to close the park for more than three years of extensive renovation.
For Heather McDowell, director of Cypress Gardens, the reopening was a cause for celebration, and a far cry from the despair she felt immediately after the flooding when the park’s boat docks, walkways, buildings and even the front gate were all underwater.
“I had to row a boat in here,” she says. “There was water everywhere—every building had water, and everything was ruined.”
Inside the restored 170-acre park, visitors are once again free to make their own adventures. They can explore as they please, walking their own pace along 3.5 miles of winding nature trails and over picturesque arched bridges, maybe stopping off for a moment of solitude inside one of the secluded gazebos. Or they can explore by boat, paddling through the blackwater swamp filled with ducks, fish and an alligator or two.
On land, an aviary is filled with colorful parrots that greet everyone with lots of noise and an occasional “hello.” At the indoor Swamparium, visitors can safely view exotic reptiles, snakes and large fish from behind glass. In the renovated butterfly house, guests can use a smartphone app, specifically created by Google for Cypress Gardens, to identify each winged insect.
The venue includes new playground equipment and a larger parking lot for easier access. A shiny bronze alligator greets visitors when they turn onto the grounds off Cypress Gardens Road. A building for events is under construction.
More than 2,500 people visited on the day the park reopened, and for returning visitor Jeri Klowas of West Ashley, it was a welcome homecoming.
“I just love it here,” she says, surrounded by blooming azaleas and camellia bushes on one of the nature trails. “There’s always something new to see.”
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Get There
Cypress Gardens is located at 3030 Cypress Gardens Road in Moncks Corner.
Hours: Open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last admission at 4 p.m.) The park is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Admission: $10 for adults; $6.50 for seniors over 65, first responders, active duty military and veterans; $5 for children ages 6–17; and free for children under the age of 5. Admission includes all attractions including self-guided boat use. Guided swamp boat tours are available for an additional $5.
Fun fact: The unique and beautiful gardens and swamp have been featured in several popular movies including The Notebook, The Patriot and Cold Mountain.
Details: For more information, visit cypressgardens.info or call (843) 553-0515.