There are around 75 types of trees, nearly 200 species of birds, 75 species of reptiles/amphibians, and more than 50 species of fish and butterflies. The Bluff Campground is also near the visitor center, but campers will have to hike at least a mile to get to their campsite. The dynamic and diverse natural landscape that makes up Congaree National Park is defined by the presence of both flood and flame. Park History: Congaree National Park | National Parks Traveler Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda) 162 ft tall, Firefly Festival (only found during the Firefly Festival). During the summer months, Congaree is hot and humid. The ramen noodle soups and dumplings are delicious. Large snake tries and fails to blend in at SC swamp park | The State From the visitors center, Congaree National Park seems unassuming a place that families might use as a picnic area during the spring and fall. NPS Photo. Congaree National Park Length: 7.6 mi Est. Upper Cedar Creek Trail Guide - Friends of Congaree Swamp Catch and release fishing is encouraged. Voice over for Audio Description by Amanda Hardin. At this junction, you can retrace your steps back to your starting point or add the Weston Lake Trail or the Oakridge Trail. Afternoon at Valley Forge National Historical Park in December 2017, We Bought Camping Air Pads to Review Next Year, Columbus Day Weekend in Acadia National Park, Two Days at Mammoth Cave National Park in September 2017, Our Day at Dry Tortugas NP via the Yankee Freedom III, Our June 2017 Stop in Everglades National Park, Visiting Colonial National Historical Park and Jamestown in June 2017, President Obama Designates Three National Monuments and Expands Two, President Obama Designates Two National Monuments, Our Christmas Eve Stop at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, 2 Day November Fall Foliage Trip to Shenandoah National Park, 3 Days in Yellowstone National Park in May 2016. Although theyre often large, the black rat snake poses no threat to humans. In Congaree, you can see some of the tallest Loblolly pines still alive today as well as bald cypress trees that are over 500 years old. In 2003, it was designated an Important Bird Area. #1 of 6 things to do in Hopkins Nature & Parks, National Parks 100 National Park Rd, Hopkins, SC 29061-8320 Save 42kRun Houston 158 61 Spiders, Snakes and Mosquitos Review of Congaree National Park Reviewed August 1, 2017 A nice visitor center with friendly Rangers and a film on the park. Congaree has been the location of a search for the Ivory-billed woodpecker in the past, a bird once thought extinct until it was seen in Arkansas in 2004. PRO TRAVEL TIP: This park floods on a regular basis. In fact, it was our favorite experience here. If you continue past the General Greene Tree, in about 0.1 miles you reach another unmaintained road to the right. Let me know in the comments or join me in my National Park Trip Planning Community! Numerous old roads exist in the park. The trail ends at Cedar Creek Landing, which is marked by an iron bridge over the creek. Photos taken by a park volunteer show a large cottonmouth . Paddle the 50-mile designated recreational paddle trail, extending from the state capital of Columbia downstream to Congaree National Park. Flooding tends to occur during the winter months. We were visiting, Congaree was originally designated as a swamp monument in 1976. Of the estimated 30 million acres of bottomland forests that once covered the USA, only 40% remains. Check out our park calendar to see what's coming up! We will be traveling through on Oct 12 & 21. Hiking Safety - Congaree National Park (U.S. National Park Service) Below is a map from the National Park Service. What is a bottomland forest? Its nice but we liked the Boardwalk Trail more. Additional details about the status of each species is included in the full list. Congaree National Park Wildlife - Parkcation An Insider's Guide to Congaree National Park - RootsRated Weston Lake Loop Trail (4.6 mi), Oakridge Trail (7.5 mi), and King Snake Trail (11.1 mi) where hikers may spot deer, raccoon, opossum, and even bobcat tracks. You may need additional items depending on current conditions and the activity in which you participate (e.g. Learn how your comment data is processed. Here visitors can experience both a unique old-growth bottomland hardwood forest, home to numerous national and state champion trees and one of the most biodiverse forests in the nation, as well as an upland pine forest where fire plays a key role in its health and survival. It is the largest bald cypress in Congaree National Park with a circumference of 30 feet. Many believe that it still lives deep within the old-growth forest popular with other woodpeckers. They have mapped the known territories to the best of the current knowledge and is a work in progress. A Large Snake In South Carolina Does A Bad Job Of Hiding In A Tree The boardwalk trail is an elevated path through the bottomland, where you can see giant tupelos and bald cypress trees standing in the water. Paddlers can travel as far as 15 miles along this route for a single or multi-day adventure. About a mile into our hike, I finally found what I was looking for: There was a black rat snake wiggling his way through the mud, clearly curious about something. Weston Lake Loop Trail | Best Things to do in Congaree National Park, Weston Lake Overlook | Best Things to do in Congaree National Park. We visited Congaree from November 8 through November 10. Travel with a friend! The trailhead is also marked on our interactive map. Wise Lake | Best Things to do in Congaree National Park. Id seen plenty of rat snakes before, and Ive always appreciated them because of their sheer size, and varied appetite. Dont be: Manchester notes that only two people have been bitten by snakes during his tenure in the park, and only three in total over the entire 46-year history of the park. Birds are also prey to some Congaree snakesblack rat snakes, for example, are known to eat birds, lizards, rats, and sometimes even other serpents. The cost is currently $10 for individual sites, $20 for group sites, and $5 at the Bluff Campground. It is also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Due to logging and the clearing of the landscape for farming and the building and expansion of cities and towns over the past 400 years, only a few scattered remnants of these once common ecosystems persist. Most of the time, you are walking through oaks and other hardwoods, not through sloughs of tupelos and cypress trees that make Congaree National Park so beautiful and so unique. The wet environment makes planning difficult, but its also what makes the park such an ecological wonder. The 75 species of trees that grow in the bottomland forests of Congaree National Park provide a life-sustaining habitat for all kinds of mammals, fish, reptiles, and birds. Personally, I think they have missed the point on Congaree, but I get where they are coming from. Of those 23 present and possible species, only three*** are venomous. Congaree is dedicated to providing meaningful, engaging opportunities to all individuals. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Earth Trekkers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn advertising fees by advertising & linking to Amazon.com. The 2.4 mile boardwalk loop originating from the visitor center is a popular place to start. The typical tour costs $70 per person, and takes participants through some of the parks most active waterways. The dynamic and diverse natural landscape that makes up Congaree National Park is defined by the presence of both flood and flame. If and when you get cell service, call 9-1-1 and let them know which hospital you are headed to. 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Its a beautiful part of Congaree National Park. Wise Lake is located near the trail junction for the Weston Lake Loop Trail and River Trail. Of the roughly 125 species of fireflies in the U.S., only a small number of them exhibit this kind of synchronicity. Pick a quiet area along the boardwalk and stop moving and just look around you. Instead, the flooding of the Congaree and Wateree Rivers bring essential water and nutrients to this bottomland region, creating one of the most diverse ecosystems in the USA. Below is a pileated woodpecker that we saw while on the low boardwalk (west side). Photo: scgerding/iStock via Getty Images, It was a rainy winter morning when my dogs jumped out of the car, ready to put their sniffers to good use. Adequate preparation, constant attention, and good judgement will help make your hike a safe and enjoyable experience. But once visitors set foot on Congarees 2.4-mile boardwalk, it becomes clear that this is not your average national park. If you have two days in Congaree National Park, spend one day canoeing or kayaking on Cedar Creek and one day hiking the trails (we recommend the Boardwalk Loop Trail, Weston Lake Trail, and the Bates Ferry/General Greene Tree hike). There is a 15 mile trail called the Cedar Creek Canoe Trail, that starts at Bannisters Bridge and ends at the Congaree River. . Some of these are connector trails. Each of us plays a vital role in protecting our national parks. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Hopkins, Across the southeastern United States, old-growth bottomland forests like that found here at Congaree once covered approximately 30 million acres, while longleaf pine savannahs covered an estimated 90 million acres. You can sample a wide range of bourbon or have one (or more) of their crafted cocktails. Congaree has one of the tallest temperate deciduous forests in the world -- it's taller than the old-growth forests found in Japan, the Himalayas, southern South America. The bottomland region that makes up much of Congaree National Park is regularly covered by floodwaters from the Congaree and Wateree Rivers. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Cedar Creek flows west to east through the center of the park. In order to go fishing in the park, you must have a valid South Carolina fishing license. life jacket/PFD, bug spray, personal locator beacon). Comparatively, the Grand Canyon has about 500 staff members during the peak season. Trip Ideas - Congaree National Park (U.S. National Park Service) Entrance Fee: There is no fee to enter Congaree National Park. Canoeing and Kayaking - Congaree National Park (U.S. National Park Service) Although we didnt run into any exotic or venomous snakes, the dogs and I were satisfied with our rainy Congaree visit; Our eyes were finally tuning into the subtleties of the swamp after a year of practice. The flooding, from what I read, usually occurs in the winter into early spring. If your visit is part of a bigger road trip, here are the driving distances and times to nearby destinations: Inside of Congaree National Park, your only option is tent camping. After a heavy flooding, the Boardwalk Loop Trail, and other trails on this list, can temporarily close. The Harry Hampton Visitor Center is the main hub for the park. Brown water snakes are especially likely to be seen on this portion of the trail, on overhanging branches or piles of woody debris. Congaree was originally designated as a swamp monument in 1976. But it actually isnt a swamp, its a floodplain. How Many Days Do You Need in Congaree National Park? You can go hiking, kayaking, canoeing, or camping under a tent. Native Land Digital is a registered Canadian not-for-profit organization with the goal to creates spaces where non-Indigenous people can be invited and challenged to learn more about the lands they inhabit, the history of those lands, and how to actively be part of a better future going forward together. It isnt uncommon for Congaree visitors to spot a few snakes hanging from trees as they canoe down the river. Curious what species of plants and animals can be found at Congaree National Park? Baldcypress knees. Watch out for snakes and spiders - Review of Congaree National Park I get why this park often makes peoples worst national parks or they ask why Congaree is a National Park.
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