An Endeering Walk on the Enchanted Forest Boardwalk
Congaree National Park
Hopkins, SC
'My Sister is Getting Married!' Roadtrip
25 August 2018
Introduction
There is a major imbalance of actual National Parks between the West and East sides of the country. South Carolina boasts this lesser known park that represents the biodiversity and multiple ecosystems of the southeast United States. I was able to enjoy an evening meandering on the boardwalk trail and a nice paddle the following morning. On this road trip, I will get to experience another eastern National Park - Shenandoah - on my return trip.
While my time at the park was brief, it was memorable. It's also easy to pass through on many more Northbound road trips!
The Gear
The Story
I love roadtrips - the freedom to stop anywhere I please, having almost everything I need in my truck, and the flexibility of arrangements for changed plans. The most difficult aspect is leaving the kitties, Jovi and Taco, at home. Hopefully soon I'll have an RV of some sort to bring them with me!
I spent the prior night in Pine Mountain, GA. In the morning I competed in the Callaway Gardens Olympic Triathlon - my first in the Oly distance! Then after some grub and a beer, I slowly made my way through traffic into South Carolina.
The Harry Hampton Visitor Center........After Hours
I arrived at Congaree National Park after the visitor center's closing time. Fortunately as it's still summer, the days are long and there was time to explore. I would have to wait the following day to get my passport cancellation.
Park brochures and pamphlets were available along with posted trail maps. There was information for the human kittens/Junior Rangers. The regular restrooms were locked, but the accessible family restrooms were available for use after hours.
There was also a surprising number of cars in the lot and many people around. It was good to see several visitors out and about in nature.
The Self-Guided Boardwalk Tour
Right at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center is the beginning of the Boardwalk Loop Trail. This 'trail' is a 2.4 mile, accessible boardwalk that immerses visitors into the old-growth bottomland hardwood forest. Many of the other trails at the park intersect with or veer off from the boardwalk.
For information on the Congaree National Park trails, visit: https://www.nps.gov/cong/planyourvisit/trail-information.htm
At some point, the boardwalk reaches a fork where you can choose to follow the loop in either direction. I 'kept right' and followed in a counter-clockwise direction where the sign-posts displayed in ascending order.
Close to the beginning is a staircase that leads down to the Bluff Trail.
Another fun component of the Boardwalk Loop is the Self-Guided Boardwalk Tour. The brochure for this was available at the Visitor Center so I got to learn as I went on my journey. There are twenty numbered sign-posts along the boardwalk with brief, corresponding text in the brochure only.
The brochure is also available online: Congaree NP - Self-Guided Boardwalk Loop
1 - American Beech Tree
Fagus grandifolia
The photographed specimen to the right is an American Beech that could quite possibly be over 100 years old. American Indians and early settlers would collect and grind the beech nuts into flour for food.
Quick facts:
- Deciduous Tree - Trees that involve "the dropping of a part that is no longer needed" - Leaves fall down during autumn.
- Native to Eastern North America from North Florida to Canada
- Likes the shade more than most other trees!
- Usually found on moist slopes, rich bottomlands, and in well-draining soil.
Trees hanging over the boardwalk and one of the many benches to sit down and relax.
2 - Dorovan Muck
Who knew that mud could have a special name? Dorovan muck, a dark-colored mixture of clay and old leaves, is EIGHT FEET DEEP. It filters water and traps pollutants, converting them into harmless compounds.This muck might be a little yuck, but it plays a super important role in keeping the floodplain and Congaree River clean and happy.
So many wonderful trees!
The first wildlife sighting - a squirrel. Be jealous.
3 - Bald Cypress Trees and their Plethora of Knees
It didn't take long to reach the land of cypresses. Wide and large bald cypress trees tower over the boardwalk and their adorable knees - vertical, odd-looking roots with an unknown purpose. Yes there are many great theories, but nothing has been "proven" I guess. Since bald cypress trees are usually found in wet environments, scientists theorize that the knees provide additional structural support during floods and winds. Too be fair, humans would fall over in floods and winds if we didn't have knees too.
Bald cypress trees can live to be over 1,000 years old. Just imagine being stuck in one place for that long.
"Wood Eternal"
The wood of bald cypress trees is rot and water resistant. Not surprising since many bases of the trunks are submerged under water. The wood decays slowly and can keep in greet condition for 100+ years of use.
The Catawba and Congaree tribes made canoes with bald cypress wood since it was both easy to work with and durable. They were then intensively logged in the late 1800s for roof shingles, docks, cabinetry, etc. Therefore there are a limited number of old-growth bald cypress trees around in the present.
Just when you think cypress knees can't look any more ridiculous.
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| Research Marker CG2 |
4 - Water Tupelos | Nyssa aquatica
Water tupelos hang around the cypress trees. They also have wide or "swollen" trunks and grow where there is plenty of water. They bring fresh nutrients into the floodplain. By looking at the moss on the trunks, you can see where water levels have been.
If you're like me, you will confuse water tupelo and cypress trees. When I searched for information on differences, it seems this is a common mistake. Here is an article from the Tallahassee Democrat: Water tupelo easily mistaken for cypress
If you're like me, you will confuse water tupelo and cypress trees. When I searched for information on differences, it seems this is a common mistake. Here is an article from the Tallahassee Democrat: Water tupelo easily mistaken for cypress
5 - Switch Cane
Arundinaria gigantea
Easily confused with non-native, invasive bamboos, Switch Cane is one of three species of Arundinaria and is most closely related to sugar cane. After only a small increase in elevation from the cypress and tupelos, the switch cane is now in charge.
Quick Facts:
- Rarely flowers
- Leaves can be caterpillar food
- Essentially a large grass
- Generally 5-6ft tall
- Canebrake = a dense growth of switch cane
6 - Snags AKA The Standing Dead
Among the canebrake, many trees stand. Even dead trees are standing. Snag is the name for "standing dead trees". While the tree may be dead, it still provides a home for other life. Small species such as spiders, insects, and fungi will call these snags home.
I couldn't tell what snag the brochure was discussing but below is a photo of several trees, some of which could be dead (yet full of life!).
I couldn't tell what snag the brochure was discussing but below is a photo of several trees, some of which could be dead (yet full of life!).
7 - The Old-Growth Forest
Mentioned earlier, this trail immerses visitors into an "old-growth bottomland hardwood forest" where you can find --
Trees in all phases of life and death - seedlings, state and national champions, rotten logs..
An open view into the forest floor due to very few plants growing from low sunlight..
Species inhabiting large trees for food and shelter..
Squirrels..
Spiders..
Cypress knees..
Trees in all phases of life and death - seedlings, state and national champions, rotten logs..
An open view into the forest floor due to very few plants growing from low sunlight..
Species inhabiting large trees for food and shelter..
Squirrels..
Spiders..
Cypress knees..
8 - Trees are Tall
With trees averaging over 130ft tall, Congaree is one of the tallest deciduous forests in the world. This is thanks to rich soil, frequent flooding, a long growing season, and protection from the logging industry.
9 - Guts and Sloughs
If Dorovan muck wasn't enough of an exciting name for you, there is also a GUT - this wet, low area surrounding the boardwalk. They are similar, if not synonymous, to sloughs (which now I know is pronounced as "slew"). Guts are low channels within the forest that aid in dispersing floodwater around the floodplain. In this case, when the Congaree River floods. With all of the floodwater comes silt and soil that replenish nutrients into the floodplain.
10 - Hurricane Hugo Knocks Down a 2-Century Old Loblolly Pine
Hurricane Hugo [1989] knocked down a loblolly pine that lived for at least 200 years. They had to cut it up in order to clear the trail, where they were able to study the forest's natural history by inspecting the rings.
11 - The Former State Champion Loblolly Pine [Pinus taeda]
Pictured below is a former state champion loblolly pine tree. This guy is 150+ feet tall. Loblollies are the best of all pine trees at living in wet conditions, and even then it's still weird to find them growing in wetlands. They are also among the tallest trees in the state of South Carolina.
Vertical panoramas from opposite directions:
12 - Weston Lake
Weston Lake is an oxbow lake along the Congaree River. The river gradually changed course over 2,000 years ago causing the formation.
"An oxbow lake starts out as a curve, or meander, in a river. A lake forms as the river finds a different, shorter, course. The meander becomes an oxbow lake along the side of the river.
Oxbow lakes usually form in flat, low-lying plains close to where the river empties into another body of water. On these plains, rivers often have wide meanders."
Source: National Geographic: Oxbow Lake
13 - Lightning Levels the Loblollies
Being tall has some disadvantages. Some unfortunate loblolly pines have had the displeasure of learning about this, including some of the ones at Congaree.
Lightning can be a deadly force preying on tall, vulnerable targets. Since loblollies can emerge above the forest canopy, they become easy targets. Even though the tree's life ends, being part of an old-growth forest allows the tree's remnants to become a home for beetles, termites, fungi, etc.
14 - Palmetto Party
South Carolina is often referred to as the Palmetto State, name after the state tree - the cabbage palmetto [Sabal palmetto]. Guess which other state has the same state tree? Florida! I wrote about it in my post on the Cathedral of Palms hike in Florida.
While Sabal palmetto is a tall tree growing normally up to 65 feet tall, there are other species in the Arecaceae (palm) family as well. Here on the boardwalk at Congaree, we get to see dwarf palmettos [Sabal minor], also commonly found in Florida. This variety thrives in sunny but wet and sandy areas usually caused by a disturbance (Hurricane Hugo?) leaving a gap in the canopy. They are super hardy due to having the magical ability to withstand sub-freezing temperatures.
Hey look a deer! As it's now dusk, the sighting is not surprising. While following this beauty, I almost missed Sign #15!
15 - It's STILL Here?
Look out yonder from Sign #15. It looks like some rusted garbage waiting to give tetanus to some poor soul.
Maybe that's true now, but in the past it was an iron still used to make alcohol during prohibition (1919 - 18th Amendment). Since prohibition or outlawing anything never actually works, bootleggers operated deep in the forests, such as in the Congaree River floodplain. They would make a mash out of water and maize, and then heat and distill it through copper tubing to produce illegal moonshine.
Now that I've had my moonshine, I try to capture some more deer pictures. They are far away, and the forest floor vegetation is fairly thick and also very tall here. So since it's difficult to focus, the deer are moving, and the natural light is diminishing - this is what I've got:
Strength in numbers! There's two!
They definitely knew I was there. They didn't mind too much since they were so far away.
16 - HERE I AM - ROCK YOU LIKE A Hurricane (Hugo) ...Again
Looking up from Sign #16, you can see empty space in the canopy. If you remember the 21st night of September in 1989, you would know that Hurricane Hugo unleashed himself on the forests of Congaree National Park. Tornados during the storm are the likely culprits knocking down large trees. The canopy was barren, but the forest floor was not! Seedlings and vines took advantage of the abundant sunlight and began their growth.
Disturbances, such as Hurricane Hugo, encourage forest renewal.
17 - The Importance of Fire in Forests
Just as Hurricane Hugo provided a natural source of forest renewal, fire serves a similar purpose. Fire in the past has always been a natural occurrence in the Congaree floodplain. Now while nature sometimes still does its thing, the National Park Service must conduct prescribed burns to manage the forest health, restoring the natural fire regime and sustaining the habitat. The endangered red-cockaded woodpecker is an example of a species that needs the controlled fires in order to thrive.
Loblolly pines are fire tolerant and usually aren't affected with low/moderate fires. The fallen pine pictured had a natural injury at the base of its trunk causing it to continue burning after a prescribed fire. Once the tree fell, they needed to section the tree to verify that the fire was entirely extinguished.
18 - Sims Trail
Sign #18 marks the intersection of the Boardwalk Trail with Sims Trail, which used to be a road. There are many old roads throughout the park that were used by hunters, fishermen, and loggers. Harry Hampton used the roads to explore the forest where he was a hunter and overall an outdoorsy dude.
With his strong connection to the forest and position as a reporter and editor for The State newspaper, Hampton began his campaign to the save the Congaree River floodplain in the 1950s. In 1976, the efforts successfully resulted in the establishment of Congaree Swamp National Monument. In 2003, the designation changed to Congaree National Park.
19 - The Forest Fights for Freedom
Forests provide some sort of refuge for many. Fresh air, the beauty, the peace - have many healing effects.
The forest also provides refuge for those escaping someone or something. A maroon settlement consisting of runaway slaves existed just a few miles from here. Escaped slaves would form independent communities in places similar to the Congaree floodplain. The rivers provided ample opportunities for travel, finding food, and gathering supplies. The forest's dense vegetation provided safety, especially with all of the twisted roots and places to hide.
20 - Enjoy Nature. Protect Nature.
"This forest existed long before it was protected as a
National Park. The natural sounds you hear today are
some of the same sounds heard by the Congaree and
Catawba tribes that came here long ago. Take a moment to listen
to the forest. You may be surprised by what you hear. The forest
comes alive with the sounds of songbirds, frogs, and the wind
blowing through the trees. What would this forest look and sound
like if it had not been protected?" --NPS Brochure
Temporarily returning to real life.
The closest area with hotels is 20-25 minutes from the park. Congaree has a campground, but this was not a camping trip for me. I ended up staying at Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Columbia/At Fort Jackson. It was the best deal in terms of price and location. There were several food joints (mostly chains), but I decided to walk over to the shopping center next to the hotel. Full moon howooooooo!!
Strava
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| Link to Strava Hiking Activity: Congaree National Park - Boardwalk Loop |
Hurdles
Bug Spray. Bug spray. Bug spray. Bug spray. Bug spray.
Don't just leave it in the car. Spray some all over yourself, then leave it in the car.
Relevant Quote
More from the 'My Sister is Getting Married!' Roadtrip
- 2018-08-25: An EnDEERing Walk on the Enchanted Forest Boardwalk at Congaree National Park [SC]
- 2018-08-26: An OTTERworldly Paddle on Cedar Creek at Congaree National Park [SC]
- 2018-08-28-29?: VB Paddling
- 2018-08-31: Exploring the Virginia District of Assateague Island National Seashore
- 2018-09-02: Life!!! In the Maryland District of Assateague Island National Seashore
- 2018-09-03: DC
- 2018-09-03: A BEARy Good Experience on Skyline Drive at Shenandoah National Park [VA]
- Dark Hollows Falls Hike at Shenandoah National Park
- Bear Hike
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