Overview
Congaree National Park preserves the largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest in the United States. It was established as a Congaree Swamp National Monument in 1976 and elevated to a national park in 2003. The park features one of the highest deciduous canopies in the world. The park is known for its fireflies who steal the show on summer evenings.
The Boardwalk Loop
The Boardwalk Loop begins behind the visitors center and makes a 2.4 mile circle through the Congaree wilderness. We’re glad the Mosquito Meter was only at a “2” on the day we hiked this trail!
Just around the first bend in the Boardwalk, we saw this beautiful barred owl.
Continuing along the Boardwalk, we were impressed by the huge spiderwebs:
The Boardwalk leads to the Weston Lake, where we watched turtles play and a large alligator swim.
After the viewpoints of the lake, the ground below the Boardwalk gets swampier. We enjoyed learning about the cypress trees and their knees.
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