On the way to our condo on Longboat Key, Florida, my wife and I made a detour to the east, crossing the broad swath of the Appalachians between Berea, Kentucky, and Spartanburg, South Carolina. Our destination was Congaree National Park, southeast of Columbia, South Carolina.
Established in 1976, this Park covers 27,000 acres of the Congaree River's floodplain, protecting the largest remnant of old-growth floodplain forest in the United States. While most of the park is wilderness, accessible only by canoe or kayak, the northwest corner of the preserve includes a Visitor Center, a 2.4 mile boardwalk loop and several longer earthen trails. Massive bald cypress trees rise within the sloughs and Cedar Creek Valley while towering oaks and long-leaf pines dominate the upland areas. Among the wild residents are pileated woodpeckers, barred owls, river otters, five-lined skinks and a large variety of waders and wetland songbirds.
Today, the sloughs and trails were dry, reflecting an ongoing drought in the Congaree watershed. As a result, wildlife sightings were limited despite the mild, sunny conditions. On the other hand, we got plenty of exercise and were able to explore an ecosystem that has been nearly (99%) lost to logging, flood control, wildfire suppression and agriculture in America.
Established in 1976, this Park covers 27,000 acres of the Congaree River's floodplain, protecting the largest remnant of old-growth floodplain forest in the United States. While most of the park is wilderness, accessible only by canoe or kayak, the northwest corner of the preserve includes a Visitor Center, a 2.4 mile boardwalk loop and several longer earthen trails. Massive bald cypress trees rise within the sloughs and Cedar Creek Valley while towering oaks and long-leaf pines dominate the upland areas. Among the wild residents are pileated woodpeckers, barred owls, river otters, five-lined skinks and a large variety of waders and wetland songbirds.
Today, the sloughs and trails were dry, reflecting an ongoing drought in the Congaree watershed. As a result, wildlife sightings were limited despite the mild, sunny conditions. On the other hand, we got plenty of exercise and were able to explore an ecosystem that has been nearly (99%) lost to logging, flood control, wildfire suppression and agriculture in America.
