Congaree National Park

Congaree National Park is 20 miles southeast of Columbia, South Carolina. Located in the floodplain of the Congaree River, "this park protects over 26,000 acres of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest, the largest such area left in the United States." (source: park brochure) Much of the park is wetland, and a good introduction to the park is the 2.4 mile boardwalk that Nancy and I walked on Wednesday:

The park is home to many tall trees including this loblolly pine that Nancy is hugging which is over 150 feet high (#11 on the boardwalk tour):

Bald cypress trees are common in the park and produce "knees":

The function of cypress knees is not entirely understood, but may help to help anchor the tree in soft, muddy soil. Bald cypress trees can live to be over 1,000 years old.

The swampy terrain of the Congaree floodplain made it an ideal place for moonshiners to hide their stills during Prohibition. This iron box is an old still (#15 on the boardwalk tour):

The park was originally designated as the Congaree Swamp National Monument in 1976 and redesignated as the Congaree National Park in 2003, dropping the word "swamp." Nancy and I visited on an absolutely delightful day, but apparently there are times of the year when small swamp-loving insects are pervasive: