This South Carolina forest floods every year and that’s what created its giant trees

South Carolina’s forgotten forest of giants

Eighteen miles southeast of Columbia, South Carolina, sits a national park that most Americans have never heard of.

It’s free to enter, rarely crowded, and holds trees so tall they’ve earned comparisons to the redwoods of California. The forest floods, drains, and floods again, and that cycle is exactly what made it this way.

You walk in expecting a swamp. What you find is something older and stranger than that.

The flooding that made these trees so tall

Congaree isn’t a swamp. The waters from the Congaree and Wateree Rivers sweep through about 10 times a year, drop a load of nutrient-rich sediment, and then drain out.

That cycle has been running for centuries, and the trees have responded by growing to sizes you don’t see anywhere else in the eastern United States. The long growing season and undisturbed soil do the rest.

The result is one of the highest temperate deciduous forest canopies left in the world.

The fight that saved 26,000 acres of old growth

People have lived around this forest for at least 10,000 years. Cypress logging operations moved in during the late 1800s and ran through 1914.

Then the trees recovered. Then, in 1969, logging threats returned, and a grassroots movement pushed back hard, with the Sierra Club and local activists joining forces.

Journalist Harry Hampton had spent years exploring the floodplain and had been calling for its protection since the 1950s. Congress established Congaree Swamp National Monument in 1976.

In 2003, it became a national park, dropping “swamp” from the name because the land is a floodplain, not a swamp.

Formerly a refuge for people escaping slavery

Before it was a park, this forest served another purpose.

Enslaved people once used the dense wilderness as a refuge, with some known as maroons living freely in the floodplain for extended periods.

The sheer size and wildness of the forest made it nearly impossible to penetrate.

More than two-thirds of the park still carries federal wilderness designation today, meaning it looks much the same now as it did then. That history runs through every trail you walk.

Stand next to a 170-foot loblolly pine

The park holds the tallest known examples of 15 different tree species.

The national champion loblolly pine stands nearly 170 feet tall, roughly the height of a 17-story building. Some bald cypress trees in the park have been growing for more than 500 years.

Sweetgum, laurel oak, swamp tupelo, and water hickory all have national or state champion specimens here.

Locals call it the Redwoods of the East, and once you’re standing at the base of one of these trees looking straight up, you’ll understand why.

Walk the boardwalk six feet above the forest floor

The 2.4-mile Boardwalk Loop runs elevated above the floodplain on a flat wooden surface, which makes it accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.

The path winds through bottomland hardwoods, bald cypress and water tupelo stands, and groves of massive loblolly pines. It passes Weston Lake, an ancient oxbow cut off from the Congaree River about 2,000 years ago.

The canopy overhead is so thick it creates near-constant twilight, and barred owls call out during the day because of it. Grab an interpretive brochure at the visitor center before you head out.

Go deeper on 25 miles of wilderness trails

Past the boardwalk, the park opens up into more than 25 miles of trails. The Weston Lake Loop runs 4.6 miles with views of the oxbow.

The Oakridge Trail stretches 7.5 miles, much of it on boardwalks over creeks and streams.

The longest option, the Kingsnake Trail, covers 11.1 miles through remote wilderness where you can spot animal tracks in the mud along the way.

The Bates Ferry Trail follows a historic road that Native Americans likely used long before colonial-era ferries crossed the river at this same stretch.

Paddle a blackwater creek through ancient cypress

Cedar Creek winds through the heart of the old-growth forest, and a marked canoe trail follows it through the park.

The water runs dark with tannins from decaying leaves, and the bald cypress trees rise from the surface on all sides. River otters, great blue herons, wood ducks, and barred owls show up regularly along the route.

The park runs free ranger-guided canoe trips, but you’ll need to bring your own boat or rent from an authorized outfitter outside the park.

Check water levels at the visitor center first, since flooding changes conditions fast.

Watch thousands of fireflies blink in perfect sync

Each spring, for about two weeks somewhere between mid-May and mid-June, synchronous fireflies put on a display in the floodplain that draws people from across the country.

Only three species of synchronous fireflies exist in North America, and Congaree is one of a handful of places worldwide where you can see it happen.

The species here is Photinus frontalis, and the synchronized flashing is part of its mating ritual. The park has almost no light pollution, which makes the effect hit harder.

Access during the event requires a lottery-based vehicle pass, with a limited number of vehicles allowed in each night.

Spot bald eagles, bobcats, and alligators

More than 1,000 plant and animal species live in this park.

White-tailed deer, bobcats, river otters, coyotes, armadillos, and raccoons all move through the forest. Alligators live in the deeper sections of the Congaree River, though sightings are uncommon.

The park holds designation as a Globally Important Bird Area, and it’s earned it: bald eagles, red-shouldered hawks, swallow-tailed kites, wood ducks, barred owls, and dozens of warbler species all show up here.

Reptiles and amphibians crowd the wet ground, including turtles, frogs, and salamanders.

Camp under the canopy with a free permit

All camping here is tent-only, so leave the RV at home.

Longleaf Campground sits near the park entrance and has individual and group sites with fire rings and picnic tables. Bluff Campground goes more primitive, with no toilets or running water.

Backcountry camping is free with a permit from the visitor center, and some of those sites you can only reach by canoe or kayak.

The Harry Hampton Visitor Center has exhibits, a film about the floodplain ecosystem, and a bookstore where you can pick up trail maps before you set out.

The least-visited national park with the most titles

Congaree carries more official designations than parks ten times its size: UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve, federally designated Wilderness Area, Globally Important Bird Area, National Natural Landmark, and a member of the Old Growth Forest Network.

It’s also one of the least-visited national parks in the country, which means the trails are mostly yours.

Rangers lead programs regularly, volunteer guides run hikes, and fishing is open throughout the park with a valid South Carolina license. The entry fee is zero.

The trees have been waiting 500 years. They can wait a little longer.

Visit Congaree National Park in Hopkins, South Carolina

You can reach the park at 100 National Park Road in Hopkins, about 20 miles southeast of Columbia. Take Interstate 77 or Interstate 26, then follow SC-48 (Bluff Road) to Old Bluff Road.

The closest airport is Columbia Metropolitan, about 20 miles from the entrance.

The Harry Hampton Visitor Center is your first stop for maps, trail conditions, and current hours, which shift by season and during special events, so check the official website before you go.

Pets on leashes are welcome on all trails, but bikes and motorized vehicles are not.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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