Congaree National Park

 

21,888 acres (8,862 hectares), central S.C., est. as Congaree Swamp National Monument 1976, designated a national park and renamed 2003. Located along the north bank of the meandering Congaree River, the park contains the largest tract of old-growth floodplain forest in North America, a remnant of the southern bottomland forests once found in the SE United States. The diverse, episodically flooded wilderness contains more than 75 species of trees and a variety of animal life, including bobcats, white-tailed deer, wild pigs, flying squirrels, barred owls, eight woodpecker species, and many snake and turtle species. See also National Parks and Monuments (table).

Congaree National Park
IUCN Category Ib (Wilderness Area)
Location	South Carolina, USA
Nearest city	Columbia
Coordinates	33°47′0″N 80°47′0″W / 33.78333, -80.78333
Area	21,867.02 acres   (21,116.91 federal) 88.49 km²
Established	10 November 2003
Total visitation	134,045 (in 2006)
Governing body	National Park Service

Congaree National Park preserves the largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest left in the United States. Located in South Carolina, the 22,000 acre (89 km²) site is one of America's smallest national parks. The lush trees growing in this floodplain forest are some of the tallest in the Eastern U.S., forming one of the highest natural canopies remaining in the world. Bald cypress is a common tree in the park. The Congaree River flows through the park. 15,000 acres (60.70 km²) or about 70 percent of the park is designated wilderness area.

While largely recognized as a sanctuary for animal and plant life, Congaree National Park features primitive campsites and offers hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and bird watching. Large animals possibly seen in the park include bobcats, black bears, deer, feral pigs, feral dogs, coyotes, and turkeys. Its waters contain interesting creatures like amphibians, turtles, snakes, alligators, and many types of fish like bowfin, largemouth bass, panfish, catfish, and pike. Primitive and backcountry camping is available. Hiking trails are found in the park as well as a 20-mile marked canoe trail on Cedar Creek.

In 1969, the Sierra Club launched a "grass roots" campaign to save this area of old growth forest from private landowners interested in the relatively high timber prices. The result of this campaign was the establishment by Congress of "Congaree Swamp National Monument" on October 18, 1976. It became an International Biosphere Reserve on June 30, 1983. Over two-thirds of the park was designated a wilderness area on October 24, 1988 and it became an Important Bird Area on July 26, 2001. Following an increase in its authorized boundary, it became a national park on November 10, 2003.

Most visitors to the park walk along the Boardwalk Loop, an elevated walkway through the swampy environment that protects delicate fungi and plant life at ground level. Boat rides through the swamp are conducted for free every Sunday.

References

• The National Parks: Index 2001–2003. Washington: U.S. Department of the Interior.

External links

• Official site: Congaree National Park
• Friends of Congaree Swamp
• Wilderness.net page on the park
• Pictures of Congaree National Park from terragalleria.com

National parks of the United States
Acadia • American Samoa • Arches • Badlands • Big Bend • Biscayne • Black Canyon of the Gunnison • Bryce Canyon • Canyonlands • Capitol Reef • Carlsbad Caverns • Channel Islands • Congaree • Crater Lake • Cuyahoga Valley • Death Valley • Denali • Dry Tortugas • Everglades • Gates of the Arctic • Glacier • Glacier Bay • Grand Canyon • Grand Teton • Great Basin • Great Sand Dunes • Great Smoky Mountains • Guadalupe Mountains • Haleakala • Hawaii Volcanoes • Hot Springs • Isle Royale • Joshua Tree • Katmai • Kenai Fjords • Kings Canyon • Kobuk Valley • Lake Clark • Lassen Volcanic • Mammoth Cave • Mesa Verde • Mount Rainier • North Cascades • Olympic • Petrified Forest • Redwood • Rocky Mountain • Saguaro • Sequoia • Shenandoah • Theodore Roosevelt • Virgin Islands • Voyageurs • Wind Cave • Wrangell-St. Elias • Yellowstone • Yosemite • Zion
List by: date established, state

Coordinates: 33°47′N, 80°47′W

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