And thanks to the foresight and selfless action of a small number of people, you can still see small, protected enclaves of old growth that convey the true biological and aesthetic potential of our eastern forests. But if you go to Congaree National Park, you can see it all.
— Whit Bronaugh
Date Created: Congaree National Park was established on November 10, 2003, but it had previously been designated a national monument in 1976.
Location: Central South Carolina, USA, near the city of Columbia.
Size: Approximately 26,276 acres (10,626 hectares).
Primeval! The 2.4 mile Boardwalk Loop Trail provides a path without getting wet, muddy and perhaps lost in this wilderness. The park is a sanctuary for diverse plant and animal populations. Stands of ancient cypress, pines, oak, elm, persimmon, laurel and sweet gum trees are often covered with Spanish moss and vines. The distant call of unseen birds pierce the quiet. We passed at least one snake lurking under the boardwalk but have read there are twenty-five snake species from brown water to copperheads and a wide selection of turtle, salamander, frog, toad and mosquito species. Remember the bug spray. I so admire the environmentalists who against long odds fought the logging and development companies for preservation of this incredible swamp.
