Congaree National Park, SC

4/6 Weather: High 82/Low 54, Sunny

NPS Stop 3-Congaree National Park: https://www.nps.gov/cong/index.htm

Today we went to Congaree and hiked all of the boardwalk that was not covered in water which happens when the river rises but according to locals, dries out quickly. Very interesting to walk among the old trees surrounded by water and 8 feet of mud! We heard lots of different kinds of birds and saw a group of bird watchers on the trail. The self guided tour told interesting stories of the people who lived in this area, Native Americans and bootleggers are on the list. Bailey was able to hike 3 miles with us in this park.

4/8 Weather 81/Low 61, Sunny morning, cloudy afternoon

Today we went back to Congaree and hiked the Kingsnake Trail on the east side. The trail was very well marked and still muddy in spots. This is the kind of mud that sticks to your boots and can be very slippery. We could tell that the water is receding by the wet areas at the base of the trees, unfortunately, it did not recede enough for us to finish the hike. We were able to complete 2.6 miles today with Bailey who did not seem to mind the mud or puddles. We did see a large blue-ish bird but were not able to identify it. We also saw deer and raccoon tracks but no other wildlife.

4/11 Weather: High 79/Low 54, Mostly Sunny

Today we went back, one more time, to Congaree in hopes of hiking the Bluff Trail. It was closed due to a prescribed burn during our previous visits. We were pleasantly surprised to find the whole trail was open and like one ranger said ‘...this is the best trail...’. It is on higher ground, so no mud, and the forest changes from loblolly pines in the beginning to a forest with many types of trees, vines and birds. We were entertained by a woodpecker and heard the songs of many types of birds. An easy 1.8 mile loop and Bailey enjoyed being outside on the trail with us!