Congaree National Park

What does a birder do when the wait for the peak of spring migration is just taking too darned long? One option is to head south. Early April is a great time to visit the parks of the southeast for a little bit of the warbler action that won’t get to the north until May. Florida is certainly one option, but for a little more seclusion with plenty of songbirds, Congaree National Park in South Carolina is the place to be.

A study should be wrapped up later this month into whether lands added to Congaree National Park since 2003 are eligible to be designated as official wilderness.

The onslaught of heavy rains soaking South Carolina in recent days has led to closure of Congaree National Park, where the Congaree River has gone from roughly 6 feet to nearly 19 feet in the past three days. Flood stage for the river in the park is 15 feet.

Exploring miles of boardwalk and a dense canopy of old growth hardwood trees might be what many visitors remember about Congaree National Park. But about ten times a year the waters from the Conagree and Wateree Rivers sweep through the floodplain wilderness, opening up a whole new surreal world for paddlers and an opportunity to discover the forest from a unique perspective. Kayak through the woods and experience this special place through the eyes of local veterans Eric Guzman and Edye Joyner.