Down a Lazy River

Kayaking in Congaree

This is actual video of our actual selves kayaking on Cedar Creek in Congaree National Park on Friday. I’m wearing a dark blue sweatshirt with the hood up, because it was cold. My husband has a stars-and-stripes bandana over his head. The (other) lady with short, gray hair was a teacher from St. Louis who was spending her fall break “doing something I haven’t done before,” which was visiting a wetland in the South. (She’d been kayaking before.)

Cedar Creek is the main waterway flowing through Congaree National Park. It meanders several miles before emptying into the Congaree River. The basins and sloughs beside it have more or less water depending on rainfall both in the area and upstream. Water levels are also affected by beaver dams.

Congaree National Park has many very big and old trees. Although much of the area that is now the National Park was logged off back in the Bad Old Days, a combination of poor access and changing economic conditions left many original trees in place. The signature species of this ecosystem are bald cypress, black tupelo, and loblolly pine, all of which are adapted to the periodically flooded environment.

Because it is fall and cold, we did not see much wildlife other than birds. The guide showed us a couple of otter dens - one a repurposed beaver lodge - but we did not see the otters. Alligators are rarely seen in the park: they prefer habitats nearer the coast and further south.

Congaree has been described as “the worst National Park” because - this will shock you - a wetland in the South has hot, humid weather, mosquitos, and lots of mud. There are also spiders. Really, really big spiders. (We admired the spiders when we were there in August but did not go kayaking because of the flooding. They are very big.)

Also, the group campsite doesn’t have a water tap. Once the Schumer Shutdown is over, the park will resume making improvements, including rebuilding some of the boardwalk. Maybe they’ll run water to the group campsite. Scouts would appreciate that.

We did not camp. We stayed in a rental house, which was very nice. Congaree is one of the few places where you can view synchronous fireflies. The spectacle is so popular that the Park Service has a lottery.