<p>Welcome to the audio-described version of Congaree National Park’s
official print brochure. Through text
and audio descriptions of photos, illustrations, and maps, this version
interprets the two-sided brochure that Congaree National Park visitors
receive. The brochure explores the
history of the park, some of its highlights, and information for planning your
visit. This audio version lasts about an hour, which we have divided into 27 sections, as a way to improve the listening experience. Sections 1-9 cover the front of the brochure
and include information regarding the majestic natural beauty found in the park
along with its history and preservation efforts. Sections 10/27 cover the back
of the brochure, and give a detailed description of the activities that can be
enjoyed at the park.</p>
<p><strong>Congaree
National Park, located in Richland County, South Carolina,</strong>is part
of the National Park Service, within the Department of the Interior. Congaree National Park encompasses nearly
27,000 acres, including the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland
hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States. Each year, thousands of visitors come to
enjoy the unique experiences that only Congaree National Park can offer. Feel the rough bark of centuries-old trees,
listen to the chirping of the birds as you stroll through the forest, and walk
along the boardwalk, learning the history of this national treasure. To find out more about what resources might
be available or to contact the park directly, visit the
"Accessibility" and "More Information" sections at the end
of this audio-described brochure.</p>
<p>The front of the brochure includes photographs of trees/artifacts
and a map. The text explains the history
of the Congaree area detailing the plight of its early settlers starting in 9500
BCE, wars, and freedom from slavery in 1865.
It discusses the progress made over the decades, and preservation efforts
by local citizens and political leaders that led to the inclusion of Congaree area
in the national park system.</p>
<p>DESCRIPTION:</p><pclass="msonormal">Page One
of the Congaree National Park brochure opens with a later summer panoramic view
of the flood plain as viewed from the lower boardwalk. The pictured section of the 2.4-mile
boardwalk weaves through the wooded flood plain and shows a family of four African
Americans looking into the forest from the boardwalk with the father pointing to
an unknown park feature. The boardwalk,
which turns to the right around an abundance of water tupelo and bald cypress
trees, stretches into the background of the flood plain. The forest floor has a sparse covering of
green plant-life and features many cypress knees protruding skyward above the
undergrowth. The boardwalk winds into
the distance around the trees at an elevation of two feet. The abundance of trees creates a shaded
canopy above the boardwalk, with each tree sharing flood watermarks that darken
the trees symmetrically up from the forest floor at a height of three feet on
each tree. A handful of the first leaves
of autumn spot the gray-planked boardwalk that
provides a protective guard rail
on each side the entire length of the boardwalk. Trees in the foreground of the
picture display a growth of green moss on the bark of the massive trees. The bald cypress trees display a buttress
shape base that supports the massive tree trunks of the majestic trees. The dark brown floor of the flood plain is
dotted with numerous trigs and a wide variety of vegetation. <br><p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS</p><br><p>RELATED TEXT:</p><p>Welcome to the wild heart of South Carolina—a land of towering trees, of floods and fire, of woodland paths and water trails used by people for over 10,000 years. These ancient trees have witnessed wars, slavery, freedom, and destruction. This rare old-growth floodplain forest was almost lost. In 1976, it became part of the nearly 27,000 acres of Congaree National Park.</p><p>Congaree’s floodplain and uplands are steeped in folk tales, ghost stories, and fond memories. Carrie Barber White, who grew up near here, remembers summer weekends spent at Cedar Creek, where “it would be so cool and inviting.” Today, she and her sisters bring grandchildren to look for birds, frogs, and salamanders.</p><p>What will you experience here? Listen for the song of a warbler. Fish the creek and lakes. Paddle a kayak into wilderness quiet. Walk through the upland and inhale its piney scent while looking for signs of past residents. And be sure to come back. Congaree National Park is a land of constant change and new discoveries.</p><br></pclass="msonormal">
<p>IMAGE 1 of 8: Sweetgum </p><p>DESCRIPTION:</p><pclass="msonormal">Below the
featured picture of the boardwalk are eight green illustrations of trees that
are commonly found in the park. From
left to right, the first illustration is of the broad shaped sweetgum tree.
This bright green leaf is a shaped somewhat like a star, has a broad leaf with
five points, and a truncated base spanning 3-5 inches.<p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS<br></p><br><p>IMAGE 2 of 8: American beech</p><p>DESCRIPTION:</p><pclass="msonormal">The second
leaf is the American beech which features a simple, serrated, alternately
arranged with an elliptical shape. The
green leaves are tapered and vary in length among the cluster at a length of
2-4 inches.<p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS</p><br><p>IMAGE 3 of 8: Swamp chestnut oak</p><p>DESCRIPTION:</p><pclass="msonormal">The next
leaf is the swamp chestnut oak which is somewhat oval shaped and tapered at the
base. Each leaf has numerous shallow
lobes along the edges. A distinguishing feature of the leaf is large teardrop
shape that extends from a triad of leaves.<p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS</p><br><p>IMAGE 4 of 8: American holly</p><p>DESCRIPTION:</p><pclass="msonormal">The
American holly is the next featured leaf.
It is identified in the illustration by an elliptical shaped leaf with
several spiny points and a deep vein that runs down the middle of the leaf. This broadleaf is an evergreen and produces
bright red berries in the winter.<p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS</p><br><p>IMAGE 5 of 8: Water tupelo</p><p>DESCRIPTION:</p><pclass="msonormal">The water
tupelo is the next featured leaf and is very symmetrical, large and oblong in
shape. The leaf has a pointed tip and the illustration features a cluster of
six leaves extending in various directions. <p>CREDIT:</p><p>Jeff Reimer and Walter Mark</p><br><p>IMAGE 6 of 8: Dwarf palmeto </p><p>DESCRIPTION:</p><p>The dwarf palmetto
that is illustrated has a leaf that resembles a dark green fan and features 20
narrow, long, divided leaflets. The
shape is that of a multi-pointed star and grows at the end of a long stem. A
long rib runs the length of each leaflet. <br></p><p>CREDIT:</p><p>Chris Evans, University of Illinois</p><br><p>IMAGE 7 of 8: Lololly pine</p><p>DESCRIPTION:</p><pclass="msonormal">The
loblolly pine has a needle-shaped leaf that resembles a brush. Each long, thin needle emerges from a cluster. The illustration displays two pinecones that
are growing behind the clump of pine needles. <p>CREDIT:</p><p>Larry Kohrnak</p><br><p>IMAGE 8 of 8: Bald cypress </p><p>DESCRIPTION:</p><pclass="msonormal">The bald
cypress is the illustrated leaf on the far right. It is characterized by small, thin inch-long needles
that grow in symmetrical clusters that resemble short bristles. <p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS / Justin Hobart</p></pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal">
<p>DESCRIPTION:</p><p>This map illustrates the extent of old-growth floodplain forests prior to the European settlement of the United States. The map shows the states from Texas east to Florida along the Gulf Coast and north to Delaware and Maryland along the Atlantic coast. Also included are all the states up to Missouri in the west and Kentucky in the north. This gray-shaded map is punctuated with large, thick green lines that trace up the major river valleys of the region. These start at the coastlines and snake their way inland. The largest of these areas is the massive Mississippi River Valley that extends into southern Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky. All of these areas formed the once expansive old-growth floodplain forests. A line is drawn to present day Congaree National Park, which is home to the largest remnant of that once vast forest ecosystem, which at 11,000 acres, is too small to see on the map. </p><p>CAPTION:</p><p>Congaree National Park protects the largest remnant of old-growth floodplain forest in the United States—an area too small to see on this map.</p><p>RELATED TEXT:</p><p>The dark green on this map shows where old-growth floodplain forests used to grow. Today over 99 percent of this forest is gone. Less than one half of one plain percent—11,000 acres — is protected in the park. What happened? Trees were cut for ships, railroads, and buildings. The floodplains were drained for pastures, farms, and cities.<br></p><br>
<p>DESCRIPTION:</p><pclass="msonormal">The
brochure features a photograph of the journalist and celebrated champion of
Congaree, Harry Hampton. In the picture,
he stands in front of a mammoth bald cypress tree that sports a wide buttress
at the base. The surrounding forest
floor is composed of dark, bare dirt and Mr. Hampton stands with his hands on
his hips and his left foot resting on a short cypress knee. He wears rugged outdoor gear including a
brimmed hat, opened jacket, and high-rise brush trousers. The tree reaches skyward at an enormous
height joining green branches of surrounding trees to form a leafy canopy above
dense forest. The picture is actually
two photographs. The one of Mr. Hampton,
is black-and-white and dates back decades to when he scouted the
floodplain. This photograph is carefully
superimposed onto a modern-day color photograph that includes the massive tree,
forest floor and the surrounding trees of the flood plain. Sunshine peers into the floodplain through a
narrow opening at the top left corner of the photograph. <br><p>CAPTION:</p><p>Harry Hampton – Journalist and champion of Congaree, Hampton posed next to a bald cypress in the 1950s. It towers over 130 feet and still stands — thanks to his efforts and those of others he inspired.</p><br><p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS / Paul Angelo</p><br></pclass="msonormal">
<p>DESCRIPTION:</p><pclass="msonormal">The
brochure includes a photograph of a dense grove of broad-buttressed, bald
cypress trees and displays the cypress knees that surround the base of each
tree. These knees extend up to three
feet upward from the flood plain and feature rounded tips. Some cypress knees divide into a fork shape at
the top and about a dozen of them in the foreground of the photo extend out of
shallow water. The high number of bald
cypress trees create a thick wall that seem to block out a view beyond 100
feet. Narrow beams of sunlight spotlight
small sections of the flood plain floor. <br><p>CAPTION:</p><p>Bald cypress knees</p><p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS / James and Jenny Tarpley<br></p><br><p>RELATED TEXT:</p><p>This tree’s broad base and complex root system help hold it steady during a flood. The knees might also help stabilize it. Many giant trees grow here, and some are considered “champion trees” — the largest of their kind in the state or even in the nation. The park has numerous champions, including pawpaw, loblolly pine, and sweetgum.</p></pclass="msonormal">
IMAGES and TEXT: Settlement, Wars, and Slavery, 1700-1865
<p>IMAGE 1 of 2: Ferry system</p><p>DESCRIPTION:</p><pclass="msonormal">A series of two images from left to right:
<p>The first image is a 19<sup>th</sup> century black and white
photograph of a ferry at a river crossing taken from a distance. The ferry is a
long, low, and flat water craft that has fence like railings on both sides of
the vessel and is pulled up to the shore at the edge of a river. The end of the
ferry closest to the viewer has a raised platform. On the ferry is a wagon
loaded with a variety of indistinguishable items. The wagon has wheels of two
different sizes. The rear wheels are the largest, while the front wheels are
around three quarters the size of the rear. The wagon is being pulled by two
mules who are wearing harnesses that tether them to the wagon. Three
individuals are on the ferry and facing towards the camera. A woman stands at
the front of the ferry towards the center of the photograph. She is wearing a
wide bonnet. She is wearing a long, light colored, long-sleeved blouse that is
cinched at her waist and a skirt that goes from her waist to her feet. Her
right hand, on left as she is facing the camera, is resting on the rail of the
ferry. She is standing in front of one of the mules, blocking its head from
view. The second individual is a man on the opposite side of the ferry from the
woman. He is leaning heavily against the railing, his legs extended far forward
of his body. He is wearing a dark, wide brimmed hat, a white long-sleeved shirt
and light colored pants. His left hand, on the right as he faces the camera, is
placed across his chest and resting near his right shoulder, left as he faces
the camera. The third individual is also a man and is on the raised platform at
the front of the ferry to the right of the other two individuals. He is wearing
a dark jacket and dark pants, along with a dark cap. His hand is resting on a
post beside his right leg, left as he faces the camera, his other arm resting at
his side. The rope the get the ferry across the river is seen running in front
of all three individuals. In the
foreground and to the center of the photograph are two dark colored dogs. Both
dogs are on shore. One dog is just to the right of the woman is facing towards
the ferry, away from the camera. The other is slight to the right of the other
dog and farther forward standing next to a post. It is standing and facing
towards the right side of the photograph, its rear end slightly lowered down as
if rising from a sitting position. In the center foreground is a scrubby
looking bush. More scrubby vegetation is on the edge of the riverbank on the
left hand side of the photograph.</p><p>CREDIT:</p><p>Library of Congress</p><br><p>IMAGE 2 of 2: Slave laborers</p><p>DESCRIPTION:The second image is a drawing that is a night time scene of
a group of escaped African-American slaves who have gathered in the forest next
to a stream under a lean-to shelter. The lean-to shelter is made of flat strips
of wood across a wooden framework and is built on a small rise of land. There
are 8 men in the image. On the left side of the image, a man is walking towards
the camp carrying a sack of supplies on his shoulder, his features hard to
distinguish because of the shadows. In front of him and just to the right is a man
leaning against a stack of old bricks with his chin resting on his hand. His
face is lit by a fire in the center of the picture while his back is in
shadows. To the right to this man stands another man just outside the lean-to,
his features mostly obscured by shadows. He is wearing a hat and a baggy shirt,
and is taking a drink from a jug. Just to his right is a man standing next to
the fire. He is holding a griddle pan in his hand and looking to the right of
the image. Around his head is wrapped a handkerchief. Sitting in the foreground
next to fire is another man with a beard who has removed his shoes and has his
left hand on his left foot. In front of him next to the fire is a cup. Three men
are under the lean-to resting. Towards the center of the image is the first man
under the lean-to sitting cross-legged and looking to the right of the image at
the man sitting next to him. The second man is young and is leaning back on his
elbows, his legs extended in front of him and towards the fire near the center
of the image. His is wearing hat and his shadow is cast on the lean-to behind
him. The only part of the third person visible is their legs. Their feet are
together and legs pulled back towards them, bent at the knees. They are wearing
pants, the cuffs rolled up from the bottom close to their knees. Grass along
the stream is in the foreground of the picture.</p><p>Description here</p><p>CREDIT:</p><p>Schomburg Center for Black Culture<br></p><br><p>RELATED TEXT:</p><p>UNEASE – Europeans begin to take land from native people for farms and settlements. In 1716, the tribes fight the English and lose. The Congaree, reduced earlier by disease and now by war, join the Catawba. Settlers establish ferries across the Congaree River by the 1740s. Landowners use enslaved people to clear and develop the floodplain for growing crops.</p><p>AMERICAN REVOLUTION – Soldiers skirmish nearby. Brig. Gen. Francis Marion, known as the Swamp Fox, leads a siege that breaks the British hold on this area.</p><p>SANCTUARY – People running from slavery find shelter here and even form small communities. During the Civil War, Union soldiers destroy railroads and bridges as they march by.</p></pclass="msonormal">
IMAGES and TEXT: Freedom and a farm; community and industry, 1865 - 1950
<p>IMAGE 1 of 4: 40 Acres and a Mule</p><p>DESCRIPTION:</p><pclass="msonormal">The first photo appears above the title “Community and
Industry 1865-1950.” In the center of this black-and-white photo is an African
American woman walking behind a small plow which is being pulled by a mule
across a field. Both the woman and mule are heading away from the viewer towards
the left of the photo, so that all you can see is the woman’s back and a slight
side-profile of the mule. The field is empty except for the slightly raised
rows of dirt crossing diagonally in the direction she and the mule are
travelling.
<p>The woman appears to be wearing a simple plain dress, which
extends almost all the way to the ground. Her head, which is bent slightly forward,
is covered with what appears to be a whitish colored wrap, which extends in a “pony
tail” just past her shoulders. You can also see her left hand resting on one of
the plow’s handles. The mule appears to have a simple harness just below the
back of its neck, which is attached to the plow. The woman and mule are heading
in the direction of a small, rough-looking cabin in the distance. The cabin has
a couple of scraggly, leafless trees directly in front of it. Behind the cabin
and the field, in the background, is a line of what looks to be pine trees that
stretches all the way across the photo from left to right. One taller tree can
be seen at the right edge of the field closer to the foreground. Although you
cannot tell whether it is sunny or overcast, the gray sky in the black-and-white
photo gives a somber tone to the already bleak and fallow field below. </p><p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS</p><br><p>IMAGE 2 of 4: Cotton</p><pclass="msonormal">Where the first and second primary photos in the timeline meet,
there is a small photo superimposed over their boundary. This photo, which has
been trimmed so that all you can see is the main subject, is of two nearly
round cotton. The two white bolls are hanging down one above the other on the
left side of a thin brown stalk.</pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal"><p><br><pclass="msonormal"><pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal"></p><p>CREDIT:</p><p>Matthew Webb</p><br><p>IMAGE 3 of 4: Baptism in Cedar Creek</p><p>DESCRIPTION:</p><pclass="msonormal">The second primary photo in the timeline is a historic
black-and-white photo showing a baptism ceremony. The photo is dominated by a
water scene, either a lake or a large creek. Emerging from the dark water is a
thick forest which extends across the photo from left to right and to the top.
On the right side of the photo is a group of a couple dozen African American men,
women and children standing in shallow water. The adult members of this group
are standing towards the background of the image. About half of the adults are
wearing all white clothes and the other half appear to be wearing mostly darker
clothing. Most are wearing hats and about half-a-dozen of the adults towards
the background of the photo are holding umbrellas, which appear gray in the
black-and-white photo. There are several children closer to the foreground who
are wearing dark pants, white shirts and wide-brimmed hats. The hats have dark
hat bands and appear white in the photo.</pclass="msonormal"><br><p>
Almost all the members of the group appear to be
looking off to the left of the photo, where there is a smaller group of several
people standing in waist-deep water standing in a row far enough away from the
camera that you cannot distinguish specific features about their faces. The
four individuals are wearing white clothing, which is reflected in the dark rippling
water. None of this smaller group are wearing hats or holding umbrellas. There
appears to be a man on the left side of the group who has his right hand outstretched
at a 45 degree angle towards a woman, who appears to be the primary subject of
this photo. The woman appears rigid in her posture, with her arms directly to
her side all the way into the water. Because of her stance, her pure white
clothing gives the shape of an upright rectangle that extends into the water. There
also seems to be at least one other individual standing between her and the man
with outstretched hand. This person appears to be reaching out and gently
holding onto the woman’s arm near her elbow. Directly behind the woman and slightly
off to the side (to the viewer’s right) is another person holding what appears
to be a large blanket. The blanket is being held directly in front of and above
the person’s head and extends down into the water. The dark water appears calm, except for small
ripples that are heading towards the bottom left corner of the photograph.<br></p><p><pclass="msonormal"><pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal"></p><p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS</p><br><br><p>IMAGE 4 of 4: Irvin Portee</p><p>DESCRIPTION:</p><pclass="msonormal">The final image of this section of the timeline is a
black-and-white photograph which itself is turned slightly to the viewer’s left
so that the photo is angled and not completely upright. The photo shows Irvin
Portee, an African American man, paddling a canoe through what is now Congaree
National Park. Mr. Portee is wearing dark colored overalls and wide-brimmed
hat. He is looking slightly off to the viewer’s right and has a wide smile. He
is gripping a wooden canoe paddle, which he appears to be pulling towards
himself to propel the canoe. The background shows a cypress forest emerging
from the creek where he is paddling. <p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS</p><br><p>RELATED TEXT:</p><br><p>Freedom and a Farm – After the Civil War, freed people in South Carolina can buy farms from the state in a program some call “40 acres and a mule.” In the Congaree area, they farm the floodplain and the uplands. They hunt, fish, and many are baptized in Cedar Creek. They establish towns close to Congaree where they start businesses and raise families.</p><br><p>Logging – In the late 1890s, the Beidler family buys most of the Congaree floodplain for its trees. Logging this dense, wet forest is hard and expensive. They quit—for now.</p><br><p>Living – Irvin Portee, born and raised near Congaree, learns how to “doctor” horses and other farm animals. He also guides hunters and anglers through the forest on weekends.</p></pclass="msonormal">
<br><p>IMAGE 1 of 3: Logging</p><p>DESCRIPTION:</p><pclass="msonormal">The first image in this section of the timeline is a
black-and-white photo showing an African American man driving a large
tractor-like machine pulling a trailer loaded with long cut logs. The entire
contraption appears to be on rails similar to railroad tracks. The logs are
stacked about five high and are held together by one large chain running around
them. The viewpoint is looking at the side profile of the operation. Behind the
machine and operator is a dark forest of thin trees. Directly in front of the
tracks is a stack of smaller logs. To the left of the stack of logs is a stack
of rails which run at a 45 degree angle towards the viewer. <p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS</p><br><p>IMAGE 2 of 3: Saw</p><p>DESCRIPTION:</p><pclass="msonormal"><p>This color photo from the early 1970s shows three men
standing around a very large splintered stump of a recently logged tree. The
young man to the left, who is wearing a small backpack, is looking across the
stump to an older man with white hair. The older man, Dr. James Tanner, stares
down intently at the stump as he uses a long piece of splintered wood to count
the rings in the stump. The third man is standing behind the stump is leaning
over the stump, looking nearly straight down. He has curly dark hair and is
wearing a checkered shirt. Behind them is a forest with standing and fallen
trees. The entire photo is framed at the bottom by a superimposed photo of a
long cross-cut saw, which would have been used by a two-person team.</p><p>CREDIT:</p><p>Wikimedia / Eugene Zelenko </p><br><p>IMAGE 3 of 3: Park visitor</p><p>DESCRIPTION:</p><pclass="msonormal">This color photo shows a solitary young girl on a forested
path walking away from the camera. The path is covered in reddish-brown leaves
and crisscrossed with roots. Tall trees with green and yellow leaves line the
path. Ahead of the girl, the path seems to disappear into the forest. <p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS</p><br><p>RELATED TEXT:</p><p>Trees at Risk – In the 1950s, journalist Harry Hampton begins his work to preserve the Congaree forest. When the Beidlers allow logging again in 1969, Hampton’s effort grows into a grassroots campaign. Politicians from multiple parties join to pass national legislation to preserve the largest remnant of old-growth floodplain forest in the southeastern United States.</p><br><p>Today – This world-renowned forest remains at risk. Floods bring pollution. Climate change is altering plant growth, animal behavior, and weather patterns. Even so, descendants of enslaved people, members of 17 tribes, and millions of visitors come to enjoy Congaree National Park. As we walk through its wilderness, we walk in the footsteps of those who came before.</p></pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal">
<p>The back of the brochure includes a collage, scenic photos,
illustrations, and maps. The text
invites visitors to explore this special place through descriptions of the amenities
and facilities found at the park. It
also contains information on safety and driving direction to Congaree.</p>
<p>DESCRIPTION:</p><p>A group of park visitors enjoy a leisurely stroll along the Boardwalk at Congaree National Park. A female park ranger walks backwards while the small group listens intently as she talks to them. Another park ranger walks behind the group. Behind him at the end of the line, is a young girl wearing a vest with many colorful patches sewn on it. A large tupelo tree stands in the foreground on the left side of the boardwalk. Smaller tupelo trees stand on either side of the boardwalk as it gently curves through a high stand of switch-cane. This photo was taken in the Fall, as indicated by the slightly yellowish/gold cypress needles on the baldcypress trees in the background. <br></p><pclass="msonormal"><br><p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS / Paul Angelo</p><br><p>RELATED TEXT:</p><p>Come wander among towering trees, hear the rata-tat-tat of a pileated woodpecker, and soak in the history of “the swamp.” Head out on your own, follow the self-guiding tour, or join a ranger-led walk. The boardwalk is for people of all ages and abilities. You can walk the full 2.4-mile loop or explore a small section. If it has been raining, parts of the boardwalk might be slick or underwater. Local people come here often; they know the Congaree floodplain is a place of constant change and surprise.</p></pclass="msonormal">
<p>DESCRIPTION:</p><p>The scene is along the tranquil waters of the Cedar Creek Canoe Trail. A man and woman wearing personal flotation devices (PFDs) paddles down the creek, which is surrounded by a thick canopy of tupelo and baldcypress trees. Ahead of them are two other individuals in separate kayaks, who are also heading downstream. <br></p><br><p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS / Paul Angelo</p><br><p>RELATED TEXT:</p><p>Paddle Cedar Creek through the watery wilderness of Congaree. Discover “walking trees,” spot a great blue heron, watch leaves twirl in the current. You can also approach the park along the Congaree River’s Blue Trail and camp in the wilderness. Bring your own canoe or kayak, or join the popular ranger-led tour. The paddling experience changes as water levels change. Before you start your trip, get updated information from the visitor center.</p>
<p>DESCRIPTION:</p><p>The image is a autumn forest scene. On the left hand side of the photograph is a a person hiking on a trail from the left side of the image to right. The person is visible from the torso down to the feet. The person is wearing a dark blue fleece vest with a brown shirt underneath, blue jeans, and tan and gray hiking books with light blue laces. They have a hiking stick in their right hand. The forest floor is covered with leaves of brown, red and yellow. Fall colors of yellow and red blend with leaves that are still green. A variety of different trees fill the background of the photograph, varying in size and shape. Some trees are large with wide spreading roots. Other trees are much younger and have a smaller circumference.</p><pclass="msonormal"><p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS / James and Jenny Tarpley</p><br><p>RELATED TEXT:</p><p>Spend a few hours or a week walking the wilderness trails. They cross the bluff and its loblolly plantations, taking you by sites used in ancient and more recent times. Trails in the floodplain lead to oxbow lakes, primitive camping deep in the forest, and opportunities for solitude. The Bates Ferry Trail follows a historic road to the banks of the Congaree River.</p></pclass="msonormal">
<p>DESCRIPTION:</p><p>This photograph shows four African-American students working in a lab. There is one girl and three boys in the picture. The young girl in the foreground of the image is intently studying on object on the table in front of her. She is wearing an bright orange and gray shirt and is wearing her hair up. On the table in front of her are a number of containers. There are several jars open on the table with the lids removed. There is also a plastic tupperware container containing indistinguishable contents. Between the young girl and the boys in the background behind here are two magnification vessels. The boy sitting beside the young girl is mostly obscured. He is holding a pencil in his left hand and is wearing a red shirt. Across from him sits another boy wearing a white shirt and writing on a worksheet. Further back and sitting facing the camera is a third boy who is also working on schoolwork. The room around the students has a number of items on the wall, including posters behind the young girls head, and emergency equipment. There is a door in the background that leads to another room. A computer monitor is visible in the background on a desk with a cabinet above it.</p><pclass="msonormal">On the far
right at the top of the page is a picture of a handful of owl pellets. The pellets are dark brown and resemble the
contextual structure of rice. The
pellets are displayed in a human’s left hand with two fingers of the right hand
spreading the pellets in the palm of the left hand. Fluffy, beige long sleeves extend on the
person’s lower arm to the wrists.<p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS / Paul Angelo</p><br><p>RELATED TEXT:</p><p>Like many national parks, Congaree is a laboratory for science research at all levels. Scientists and students come here from around the world. Ask about ongoing projects and recent research findings. You might see a researcher at work or children taking water samples. Perhaps you can join a bird or butterfly count. These are just a few of the ways to experience the research underway here. Find out more on the park website.</p></pclass="msonormal">
<p>TEXT:</p><p>The Congaree River is bounded on both sides by bluffs that mark the edge of the floodplain and help contain floodwaters that cover much of the park each year. Floods bring in minerals and other nutrients to the floodplain ecosystem.<br><br></p><p>INFOGRAPHIC 1 of 3: Dry conditions</p><p>An illustration of the Congaree Floodplain is divided into three sections: the northern bluff is shown along the top of the image in brown; the floodplain in the middle of the image is shown in green; and the southern bluff along the bottom of the image is shown in brown. The Congaree River and other streams are shown in blue. This illustration depicts what the landscape looks like in dry conditions. </p><p>Description here</p><p>CAPTION:</p><p>For most of the year, most of the floodplain is dry. Look for small wet areas, low hills, and fallen trees. These and other small habitats are why so many kinds of plants and animals live here. </p><p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS<br></p><br><p>INFOGRAPHIC 2 of 3: Minor flooding</p><p>DESCRIPTION:</p><p>An illustration of the Congaree Floodplain is divided into three sections: the northern bluff is shown along the top of the image in brown; the floodplain in the middle of the image is shown in green; and the southern bluff along the bottom of the image is shown in brown. The Congaree River and other streams are shown in blue. Large areas within the floodplain are shown in blue to illustrate what the landscape looks like when minor flooding events occur. <br></p><p>CAPTION:</p><p>After a heavy rain, guts (small water channels) and low areas begin to fill. Cedar Creek spreads among the trees. Now is a good time to look for fish and salamanders in waters rising along the boardwalk.</p><p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS</p><br><p>INFOGRAPHIC 3 of 3: Major flooding</p><p>DESCRIPTION:</p><p>An illustration of the Congaree Floodplain is divided into three sections: the northern bluff is shown along the top of the image in brown; the floodplain in the middle of the image is shown in solid blue; and the southern bluff along the bottom of the image is shown in brown. The Congaree River is shown in darker blue to indicate its location. The entire floodplain is shown in blue to illustrate how much of the landscape is covered by water during major flooding events.<br></p><p>CAPTION:</p><p>Waters can rise fast and high when Cedar Creek and the Congaree River overflow. River otters and other aquatic animals spread out. Land animals head for high spots in the floodplain or move to the uplands.</p><p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS</p>
<p>DESCRIPTION:</p><p>This photograph is of group of 10 longleaf saplings in a sunlit forest. The saplings are of varying heights. They have thin trunks with long, green needles extending in all directions from the trunk. On the top of each of the saplings is a group of needles in the shape of a bottle brush. The smallest sapling at the bottom has all brown needles that have died and are limp and lying to the right of the stem. The ground around the trees is covered in tall grass. The grasses are green and brown. Directly behind the pine saplings is thick shrub undergrowth. Rising behind the undergrowth are the straight trunks of a forest of pine trees. The sky is visible through the canopy of the trees on the left side of the photograph over to the center. The forest is very thick in the background and no sky can be seen. </p><p>CAPTION:</p><p>Longleaf pine seedlings</p><p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS / Ted Schantz</p><p><br></p><p>RELATED TEXT:</p><p>In the park’s uplands, fire — not flood — is bringing back a rare forest. In the past, longleaf pine dominated the upland regions of the park. These trees depended on regular fire to keep fast-growing hardwoods like sweetgum from taking over. Today the park uses fire carefully to restore the longleaf pine forest. In time, rare animals like the red-cockaded woodpecker may return, along with rare plants.</p>
<br><p>DESCRIPTION:</p><p>This map is oriented with North at the top. The park is indicated in green and the land around the park is a light tan color. Bodies of water are shown in blue. The park is shown stretching from east to west (right to left). The park is elongated and is much longer than it is wide. The eastern boundary is formed by the winding Wateree River. The southern boundary is formed by the meandering Congaree River which stretches over 25 miles from west to east, where it joins with the Wateree River in the southeastern corner of the park (becoming the Santee River, which is shown fading off the map in the bottom right corner). The short western boundary runs from the Congaree River up to Old Bluff Road. Bluff Road (SC Highway 48) is shown in black running roughly parallel to the northern boundary of the park. The northern and eastern boundaries are irregularly shaped, as they are formed by property lines and not natural features. </p><p>The primary waterway which snakes through the park, is Cedar Creek, which runs from the northwestern corner at the Bannister Bridge Canoe Landing (indicated with a canoe symbol) across the center of the park and empties into the Congaree River about half way between the eastern and western boundaries. The South Cedar Creek Canoe Landing is also indicated on the map at the creek's mid-way point. Other water features, include oxbow lakes and other small creeks, which are also indicated in blue. </p><p>Other than the Bates Ferry Trail on the eastern side of the park, all of the trails are clustered on the western third of the map. The trails are shown in dashed black lines, except for the rectangular-shaped Boardwalk, which is indicated in brown. The Harry Hampton Visitor Center, along with Longleaf Campground and Bluff Campground are shown near the north-eastern boundary of the park. </p><br><br><pclass="msonormal"><p><pclass="msonormal"></pclass="msonormal"></p><p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS</p></pclass="msonormal">
<p>DESCRIPTION:</p><p>This is a small map depicting the land within Congaree National Park. Most of the map is shaded in green, indicating the areas of the park designated as federal wilderness. The primary exceptions are a large area on the eastern side of the park and small narrow areas on the extreme northern edge of the park. These areas, shown in white, are non-wilderness areas. </p><p>CREDIT:</p><p>NPS</p>
<p>Named for the man who helped save Congaree, the visitor center is a good place to begin. A film and exhibits show highlights of the park’s people, plants, and animals. The Boardwalk and Bluff trails start here, as do most ranger programs.</p>
<p>Bring the family for a picnic, a ranger program, or a walk through the woods. Camp at the Longleaf Campground or hike to the primitive Bluff Campground.</p>
<p>Most of Congaree National Park is wilderness. This designation protects forever the land’s wild character, natural conditions, opportunities for solitude, and scientific, educational, and historical values. Here you can sense being a part of the whole community of life on Earth.</p><p>Explore Congaree’s wilderness on foot via the boardwalk and trails, and by canoe or kayak. Stay in the wilderness at Bluff Campground. Ask at the visitor center about other wilderness camping opportunities.</p>
<p>Pets must be leashed; they are allowed on all trails.</p><p>• Be alert for poison ivy, stinging insects, and mosquitoes.</p><p>• Anglers must have a South Carolina fishing license. Minnows and fish eggs are prohibited as bait.</p><p>• Bicycles and motor vehicles are not allowed on trails.</p><p>• Motorized watercraft not allowed.</p><p>• Littering, digging bait, picking plants, and disturbing wildlife are not permitted. <br>• For firearms regulations, check the park website.</p>
<p>We strive to make our facilities, services, and programs accessible to all. For information go to the visitor center, ask a ranger, call, or check our website.</p>
<p>Congaree National Park is one of over 400 parks in the National Park System. To learn more about national parks, visit www.nps.gov.</p><br><p>ADDRESS:</p><p>Congaree National Park</p><p>100 National Park Road</p><p>Hopkins, SC 29061</p><br><p>PHONE:</p><p>803-776-4396</p><br><p>WEBSITE:</p><p>www.nps.gov/cong</p><br><p>MORE: </p><p>Follow us on social media.<br></p><br><p>National Park Foundation</p><p>Join the community.</p><p>www.nationalparks.org</p>