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.
Congaree National Park, located in Richland County, South Carolina,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.
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.
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CREDIT:
NPS
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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.
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.
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.
IMAGE 1 of 8: Sweetgum
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CREDIT:
NPS
IMAGE 2 of 8: American beech
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CREDIT:
NPS
IMAGE 3 of 8: Swamp chestnut oak
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CREDIT:
NPS
IMAGE 4 of 8: American holly
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CREDIT:
NPS
IMAGE 5 of 8: Water tupelo
DESCRIPTION:
CREDIT:
Jeff Reimer and Walter Mark
IMAGE 6 of 8: Dwarf palmeto
DESCRIPTION:
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.
CREDIT:
Chris Evans, University of Illinois
IMAGE 7 of 8: Lololly pine
DESCRIPTION:
CREDIT:
Larry Kohrnak
IMAGE 8 of 8: Bald cypress
DESCRIPTION:
CREDIT:
NPS / Justin Hobart
DESCRIPTION:
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.
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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.
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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.
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CAPTION:
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.
CREDIT:
NPS / Paul Angelo
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CAPTION:
Bald cypress knees
CREDIT:
NPS / James and Jenny Tarpley
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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.
IMAGE 1 of 4: Stone arrowheads
DESCRIPTION:
The first image is a photograph of three ancient Native American artifacts. On the top left is a small, narrow, light-colored triangular arrowhead. It is made of flint-like rock and roughly even on all three sides, with the base of the arrowhead at the top being slightly shorter. It has many tool marks in the form of raised ridges and dimples from the crafting of the arrowhead. The right hand side is slightly in shadow and looks darker than the rest of the arrowhead. Below and slightly to the right is a second, larger arrowhead. The stone is of a rough texture and is also light in color with hues of pink mixed in. The left hand side of the arrowhead is a roughly even edge from the top to the bottom with a slight protrusion near the top. The right hand side is not even and about halfway up the side has a significant bulge from the middle to the top of the arrowhead. The base of the arrowhead at the top has a trapezoidal projection in the middle where the arrowhead connected to the shaft of the arrow. The right hand side is also in shadow and slightly darker than the rest of the arrowhead. The third artifact to the right of the second is a clay, light brown pot sherd. It is slightly convex, with the top and right hand side having straight edges. The right hand side is jagged and uneven from top to bottom. The surface of the sherd has numerous parallel markings etched into the surface from the top to the bottom of the artifact.
CREDIT:
NPS
IMAGE 2 of 4: Pawpaw
DESCRIPTION:
CREDIT:
University of Missouri / © Kyle Spradley
IMAGE 3 of 4: Hernando DeSoto meets people of Cofitachequi
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CREDIT:
State Archives of Florida
IMAGE 4 of 4: A New Voyage pamphlet
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CREDIT:
State Archives of Florida
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First people of the Congaree (9500 BCE–1700 CE) – Hunters and Gatherers
The area’s first people find plenty of food in the floodplain and uplands, like pawpaw. They hunt with stone arrowheads.
Traders, chiefs
By 1000 BCE (before common era), people begin settling in villages near here to farm, hunt, and gather. They add distinctive patterns to pottery and build large mounds, perhaps for burials. Chiefdoms develop from 1000 to 1600 CE. A major village, Cofitachequi, is near the park along the Wateree River.
Europeans
Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto meets people of Cofitachequi in 1540. As diseases ravage their people, chiefdoms realign into smaller tribes—including the Congaree.
IMAGE 1 of 2: Ferry system
DESCRIPTION:
The first image is a 19th 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.
CREDIT:
Library of Congress
IMAGE 2 of 2: Slave laborers
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.
Description here
CREDIT:
Schomburg Center for Black Culture
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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.
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.
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.
IMAGE 1 of 4: 40 Acres and a Mule
DESCRIPTION:
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.
CREDIT:
NPS
IMAGE 2 of 4: Cotton
CREDIT:
Matthew Webb
IMAGE 3 of 4: Baptism in Cedar Creek
DESCRIPTION:
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.
CREDIT:
NPS
IMAGE 4 of 4: Irvin Portee
DESCRIPTION:
CREDIT:
NPS
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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.
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.
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.
IMAGE 1 of 3: Logging
DESCRIPTION:
CREDIT:
NPS
IMAGE 2 of 3: Saw
DESCRIPTION:
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.
CREDIT:
Wikimedia / Eugene Zelenko
IMAGE 3 of 3: Park visitor
DESCRIPTION:
CREDIT:
NPS
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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.
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.
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.
TEXT:
Congaree’s old-growth floodplain forest and uplands support an extraordinary variety of life. Because of this diversity, the park is designated an International Biosphere Reserve.
IMAGE 1 of 19: Luna Moth
CREDIT:
NPS / Theresa Thom
IMAGE 2 of 19: Anole
DESCRIPTION:
CREDIT:
Anne Voelkel
IMAGE 3 of 19: Owl pellets
DESCRIPTION:
CREDIT:
NPS / Congaree
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At night – Owls fly silently through the forest each night. In early summer, synchronous fireflies flash in unison, providing a rarely seen light show.
IMAGE 4 of 19: Barred owl
DESCRIPTION:
The
barred owl is pictured on the far right of the page. It is sitting on a tree branch facing the
viewer. This owl is a stocky with a
rounded face. The body is a mottled brown and white pattern with almost black
eyes that slant upward from the nose outward.
It has a slight circular patter around both eyes that resembles a
mask. It sports a vertical brown pattern
on its belly and horizontal brown bars around its neck and upper body. Its tail extends slightly below the tree
branch on which it is sitting and is brown.
Tiffs of feathers extend slightly from both shoulders
CREDIT:
FWS / Mark Musselman
IMAGE 5 of 19: Pileated woodpecker
DESCRIPTION:
CREDIT:
Gary Lloyd-Rees
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Birds – The park is famous for its variety of birds. Thousands of songbirds migrate through here or stay the winter.
IMAGE 6 of 19: Prothonotary warbler
DESCRIPTION:
The
prothonotary warbler is a medium-sized bird that can be identified by its very
bright yellow head and breast and its bluish wings and green-gray undersides
and tail. It has a long, straight bill that is black. Pictured in the brochure,
it is sitting on a small branch with its tail to the left and head to the
right.
CREDIT:
Greg Schneider Photography
IMAGE 7 of 19: Feral hog
DESCRIPTION:
The
feral hog illustrated in the brochure to the right of the warbler is pictured
among green flood plain undergrowth. The
feral hog is a medium sized animal with a stout, barrel-like body. It has
short, slender legs, and a relatively long-pointed head supported by a thick
neck. Its snout is blunt and rounded. It
has small dark eyes and both ears are pointed upward above its sloping
forehead. Its hairy body is covered with short, narrow brown hair and its short
straight tail stands vertical.
CREDIT:
Duane Burdick
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Not Welcome – Feral hogs dig constantly for food, which damages native plants and animals, and historic sites.
IMAGE 8 of 19: Common whitetail dragonfly
DESCRIPTION:
CREDIT:
NPS / Theres Thom
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1,000 Species – Over 1,000 species of moths live here, along with 140 species of butterflies, and thousands of other insects.
IMAGE 9 of 19: Pearl crescent butterfly on swamp milkweed
DESCRIPTION:
Below the common whitetail dragonfly is pictured a pearl crescent butterfly perched on a swamp milkweed. With its wings extended vertically, this orange and black winged butterfly has a brown body and antenna that extend backwards towards its speckled wings. Each wing is bordered by a black margin. Its milkweed perch has a green stem at reaches upward to the upper right to a cluster of tiny pink flowers.
CREDIT:
NPS / Paul Angelo
IMAGE 10 of 19: Red-spotted purple butterfly
DESCRIPTION:
Pictured
across the center of the page and to the right above the butterweed is the
red-spotted purple butterfly. It is tilted
facing upward and slightly to the right.
Its upside is dark purple with a white iridescence on the outer edges of
the hindwing. The forewing has two
red-orange spots near the tip of the dark purple wing and, along with the
lighter-colored hindwing. Both the
forewing and the hindwing are bordered on the outer edges by outer margins of
alternating pale blue and dark blue linings. The body is a dark purple and has two antennas
extending forward from its tapered head.
CREDIT:
NPS / Theresa Thom
IMAGE 11 of 19: Inchworm
DESCRIPTION:
CREDIT:
NPS / James and Jenny Tarpley
IMAGE 12 of 19: Firefly
DESCRIPTION:
CREDIT:
© Ben Pfeiffer
IMAGE 13 of 19: Butterweed
DESCRIPTION:
Pictured
to the right of the pearl crescent butterfly illustration is the
butterweed. This plant has a rigid green
stem that branches into six short green stems.
Each stem contains small, bright-yellow flowers. Each flower sports a round yellow lobe in the
middle and petals of a lighter yellow tint.
The flowerheads all extend from the top of the main green stem but reach
in all directions upward offering a bouquet of budding and opened yellow
flowers.
CREDIT:
NPS / Keith Coffer
IMAGE 14 of 19: Fox squirrel
DESCRIPTION:
CREDIT:
© Paula K. Maslar
IMAGE 15 of 19: White-tailed deer
DESCRIPTION:
Below
the inchworm is a tiny white-tailed deer fawn.
The fawn’s hind side is facing the viewer and it is peering around the
left side of its small body to the viewer. The fawns light brown body has a
pattern of small white dots that narrow as they reach a point near its
tail. The fawn has large brown ears that
are oblong and rise above its head. Its
eyes are dark and is has a pale coloration around its long protruding
face. It is nestled in a leafy green
undergrowth as if it is hiding.CREDIT:
NPS / Paul Angelo
IMAGE 16 of 19: River otter
DESCRIPTION:
The
last animal illustrated on the far right of the page is the river otter. The river otter has its tail facing the
viewer and is looking around the left side of its muscular body displaying its
long, brown body. Its fur appears wet
and sleek. It has a long furry tail that
tapers from its rare and is covered with sleek hair. Its elongated head has a small neck and its
body is broadest at the hips. It has a
distinctive white whiskers and white markings under its chin and above its
puffed mouth. It has very short, rounded
ears and short legs.
CREDIT:
© Barry Troutman
IMAGE 17 of 19: Five-lined skink
DESCRIPTION:
CREDIT:
Bugwood / © Rebekah Wallace
IMAGE 18 of 19: Great Blue Heron
DESCRIPTION:
CREDIT:
© Hammerchewer
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COMMON FOOD – Seven kinds of crayfish live here, and all are eaten by many animals, including this great blue heron. During dry times, crayfish burrow deep into the soil and are safe from other animals.
IMAGE 19 of 19: Green treefrog
DESCRIPTION:
CREDIT:
© Becky Williams Photography
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Amphibians – This green treefrog is one the 18 kinds of frogs in the park. Four toad species also live here, and nine kinds of salamanders.
DESCRIPTION:
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.
CREDIT:
NPS / Paul Angelo
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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.
DESCRIPTION:
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.
CREDIT:
NPS / Paul Angelo
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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.
DESCRIPTION:
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.
CREDIT:
NPS / James and Jenny Tarpley
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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.
DESCRIPTION:
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.
CREDIT:
NPS / Paul Angelo
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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.
TEXT:
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.
INFOGRAPHIC 1 of 3: Dry conditions
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.
Description here
CAPTION:
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.
CREDIT:
NPS
INFOGRAPHIC 2 of 3: Minor flooding
DESCRIPTION:
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.
CAPTION:
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.
CREDIT:
NPS
INFOGRAPHIC 3 of 3: Major flooding
DESCRIPTION:
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.
CAPTION:
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.
CREDIT:
NPS
DESCRIPTION:
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.
CAPTION:
Longleaf pine seedlings
CREDIT:
NPS / Ted Schantz
RELATED TEXT:
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.
DESCRIPTION:
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.
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.
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.
CREDIT:
NPS
DESCRIPTION:
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.
CREDIT:
NPS
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.
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.
Bring your students on a field trip or join other teachers on a learning adventure. Go to the park
website for more information.
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.
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.
Pets must be leashed; they are allowed on all trails.
• Be alert for poison ivy, stinging insects, and mosquitoes.
• Anglers must have a South Carolina fishing license. Minnows and fish eggs are prohibited as bait.
• Bicycles and motor vehicles are not allowed on trails.
• Motorized watercraft not allowed.
• Littering, digging bait, picking plants, and disturbing wildlife are not permitted.
• For firearms regulations, check the park website.
Congaree National Park is southeast of Columbia, SC. From I-77 take exit 5 onto SC 48 (Bluff Road). Follow the signs to the park.
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.
Congaree National Park is one of over 400 parks in the National Park System. To learn more about national parks, visit www.nps.gov.
ADDRESS:
Congaree National Park
100 National Park Road
Hopkins, SC 29061
PHONE:
803-776-4396
WEBSITE:
www.nps.gov/cong
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