Second Story Journal

Rainy Walk at the “Swamp”.

Congaree National Park near Columbia, SC is such a gem! It's one of the largest intact old-growth bottomland hardwood forests in the Southeast, these photos captured its magic — the blackwater streams, the cypress knees, the flooded forest floor, that incredible boardwalk loop. Even on a gray, rainy day it was absolutely stunning.

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Congaree National Park was designated a national park in 2003 and is also an International Reserve. Biosphere The "swamp" label throws a lot of people off — it's actually a floodplain forest, fed by the Congaree and Wateree Rivers. The trees there are record-breaking in size, and the park protects some of the tallest known examples of multiple species in the eastern U.S.

The boardwalk loop is about 2.4 miles and is the heart of the visitor experience — it winds right through the floodplain so you can experience it without getting your feet wet (most of the time!).

This was truly a day for ForestBATHING!