Walk Among The Giants - Congaree National Park, Feb 3, 2007

On the road leading up to the National Park, we saw many birds on the side of the road and I knew this hike was going to be an exciting one for me. I was certain about finding some birds in this thick forest and maybe see a few new species of birds (for me). Although we picked CNP as our Saturday morning hiking destination, I will remember it as my bird-walking trip!



CNP is a designated forest area and is recognized as a sanctuary for birds, animals and insects. The Congaree River and its tributaries periodically flood the forest, so some parts of the trail have boardwalks to walk on. The trees found here are among the tallest in eastern US and are nicknamed the redwoods of the east!


We did the Weston Lake loop trail there, which took us about 3 hours to complete at a moderate walking pace. We saw plenty of Woodpeckers, some Ruby Crowned Kinglets and an assortment of other tiny birds. None gave us a good opportunity to photograph them well though!





Although it was a forest, it had a different feel to it. The boardwalks, little benches on them and the murky waters of the swamp and the extremely tall trees gave us a totally different but enjoyable forest experience.