Concluding our November 2021 visit to Congaree National Park, we walked the 2.6-mile Boardwalk Loop Trail. This is a combination of the Low and Elevated Boardwalks. The boardwalk starts behind the visitor center just beyond the breezeway.
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| Large gathering spot for ranger talks and walks near the trailhead |
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| Dorovan muck |
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| One of many sloughs in the park |
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| Water tupelos (Nyssa aquatica) |
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| Closer view of a water tupelo |
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| Typical low boardwalk |
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| Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) knees |
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| Switch cane (Arundinaria tecta) |
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| Typical bridge |
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| Another slough with Water Tupelo and Bald Cypress trees |
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| The trail ahead is closed due to a bridge washout |
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| Recently rebuilt low boardwalk |
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| Fallen trees open up the canopy |
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| Weaving through the old growth forest |
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| Sunlight penetrating the canopy |
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| Tall canopy |
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| Crossing an old road now known as the Sims Trail |
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| The wide-open Sims Trail |
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| Water Tupelo and Bald Cypress |
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| Reflections |
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| Back to "solid" ground |
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| This Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda) is over 150 feet tall |
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| Same tree from another angle |
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| A bridge over a "gut" or low channel that disperses floodwaters |
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| Trail junction |
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| Weston Lake Loop trail passes under the Elevated Boardwalk |
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| A waterside view of Weston Lake |
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| Transition from Low Boardwalk to Elevated Boardwalk |
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| Weston Lake from the observation deck |
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| Typical Elevated Boardwalk |
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| Hornet's nest |
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| Open canopy thanks to Hurricane Hugo (1989) |
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| Dwarf Palmetto (Sabal minor) |
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| Remains of a moonshine still |
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| More open sky |
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| Back on the Low Boardwalk |
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| Crossing Sims Trail again |
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| Standing water with a translucent layer on top |
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| Another view of the film covering the water |
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| Crossing another slough |
There is no entrance fee at Congaree National Park.
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