The Grand Finale of a Great Southeastern Vacation: Hiking at Congaree National Park

 

 

Date: December 1, 2024

Place: Congaree Nastional Park, South Carolina

Coordinates: 33.829573, -80.823754

Length: 3.7 miles both walks

Level: easy

 

 

 When I suggested going to the Southeast on our 2024 Thanksgiving family vacation I had my mind set on Savannah, Georgia (yes, yes, because of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil), but we ended up spending the first half of our vacation time in Charleston. When we moved to Savannah for the second half we got to hike some more in South Carolina - where the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge and the Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge are. After that we spend a good couple of days exploring the town of Savannah, going on a downtown historic tour and a river tour and a couple of house museum tours (including the Mercer House, of course), and a very interesting visit at the Pin Point Heritage Museum, dedicated to the oldest community of Gullah-Geechee black land owners. 

We did try to go on a couple of nature hikes that didn't work out (on one occasion the preserves was closed, and on the other, at Fort Pulaski, the mosquitoes were insanely impossible (in November! can't imagine how it is like in the summer there) so we turned tail. So it happened that we left Savannah without having a single hike worth writing about in the State of Georgia.

Our flight back home from Charlotte was in the afternoon. Thinking of making the best of our last day we decided to spend the night before in Columbia, which is half way between Savannah and Charlotte, and spend the morning before the flight at Congaree National Park.  

 

It was relatively warm in Charleston and in Savannah, but in Columbia it was pretty cold. We drove to the Harry Hampton Visitor center and after taking some information there we bundled ourselves in our warm jackets, took our cameras and started on the boardwalk hike into the forest. 

 

The first thing that grabbed my attention at Congaree was that fall was much further along than  at he coastal region. Many of the trees were already winter-bare and others were wearing their fall colors. Some of the trees were still green though, and I wasn't sure if they were evergreen or just late in getting the memo. 

The boardwalk had a nice mosaic of fall colored discarded leaves. The leaves rustled softly when we stepped on them. 

Boardwalk

Almost as soon as we got on the boardwalk we were treated to our first bird of the hike, and what a treat that was! A pileated woodpecker, very close, out in the open! What an impressive bird he was! 

Pileated Woodpecker

In California the tallest trees are conifers. Most broad leaf trees never get as tall. The trees in Congaree however, rose to very impressive heights. Not redwood heights of course, but neck-breaking heights nonetheless. 

The next woodpecker was just around the corner - a yellow-bellied sapsucker that hid in a large groove hole in a tree trunk. 

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Below the boardwalk the ground was dry in places, and in other places it was flooded. Sallow, leaf-covered standing water patches filled the spaces between the tree trunks. 

In areas where the soil was dry the boardwalk came really close to the ground. There was hardly any undergrowth in the drier parts of the forest, just a thick mat of leaves and humus. 

Congaree National Park

The squirrels were very active on the forest floor. We saw many of them, digging between the leaves, chewing on things, or running up and down the trees. They didn't mind our presence and completely disregarded us. They were too busy stocking for winter. 

Eastern Gray Squirrel

There were areas that were dry  the time of our visit, but were clearly flooded on other times for significant time lengths. These were area populated by the swamp native bald cypress trees, which we were already familiar with from our trip's first hike at Audubon's Beidler Forest Sanctuary. Even without looking up at the canopy, the bald cypress' 'knees' gave them away. 

Bald Cypress' 'Knees'

The 'knees' are these buttresses that protrude from the ground and are thought to function as 'snorkels' that allow the trees' roots to get oxygen when flooded. Some of these 'knees' looked more like fists thrust into the air. 

My experience with swamp forests was limited to Audubon's Beidler Forest Sanctuary in which we hiked on the first day of our trip. The bogs, or flooded swamp areas, used to cover huge areas in the southeast, very little of which remain today.

Congaree National Park

These trees support not only themselves but also other plants that take a ride and live at a higher level, having sprouted in a tree hole.

For certain vine plants it is a strategy, to use the support of tree trunks in order to get the sunlight at the canopy level.

Since many of the trees were already bare and those that weren't had their canopies so high, we could actually see the little forest birds. We saw a number of wrens that day.

Carolina Wren

There were many woodpeckers in the forest and the sound of tree knocking was all around us. Occasionally we got to see the percussionists as well.

Downy Woodpecker

The trees in the forest were definitely new to me. The forest itself was very lovely and calm. It was an old growth forest, but it had a very different air than the old growth forests of the west coast, even the deciduous ones. The east was once covered with vast deciduous forests, nearly all of which was lost to logging and agricultural clearing. The leftover bits of the old growth forests are now like tiny islands, remnants of a now lost world.

Congaree National Park

We passed a wide fire lane  and continued in the boardwalk on the other side. There we were once again walking above a flooded area of the forest. The waster was standing still and a mat of fallen leaves dotted the surface. This was a picture that I've seen many times in movies and in illustrations, but now I was seeing this serene autumn beauty with my own eyes.

The water may have been calm but there was bustling wildlife activity in the trees all over the place. The squirrels were very active, but so were the birds.

Hermit Thrush

We stopped there for a good long time to observe all the little birds that were busy down the low branches and on the fallen logs and at the bases of the trees above the water.

White-throated Sparrow

The birds were surprisingly quiet. Other that the knocking of the woodpeckers, all the activity sounds were leaf rustling. There was no singing or twitting going on as there would have been in spring. The birds weren't courting or establishing territories.

Blue-headed Vireo

All the migratory birds were already long gone and the birds we were seeing were the permanent residents. They were gathering food and adding to their fat reserves in preparation for winter. 

Winter wren

One of the birds was going in and out of a hole at the base of a bald cypress' trunk. I don't know if it was finding food or stashing food there. I assume it was the first because it didn't seem like a good idea to stash food in a place that was likely to be submerged when winter rains raised the water level there.

Tufted Titmouse

Stopping to observe the birds certainly slowed down our walk, but it was time well spent. It was good being in the forest. I could easily spend much longer time there. It helped of course, that the weather was nice and cool, and that there were no mosquitoes at the time.

Congaree National Park

We reached an open body of water. The Weston Lake, as it was called, was a deeper and wider segment of a slough, one of many sloughs that run through the forest and feed the swamp area when the water rises. It looked as if the water was standing there too but a more attentive look revealed that the water was, in fact, flowing, albeit very slowly. 

Weston Lake

The calm, seemingly non-moving water surface mirrored perfectly the trees on the banks. I could tell each separate leaf with its perfect color and shape in the water image. It might be cliche in the movies but in reality it is beauty itself.

Reflection

We couldn't go on any further. The trail, we were told at the visitor center, was damaged by storms and was closed. What otherwise would have been a loop trail was no an in-and-out trail.

Trail End 

I didn't mind returning on the same path. There were still more things to see, and more birds introduced themselves on the return walk.

Red-headed Woodpecker

One of these birds I didn't see myself - my family birders saw it but by the time I caught up with them, the black and white warbler was already gone. I am happy that I got to see it last month in Texas on a vacation trip with Pappa Quail.

Black and White Warbler

The time was nearing mid-day and the illumination that penetrated the forest canopy was more intense, shining back from the pools and making the fall colors stand out much better.

A northern flicker flicked by. It's a bird that is very familiar to us from California, but that individual bird's colors looked more intense to me.

Northern Flicker

We walked back fairly quickly, pausing only when we heard movements around us. These were usually squirrels, but whenever it was a bird we would stop and look for it.

Whenever my family birders would be searching the trees around us I would have more time to take a closer look at other beautiful fall sights, such as a quilt of autumn leaves on a fallen log.

The reflections of the bog pools were also beautiful to see. I took many photos that day, and took many refreshing breaths of clean old growth forest air.

The boardwalk rose high above the ground as we approached the visitor center again. The trees seemed more dense there too. Other park visitors which just arrived were heading out on the same trail we were returning from.

We still had time though, so after a short break we decided to go out on a second walk, to go down the loop arm that we couldn't return on because of the trail damage. We didn't have time to walk all the way to where the trail was closed but we did get about half a mile into it.

1 mile

During our short break at the visitor center area the clouds started gathering and the sunlight dimmed. The forest looked a bit less cheerful now.

Of the few evergreen plants in the forest the most prominent one was the Christmas Jewel holly. These bushes grow to considerable heights although they don't compete with the trees. Fall time is where they can get the extra photosynthesis, not being shaded by the forest canopy.

Common Holly

 

Smaller trees also had their chance of extra photosynthesis time, but even them were already far along in losing their on leaves.

 

That extra short walk we went on was also rewarding in terms of birding. We definitely got to see more birds on that loop arm, including more woodpeckers.

Red-headed Woodpecker

We got to see the prized pileated woodpecker again. This time he was doing some acrobatics, trying to get berries hanging at the end of a twig.

Pileated Woodpecker

Active below the boardwalk were also very familiar birds, which Pappa Quail hardly bothers with anymore. The elder chika however, got some nice shots of them as well.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Even the very common American robin got his place in my chika's bird photo collection. I love seeing the robins even on the other side of the continent.

American Robin

Eventually it was time to turn around and walk back, we had a flight to catch. I said goodbye to this fascinating, beautiful forest, hoping I'll get to see it again, perhaps in a different season. We summed up another wonderful family vacation. Now that the chikas are fledging, who knows when the next one will be.

Congaree National Park

A Rewarding Afternoon Hike at the Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge

Common Gallinule

Date: November 27, 2024

Place: Pinkney Island Unit, Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, South Carolina

Coordinates: 32.233858, -80.779585

Length: 3.8 miles

Level: easy

 

 

The first half of my family's 2024 Thanksgiving vacation was in the area of Charleston, South Carolina. On the second half of our vacation we were in the area of Savannah, Georgia. On our first day in Georgia we went back to South Carolina to explore Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. After a nice auto tour and a nice short hike we moved on to Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge, which is just north of Savannah. We arrived in the afternoon and after a short snack time we gathered our cameras and went on a hike.

Our hike as captured by my GPS

 

 The trailhead, located in the south part of the island, is in a small forested area. The trees there were mostly new growth - thin and tall. They were either evergreen or just late in turning to fall colors - the forest canopy was still fully foliaged and green.

At the trailhead

Already there, in the trees at the trailhead area, we paused to find the birds that twitted in the trees. The first sighting wasn't all that exciting: yellow-rumped warblers are the most common warblers in the Bay Area in California, but they're cute even on the other side of the continent.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

A sign explaining about the key trees and plants in the maritime forest welcomed us as we started our hike. It was good to see the diversity around us. Another sign explained about the efforts done to remove invasive species from the refuge area.

Of all the trees my attention was drawn to the little dwarf palms at the forest's understory. The forest was not dense enough to block sunshine from getting through and the understory was rich with shrubs and thick with the little dwarf palms.

Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens

 Of the other shrubs in the understory the one that stood out the most was the Christmas icon yaupon holly with its bright red berries. 

Yaupon Holly

The presence of sapsuckers was evident by the sap wells that they drill in trees to get to the sugary tree sap. Usually we don't get to see the bird but this time we were treated to the sight of the master driller himself - the yellow-bellied sapsucker.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

The trail was wide and comfortable - it was a packed gravel road. The wind was pretty strong but between the trees we had some relief.

We exited the first forested areas into the open. We were walking on a sort of an isthmus between large salt marsh areas that extended a good distance until stopped by the open water of either Mackay Creek or Skull Creek, the wide estuary channels between which the island is located.

Between all the salt marsh grasses I found a singe blooming plant, which had a single inflorescence fully open. I wondered who pollinates a single blooming plant if others of this species are not synchronized is bloom time. 

More information signs were spread along our path, telling us about the local animals, plants, and birds. I didn't have the time to read all of them in real time but I did take photos so I could read them later. Having been in the Southeast for a few days, I was glad to be able to recognize some to the vegetation already, such as the Spanish Moss (which isn't a moss nor is it Spanish).

Spanish Moss

Mush of the salt marsh area seemed dry, or at least drained. There were flooded places however, and I wondered which part of the tide cycle was at the time.

Salt Marsh

An osprey flew above. That osprey was the only bird of pray that we've seen on our Pinckney Island hike.

Osprey

 

We passed a small grove of trees behind which we saw Ibis Pond, the first fresh water body on the trail. The pond was very green - it was covered with a layer of duckweed. A belt of reeds and cattails grew right at the pond's shores and a sign warned us about alligators in or near the water. 

Ibis Pond

 

There were coots swimming in the duckweed-covered pond. They didn't seem at all concerned about alligators.

Common Gallinules

There weren't any ibises in or near Ibis Pond. I guess they are summer residents there. We did see an alligator though. It was enjoying some quiet time on the island in the middle of the pond.

American Alligator

 

There was a rustling sound in the reeds and my family birders went over to check it out. It was a small bird - a Carolina wren that was hiding in there.

Carolina Wren

 

Much less shy, an eastern Phoebe was perched on a bush branch that hanged over the pond. The Phoebe is a fly catcher - it was waiting for insects to fly near.

Eastern Phoebe

Slowly we walked around the pond, searching the water for birds and other wildlife. I kept looking at the near shore, fearing an overzealous alligator might be lurking in the reeds. 

Ibis Pond

The cattails were at their seed releasing stage. They looked very beautiful with their sausage-like fruit. Their stems were definitely strong enough to carry the weight of an eastern Phoebe bird. 

Eastern Phoebe perched on cattail

For the most part, the birds that we've seen in Ibis Pond were coots. The elder chika did find one grebe though.

Pied-billed Grebe

Besides the birds and the alligators, there were pond slider turtles there as well. Many turtles. The turtles used every bit of the mild fall sunshine to warm themselves outside of the water. 

Yellow-bellied Slider

 

After circumventing Ibis Pond we went back to the main trail and continued walking too the northeast, That part of the trail came really close to Mackay Creek - the wide brackish water canal that brings water in every tide cycle up to the salt marshes.

Mackay Creek

There was a strip of trees between the trail and the shores of Mackay Creek.  In one spot under the trees I spotted a pile of metal cylinders. They looked to me like cannon shells but I couldn't imagine what would cannon shells be doing there. It might have been metal posts used for something and now decommissioned. 

There was a large variety of tree species within the refuge. There were pines, palms, and many broadleaf trees species. All of them still had their greens on, including the deciduous species. 

Trail

The palm trees were bearing fruit. These were like dates, but small and black. The birds apparently, loved them. 

Tufted Titmouse

Some of the birds we saw there that day were completely new to me - lifer species for me. They were not new to Pappa Quail and the elder chika though. They've seen many of them on an earlier visit in south Texas in 2023.

Black and White Warbler

We reached the turn to Starr Pond and left the main trail to get to that pond. A nice stand of poplars separated the main trail from the Starr Pond surrounding trail. These poplars seemed to be feeling the autumn already - their leaves were yellowing. 

Starr Pond was also covered with aquatic vegetation but not only duckweed. Other, larger leafed aquatic plants were floating on the surface. We stood at the corner of the lake and scanned the surface for a few minutes. It looked very quiet.

Starr Pond

Then Pappa Quail and the elder chika got excited - on the opposite shore stood a small group of ducks. These were black-bellied whistling ducks, and for me they were a lifer species. 

Black-bellied Whistling Duck

The Starr Pond Trail goes around three quarters of the pond's circumference. The trail was was a short-mowed grass and as we were advancing on it we noticed a gray dot moving some distance ahead. 

Pappa Quail checked the dot with his binoculars and announced that that gray dot was an armadillo. Now that sure was exciting! There are no armadillos in California. The only time I've seen one in the wild was on a family trip to southeast Texas a few years ago. 

Nine-banded Armadillo

The armadillo we've seen in Texas then was half hidden. This one was completely in the open, and wasn't very impressed with us. Certainly not as much as we were impressed by it. Eventually it did go into the trail side vegetation when we passed it by on the trail. 

Nine-banded Armadillo

Past the armadillo we were treated again - a much closer group of whistling ducks detached from the near shore and floated into the center of the lake. They moved slowly enough so we got a really nice close up view of these beautiful birds. 

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

The eastern side of Starr Pond was completely covered which what looked like water lilies. There were no flowers blooming there, however. 

Starr Pond

We found the trail out of the Starr Pond Area and connected with an inner trail that cut through the forest to the next pond we wanted to check out - the Osprey Pond. 

Trail

Osprey Pond was so calm that the water reflected perfectly the clouds and the trees on the far shore. Another important factor that made the reflection possible was that the water surface was clear of duckweed and other aquatic plants. 

Osprey Pond

Sapsuckers have been here too, as was evident from the heavily drilled tree trunks and branches nearby. We saw plenty of sap wells but the master driller bird wasn't present for us to see. 

Considering how many thin stumps protruded from the water in the center of the pond I assumed that this particular spot was flooded after there was already some tree growth there, and that those trees subsequently died. 

The birds were making good use of these protruding stumps. The most obvious one was a single anhinga that flew in and perched on one of these sticks just before ur eyes. 

Anhinga

Smaller, but no less attractive, was a singe kingfisher that used the dead stump as an ambush spot. Despite the relative distance, the kingfisher was less appreciative of our attention, and soon took off and settled on a branch on the other side of the pond. 

Belted Kingfisher

My eyes were attracted to the beautiful trees on the opposite shore. Those trees, I have no idea what species they were, were in full fall attire and stood out with their flame colored foliage on the green background of the trees that didn't get the memo yet. 

Fall Colors

While I admired the trees the rest of my family admired the large alligator that rested, lying partially in the water, on the opposite shore. 

American Alligator

We paced around the lake slowly and just as we were about to turn out to reach the main trail we spotted a group of wood storks standing close to the lake shore. 

Wood Storks

This was the second time we've seen wood storks on our trip - the first time was in Huntington Beach State Park, north of Charleston. Wood storks were lifers for all of us on this trip. 

Wood Storks

One might expect more insects near a pond. An eastern Phoebe was also expecting that - sitting in ambush on a bowing bough close to the water.

Eastern Phoebe

The last bird we took notice of before turning away from Osprey Pond was a great blue heron that stood motionless on the shore.  

Great Blue Heron

My younger chika found a mushroom growing right in the middle of the grassy trail and she called me over to take a look. 

When we reached the main trail we needed to make a choice - to continue further into the refuge or should we turn back and return to the parking area? The lowering sun answered it for us - these were short days and we didn't want to be hiking out when it turned dark. 

Trail

On our way back we passed by the other side of Starr Pond and of Ibis Pond, but we didn't go near to check them out again - daylight was definitely fading now. Bythe time we got to the open salt marshthe sun was dipping into the trees.

I caught the sun as it peeked between the trees. Even this low the sun was too intense to look at directly, but the camera lens tolerated it. 

We caught up with the last direct sunlight as we walked into the parking are. The wind had calmed down by then but the air chilled significantly. It was time to go back to town and call it a day. 

Just before we packed our cameras in the car I turned around and saw a squirrel climbing a nearby palm. We saw several on that hike but this one was the only squirrel that I got a picture of. It too seemed in a hurry to get back to its home.