Congaree National Park

One of my biggest fears is that a snake will fall into the hull of my kayak. I am also very afraid of alligators. People love to send me videos of kayakers encountering alligators who slap their boats around with their big tails. So until this year, I had avoided kayaking the beautiful black water swamps where poisonous snakes sleep overhead in the canopy of trees and alligators sun themselves on the muddy banks. I casually suggested to my best friends since childhood that we do it, thinking that they would decline and say that I was a cool and adventurous fool – and that affirmation would further secure my role in our group as the fun one. Surprisingly, though, they jumped at the idea.

So in the heat of late June, we met at Congaree National Park, camped at Longleaf campground, packed up our tents, made coffee over a fire, and then took kayaks out to the Cedar Creek Boat Landing for a slow water paddle through the majestic cypress trees. We encountered a few canoers, a couple of adventurous women (one of whom had a hole in her boat and was taking on water – and we had nothing that could help), and we had a few short conversations with fishermen on the banks who seemed to have life pretty much figured out.

It felt like we were padding through a magazine advertisement for South Carolina. It was beautiful, peaceful, and calming. I wondered why it had taken me so long to visit this place – and I also decided to become a regular. Even snakes and gators can’t keep me away. The way the sunlight filters through the leaves on the canopy of trees is impossible to capture in a photo. Being immersed in that scene creates a feeling of well-being that is indescribable. A few weeks later, I was ready to go back, and I asked another friend to join me in this majestic paddle.

This time, I made the mistake of going out after a big rain. The water was well over the banks and we could barely discern where the original waterway was. The distinctively bulbous bottoms of the cypress trees were covered by the flood waters, as were the trail signs and most of the pedestrian bridge. There was a temptation to explore the flooded pedestrian trial by boat, but we would occasionally hear the unmistakable sound of white water, and we couldn’t tell where it was coming from. We soon figured out that it was not safe for us to stay out there in water that high, and so we made our way back to the put it and took our boats out.

One of the big lessons I have learned in kayaking is how to read the water. And when I can’t read the water, I know I better get out – even if a lot of planning and driving and lifting and prepping went into the excursion. As a former colleague used to say in committee meetings, “when in doubt, don’t.” People who drown in situations like this generally meet their fate because of fast water and strainers. Strainers are fallen or low trees, brush, debris, or anything that water can pass through but you can’t. Your boat follows the water into the strainer and you get tangled and pulled under. If you’re new to padding, be on the lookout for strainers and avoid them.

And even if unforeseen circumstances cause you to shorten your trip, I’m betting it will still be more memorable than sitting at home would have been.

Want to go? Click here to learn more about Congaree National Park. We accessed the black water swamp through the South Cedar Creek Canoe Launch, which is located south of the main entrance to the park. The address for GPS is just South Cedar Creek Road and you’ll be driving for a while, bound to think you’ve missed it. On normal days, there are several stairs down to the launch. You’ll also have to carry your kayak down some uneven, although mostly gravel, terrain. There are also vault toilets near the put in. Always bring a life vest and water. Put on bug spray before arriving because this is home to one of only three species of synchronous fireflies in the world and bug spray threatens their habitat. And try not to bang into trees because snakes like to sleep in them and you just don’t want to startle them awake – especially when they’re above your head!