The Beautiful Congaree National US Park Quiz

Answer: South Carolina

Congaree National Park is in the state of South Carolina, less than 20 miles southeast of Columbia, the state capital. It was officially designated as a national park in 2003 and covers about 15,000 acres within the flood plain of the Congaree River. Congaree is one of the least visited national parks in America. The hot, sticky summer weather does not help sell the destination during the peak of the vacation season. However, during the rest of the year the park is amazing and definitely worth a visit.

Answer: The rotting vegetation gives off dangerous levels of carbon dioxide.

Due to the rich soil, resource-dense hardwoods, and the often undesirability of swampland, most of the bottomland hardwood forests in America have been destroyed. Congaree is one of the only ones remaining, and it does an excellent job of being a carbon sink to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. Bottomlands are excellent at giving the water a place to stand and slowly exit to help reduce flooding downstream. Believe it or not, swamps are also an excellent filtration system for water, acting much like a charcoal filter.

Many of the species living in Congaree cannot survive anywhere else as they have adapted and thrive in the periodically flooded forest.

Answer: It is actually a river.

The Congaree River Blue Trail is actually a river! The trail is just over 50 miles long and starts southeast of Columbia. The river passes the fall line and then meanders through the entire Congaree Park. Probably the best way to see Congaree Park is by kayak, but be sure to rent one in advance as they rent out quickly.

There are several guided tours or companies that will drop kayakers off and pick them up, however, none are operated by the actual national park. The river speed is slow, so no real technical skill is needed to enjoy the River Blue Trail.

Answer: Insect repellent

Probably the number one complaint is that Congaree has a massive army of hungry mosquitoes! The rangers set the meter to reflect how active the mosquitoes are each day. "War zone" probably only happens in the height of summer. Unless you visit in the winter, high-potency bug repellent is a must.

The mosquitoes are at their most aggressive from about June to September. On top of mosquito repellent, wearing long sleeves and long pants is a great way to add additional protection to avoid becoming a snack. Having a light poncho is not a bad idea for those worried about being wet. Showers can pop up quickly in the park, especially in summer.

Answer: Estimated weight

The National Register of Big Trees was first established in 1941 with the goal of finding and protecting the largest tree of each species. These big trees are now called champion trees and are determined by three metrics: the circumference of the tree in inches, the height of the tree in feet, and 1/4th of the average crown spread of the tree in feet.

These metrics are added together to give the total number of points with the highest score being designated as the champion. Congaree is lucky enough to be home to 15 of the champion species in the United States.

Incidentally, the bald cypress is not one of the champions of the park despite many of the oldest cypress trees in America living there.

Answer: Part of the roots, called knees.

The wood trunks that can be seen popping out of the water surrounding the cypress are actually part of the tree's root system and are called knees. The function of the cypress knees is unknown, however, it has been proposed they either help with oxygen aeration or stabilize the tree by reducing erosion. The bald cypress without knees seem to grow just fine. Since cypress trees that are not in a swamp setting do not have knees, some experts believe the main purpose is stabilization when the ground is saturated.

Answer: Flooding

Due to the park being completely within the floodplain of the Congaree River and the slow nature of the water levels receding, the backcountry trails can become flooded. Most visitors will be happy to know that there is a 2.6-mile loop of well-maintained boardwalk available throughout the year. Even if a hiker does not leave the boardwalk, they will still have a wonderful experience.

However, for the adventurous, the back-country trails are a lot of fun and offer a unique experience. Just be sure you are wearing shoes you don't mind getting muddy and soaked and have a clean pair of socks and shoes waiting in the car.

Answer: The fireflies use synchronous flashes.

The firefly species "Photuris frontalis", also known as Snappy Single Sync, is one of three species of fireflies in the world that synchronize their bioluminescence. The sight is spectacular and one of the most popular draws to the park. If you want to see the show, plan early as you will need a special pass for the event that usually sells out by April. Typically the event happens over the course of a week, and it changes slightly depending on the weather conditions leading up to it.

By the way, the largest species of firefly is found in Australia and is also wingless.

There are around 1000 known species of fireflies, but only "Photuris frontalis" is mainly seen in the park.

Answer: Yes

Absolutely, it is! There is handicapped parking, and wheelchair-accessible ramps where needed. Also, the boardwalk loop is completely accessible to wheelchairs, and there are frequent bench stops along the way for walkers. The boardwalk loop is accessible from the welcome center and is flat with only minor changes in elevation. The park does have wheelchairs that can be rented on a first-come-first-served basis.

Answer: Summer

Summer is by far the worst time to visit Congaree due to the stifling heat and the overwhelming mosquitoes. Stormy weather is also more common in the summer with about half the days in July having showers. Add this to temperatures over 90 degrees F and you have a muggy mess. January is the coldest month, but temperatures usually get up to 60 degrees F during the afternoons with lows down in the 30s. October is typically the driest month of the year making it a popular time for a visit. April is also a fantastic month to visit with both the temperature and the mosquitoes being more bearable.