Congaree - swamp no, flood plain yes

We visited Congaree National Park outside Columbia, SC.  We were a little apprehensive visiting after our experience in the Everglades with Mosquito's.  Congaree is really not a swamp;  we learned it is a flood plain with lots of standing water after a flood recedes.  Hmmm - flood plain, not a swamp.  Either way - it really is a beautiful park rich with history.  From slaves who were able to escape through the swamp, I mean flood plain, to owners who tried to harvest old growth timber from the flood plain unsuccessfully, because it was a wet flood plain that behaved like a swamp. The park protects the largest track of old growth bottomland hardwood forest left in the US. Honestly, it is beautiful. We decided to take a 5 mile hike through the park after coating ourselves in DEET.  Hey, we were attacked by mosquitos in the Everglades, and we were going to wander through a flood plain / swamp on a 90F day. We learned! We saw so many beautiful trees, mosquitoes, loblolly pines, mosquitoes, cypress trees, mosquitoes, oxbow lakes, mosquitoes, dwarf palmettos, and more mosquitoes. 

Beautiful remote park

Agree with their assessment.  I have no desire to relive "Ruthless"
and "War Zone" like we did in the Everglades

What a root system!

Walking among giants!

A tree toppled in a storm!

One BIG tree.  Congaree is homer to many
champion trees!

The canopy was so dense!

Another fascinating root system.

Flood plain?

Or swamp?