Congaree National Park - Bluff Trail - November 24, 2015

I used to go out here a lot and plan to start going back. The boardwalks are still flooded so I decided to do the Bluff Trail and even the part connected to the big boardwalk was closed. But I checked out the Longleaf and Bluff Campgrounds which are both nice. The Bluff Trail is mainly Loblolly Pines with an understory of Sweetgum and some Sassafras. A little Sparkleberry and more Deerberry both of the Vaccinium (Blueberry) family were growing along with a few shrubs of Wax Myrtle. The Partridgeberries were showing their red berries and there was plenty of American Holly and mushrooms. The National Park has a Lunch and Learn at noon on the first Wednesday of the month that I can attend. That meets at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center. Colors were beautiful especially among the American Beech and Sassafras. One of my post-retirement goals is to learn more about Hawthorns (Crataegus sp). According to the Park Website they have 4 species growing: Cockspur hawthorn (Crataegus crus-galls), Littlehip hawthorn (Crataegus spathulata), Parsley hawthorn (Crataegus marshallii), and Washington hawthorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum). Didn't see any on the Bluff Trail but the park is huge and I have nothing but free time to explore it.

Posted on 25 November, 2015 17:08 by toadshade