Blake Roche

Fantastic park for kayaking and hiking in SC Swamp Country. I’ve been here for years and just hiked the boardwalk loop, but this park (the only National one in SC), has a lot more to offer. Kayaking from the Cedar Creek ramp (past the main entrance) offers incredible flat water black water backwater kayaking through cypress, Tupelo, and more. You’ll see snakes and spiders and mushrooms. You might even see a hog or two digging around in the mud. The water moves so slow you can drop and pull out at the same ramp - and the park provides a nice structure to load and unload your boats. The boardwalk in the park proper is a great and reasonable length - elevated above the muck with a self-guided numbered tour that highlights the flora, fauna, and natural history of the whole impressive place. The entire park is criss-crossed with trails, and this area is incredibly unique. As far as national parks go, it may not be the biggest or the flashiest our nation has to offer, but it’s unique, beautiful, free, and right here in South Carolina. A must-see by boat or by foot.