Hammock Camping in a Flooded Forest

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Join me for 3 days of Hammock Camping, Backpacking and Camp Cooking in the Wetlands of South Carolina.

For this off the beaten path backpacking trip, I headed down to South Carolina's lone National Park. Located roughly 100 miles west of coastal Charleston, South Carolina, Congaree National Park is a dense wetland providing a rich habitat for dwarf palmettos, towering loblolly pines, cypress trees, wild hogs, owls, bobcats, and even the occasional alligator.

While often referred to as a swamp, Congaree National Park is actually a floodplain based old growth bottomland hardwood forest.  With an average canopy height in excess of 100 feet, it's the tallest deciduous forest in the world.  To put that in perspective, that's taller than even the Amazon Rainforest. I'm not sure if it's wetter than the Amazon Rainforest, but it certainly feels like when your there.

For sleep and shelter I packed in a new hammock with integrated bottom insulation, a 40 degree top quilt to deal with the unseasonably cold winter temps, and my ultralight backpacking tarp. According to the forecast, I would most likely be able to skip the tarp, but I still brought it along as a backup, just in case some rain popped up at night.

My backpacking food consisted of some "real" food for camp cooking, a handful of typical backpacking snacks, and a military issued surplus MRE (meal ready to eat) for a little variety and fun.

A free permit is required for backcountry camping in Congaree National Forest, and you must specify a specific zone for each night.  To keep things interesting, I chose Zone 9 for both nights. In addition to being the largest zone, a unique thing about Zone 9 is that it has no actual trails.  This allowed be to do a bit of a "choose your own adventure" experience.  I could explore and navigate freely based on the everchanging flood zones in Congaree NP as came across them.

I had a rough plan to set up camp at a historical site know as Cooner's Cattle Mount if I could find it.  I saw this listed on an old map, but information was scarce online. In fact,  the South Carolina Department of Archives and History report actually redacted the actual site location.  Luckily, I could simply camp wherever else I saw fit if I didn't manage to find it.

I also used some LIDAR maps (also known as "Shaded Relief Maps" on Caltopo) to do a little historical scavenger hunting on this trip.  LIDAR is a form of ground penetrating radar that allows you to see through the trees to identify anomalies on the ground such as water flows, unnamed trails, and even the remnants of long forgotten structures.

Parking Area Used:

Kingsnake Trailhead
Gadsden, SC 29052
33°49'09.7"N 80°47'16.2"W

While not actually located in Zone 9, the Kingsnake trail offers a gravel parking area and convenient access to Zone 9 after hiking south for a couple of miles or so.

Season / Time of Year:
Winter - February

Backcountry Permit Applications

FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through some of my links.

Notable Backpacking Gear Used on this Trip:

Chapters

00:00 Welcome the Wetlands
17:40 Backpacking Food Options
25:30 Day 2 & Plans for the Day
30:39 MRE Review (Meal Ready to Eat)
50:17 My Hammock Camping Setup
59:04 Using LIDAR Maps for Navigation
01:10:47 Day 3 & Thoughts on Congaree
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I'm surprised that anyone would complain where you hike. I enjoy your trips anywhere you go and we appreciate you taking us along.

trailslug
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I’m from South Carolina. Would not have expected you to make this video. But so glad you did. Awesome stuff!

kyle-mbij
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Good to see you on a solo eastern adventure---love swamps too---thanks for taking us along!

rightsideupvt
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I've been following you for years. Love your videos. Miss the old product review videos.

bobbymcnan
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This channel is so underrated! You get 2 views from me on your videos, one is to nap to- it's actually hard to find long form videos to sleep to! And then I love the content so I watch it watch it another time :)

Midgeridoo
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Thank you so much for your continuing adventures! You are not in New Hampshire any more! I live, in and frequent the New Hampshire sites, but will never venture into your other areas, such as this one, but always enjoy your narrations.

me-evkz
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That’s actually dope flooded forest camping is a different type of vibe

noelbgood
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Amazing! My family lives in the Sumter area, didn't think you'd get down to the swamps! Good stuff as always.

Blight_Knight
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I'm going to watch this episode. Glad you're still out there gettin' into it!

livinlarge
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Loved all your western hikes! But still good to see you back east.

wxjunkie
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I’ve been watching you for some time I like this hiking trip better than some your are one brave man

maryjinkerson
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Nice! Welcome to Congaree! I am a guide for that kayak company whose van you saw on your way out. Thanks for sharing your experience. I try to spend a night or two out there as often as I can in the cooler months. We love the peace and solitude. I’m glad you enjoyed your visit! Next time you might want to try it from the creek. Although you’d probably still get your boots muddy. 😅

jpop
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Love your videos and all the adventures that come along with them.

missredhead
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For me I enjoy the commentary and the camping experience, gear etc. It doesn't matter as much where you are actually hiking.

WLQinMI
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I started watching your videos several years ago. At the time, I didn't realize that I lived two blocks from Dutchware in Lancaster.

waywarddown
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congaree my beloved <3 loved your west coast videos but i'm happy you're back in my neck of the woods!

mollyec
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I agree with the one comment I love watching where ever you hike! Love the videos! You the man!

andrewmccormick
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Sometimes I wear my “It’s cheeseburger time” shirt while I enjoy your latest video adventure. All that’s missing is a comfy hammock 🙃😁

laurajackson
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I loved the west coast adventures but, for whatever reason, found myself in the “lemme know when you’re back on the East coast” camp”. Love everything you do though, you single handed got me and my best friends in to backpacking. ❤

jasonyu
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Enjoyed this video…not your typical “hiking destination and exposes everyone to the possibilities. Don’t give up on the “dumb places”.

ScooterNC