Cedar Creek in Congaree National Park

PADDLING OPTIONS

A highlight of a visit to Congaree National Park is paddling Cedar Creek. There are plenty of hiking trails, but if you hike the Boardwalk Trail as most everyone does, you’ve seen the best of what the trails have to offer. Paddling Cedar Creek, on the other hand, provides visitors an opportunity to see truly unique and beautiful terrain. I’d put it right up there with paddling trips in the Everglades. However, only a few of the fourteen miles of the creek that flow through the park are kept cleared of fallen trees. This cleared section, typically a few miles in either direction of the South Cedar Creek Canoe Launch, is where 99.99 percent of people paddle, and in truth, it is the only section people should paddle. Simply launch at South Cedar Creek and head in one direction until you can’t go farther, then turn around and paddle in the other direction until you can’t go farther. The water barely moves, so it is easy to paddle up- or downstream.

Cedar Creek in Congaree National Park

If you don’t have your own boat, there are a number of outfitters that rent canoes and kayaks, and some even provided guided tours. The trips last three or so hours and travel out-and-back on the cleared section of Cedar Creek. See the National Park Service’s Canoeing and Kayaking web page for a list of outfitters who are authorized to do business within the park. You can rent a boat from anyone as long as you personally transport it into the park, but a business that actually enters the park must be an authorized concessioner.

Outfitter at Congaree National Park helps launch a kayak on Cedar Creek from the South Cedar Creek Canoe Launch

It is possible to paddle the entire Cedar Creek within the park, though there is nothing to gain by doing so. The creek is plagued with dozens and dozens of fallen trees that must be portaged around, making the trip something that only a percent of a percent of people will want to do. I did it along with my buddy in a two-seat high-end inflatable kayak. After completing the trip, I asked a Ranger which of two routes most people take when paddling to the Congaree River. She said, and I quote, “Neither.” What do you mean by that, I asked. “NOBODY goes to the Congaree River.” I was the only one she ever heard of who did it.

Tree down across Cedar Creek in Congaree National Park

Unless you plan to camp in the backcountry, a trip down the entire Cedar Creek is best done on two separate days. Day One consists of paddling east for roughly six miles from the Bannister Bridge Canoe Launch to the South Cedar Creek Canoe Launch. I typically paddle seven miles in about two hours. This trip took me and my buddy five and a half hours. Day Two’s trip starts at the South Cedar Creek ramp and runs east for seven miles to the Congaree River, and then twelve more miles down the river to the first public boat ramp at Bates Bridge. This took us nine hours. We did the trip in mid-October, so due to the sun setting between 6 and 7 PM, we left around 8 AM each morning. My assistant who travels with me dropped us off and picked us up at the ramps, so we didn’t have to waste time driving back and forth dropping off vehicles.

I did my trip on Cedar Creek when the water level gauge read 2.9 feet. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has a gauge at the bridge over Cedar Creek near the intersection of the Sims Trail and the Weston Lake Trail. A Ranger told me not to attempt a trip when levels are 2 feet or less. At 2.9 feet, there was plenty of water for a paddling trip, but a little more would have been nice. Many of the trees we had to portage around would have been underwater with another foot of water. Per the National Park Service, levels of 4 to 7 feet are optimal, and I can see why. However, looking at USGS data for the last year, it seems that 3 to 4 feet is more the norm, and many times when water levels went above 4 feet it was because the creek was on its way to flooding (over 8 feet). Water level information is posted at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center. You can also get it directly on the USGS Cedar Creek Gauge web page.

When I did the trip, the park Rangers knew of thirteen downed trees that had to be portaged around on the Bannister Bridge-South Cedar Creek section (there ended up being fourteen). This information was based on reports from previous paddlers. If anyone paddles anything other than the cleared section of Cedar Creek, it is almost always these first six miles. Volunteers do on occasion clear this section, but as the Ranger told me, it could be cleared today and there could be thirteen more trees down by next week. Nobody knew what the condition of the South Cedar Creek-Congaree River section was like, because as the Ranger stated, nobody paddles that far.

With that said, I thoroughly enjoyed paddling the Bannister Bridge-South Cedar Creek section. It was an adventure, like Bogart and the African Queen minus a Katherine Hepburn. I wouldn’t want to do it alone, but it was fun with a friend (my friend was a guy, but you could bring along your own Kathrine Hepburn). However, I did not like the second half, but not because of downed trees. Why? I had no idea how long either trip would take, but I knew that the first half covered only six miles. I knew that even if I had to get out and carry my boat along the shore for the entire six miles that I would be done before dark. Because of that, I didn’t have any anxiety about trying to find my way through a swamp in the middle of the night.

Cedar Creek between the Bannister Bridge and South Cedar Creek canoe launches, Congaree National Park

I dreaded the second half because of the 12-mile paddle on the Congaree River. All I could picture was paddling down the river in the middle of the night with headlamps on because it took all day just to navigate Cedar Creek. In hindsight, we got back at 4 PM, so if I were to do it again, I know that daylight running out is not an issue. The trip, however, was still miserable, and for two reasons. One, there are way more portages on this section of Cedar Creek. At one point there were so many trees down that we had to carry our boat 300 yards before we could put it back in the water, and once we did we could see another downed tree just up ahead. Fourteen portages on the first half—fun. So many portages on the second half that I quit counting—not fun. Portaging just got old. And unlike the first half where we had a good idea of just how many portages remained, we had no idea what was up ahead on the trip to the Congaree River.

But what really made the trip miserable was the paddle on the Congaree River. Talk about a bore. There wasn’t even a ripple on the entire river to liven things up, and the scenery is nothing but trees the entire way. On most rivers there is a town or at least a few mansions along the shore, something to add variety to the scenery. In this area, the Congaree River floods an average of ten times a year, so nobody lives here. The trip was just 12 miles of paddling non-stop to get to the end before the sun went down.

Typical terrain along the Congaree River near Congaree National Park

If you decide to make the trip on one or both of the non-maintained sections of Cedar Creek, there are a few essential items to bring with you other than the usual food and water. One, bring some headlamps or flash lights just in case you do end up paddling in the dark. Two, be sure you have a rope tied to the front of your boat. This aids in pulling it, and once you get it into the river, you don’t want it floating away before you get in. And three, you really need to be tracking your progress on Google Maps using your phone. There are numerous places where Cedar Creek splits to flow around an island, and there are a few forks where tributaries branch off of it. Google Maps is the only mapping service that I know of that shows most of these details. Typical maps just show Cedar Creek as a single line, as if straight ahead is the only way to go. The map on the park brochure does not show these details, but the printed trail map does (get one at the Visitor Center). However, it only covers the creek from Bannister Bridge to the South Cedar Creek launch.

PORTAGING AROUND TREES

Portages concerning trees come in two varieties. The first type is one in which you actually have to go ashore and carry your boat around a tree because there is no way under or over it. Of the fourteen portages on the Bannister Bridge-South Cedar Creek section, we had to land and carry our boat around the trees eight times.

Downed tree completely blocks Cedar Creek in Congaree National Park

Landing on the bank and having to carry your boat certainly sucks, but on Cedar Creek there are problems beyond just the inconvenience. First off, much of the riverbank is made of deep mud that is slicker than snot, so you are bound to fall. After this trip, if I told people that I had just finished paddling on a river, nobody would have believed me. If I told them I had just been in a mud wrestling contest, everyone would have believed me. To this day I have mud stains on the shorts I wore. Whatever this mud is made of, it doesn’t wash out easily. Furthermore, some of it is shoe-sucking deep. If you are wearing flip flops or sandals, when you pull your foot out of the mud to step forward, you will be barefooted. Be sure you wear shoes that are securely attached to your feet.

Muddy bank of Cedar Creek in Congaree National Park

Second, it’s not like there are paths around these trees. You will be in the middle of the forest and traipsing through who knows what. I feared poison ivy, ticks, chiggers, etc. Turns out there were none of these, but I still got scratched up by sticks and briers. I had on shorts, but I would recommend some type of quick-dry long pants. Don’t wear any cotton-based pants (or shirt) that are just going to stay wet and cling to your skin the entire trip.

Shoreline portage around a tree blocking Cedar Creek in Congaree National Park

The other type of portage involves trees on, barely under, or barely above the water’s surface. How to get around these all depends on the depth of the water and what lies at the bottom. Use your kayak or canoe paddle to check both. If the water is shallow enough and the paddle hits something solid, either more tree or a rocky bottom, simply jump into the water and pull your boat over, then climb back in.

Standing in Cedar Creek to portage over a fallen tree, Congaree National Park

If your paddle hits mud, or nothing at all because the water is too deep, get out of your boat onto the log, and keeping your balance, pull the boat over the log. I had a two-seat inflatable kayak, and I was in the front. I would get out onto the log and pull the boat as far as I could, hopefully at least to the halfway point. I then got back in, and my buddy would get out and pull the rest of the boat over the log. He fell in once at the very first tree, but other than that, we had no mishaps.

Balancing on a fallen tree in Cedar Creek when pulling a kayak over it, Congaree National Park

Balancing on a fallen tree in Cedar Creek when pulling a kayak over it, Congaree National Park

BANISTER BRIDGE TO SOUTH CEDAR CREEK TRIP

From the parking lot at the Banister Bridge Canoe Launch, it is a 150-yard walk down to the creek. When the water level is low, there is a substantial drop from the bank to the water, so it is a little tricky getting into your boat. To start off, paddle downstream, away from Banister Bridge.

Bannister Bridge Canoe Launch in Congaree National Park

Cedar Creek splits numerous times to go around small islands. It would make sense to take the widest channel, but what really dictates the way to go is whether a channel is blocked by a tree. There are four splits within the first mile and a half, and all of our decisions as to which way to go depended on which side was not blocked. If you take a channel and find a tree down, you can portage around it or just paddle back upstream and take the other channel. On time we took a channel that was so shallow and had so many trees down that we just ended up carrying our boat across the island to the other channel.

Cedar Creek splits to go around a small island, Congaree National Park

There were a number of trees just below the surface that we got hung up on but were eventually able to scootch over. If the water had been just a few inches higher, we would have floated right over them without a problem. At lower levels there might have been a half dozen more portages. There was one section where the water was too low for paddling, and we had to walk the boat until the channel deepened.

Shallow section of Cedar Creek in Congaree National Park

Of course more water isn’t always good news. There were a few trees that we were able to limbo under. If the water levels had been higher, we would have had to portage around them.

Fallen tree across Cedar Creek that can be limboed under when the water is low enough, Congaree National Park

Google Maps and the printed trail map show two forks in Cedar Creek starting about 2.5 miles from Bannister Bridge. Stay left at the first split. A right leads to the Tennessee Gut, and my bet is that if you go that way, the channel will eventually peter out and run dry. I never did see a second split (also the Tennessee Gut connecting to Weston Lake), so it must have been filled in with dirt or shallow enough that it wasn’t noticeable. There is no directional signage at any of these forks and splits, which would certainly be nice.

The first bridge that the creek passes under is the Sims Trail bridge near its intersection with the Weston Lake Trail. This comes three miles from Bannister Bridge, and the trip up to this point had taken us 3.5 hours. That’s paddling less than a mile per hour. All fourteen portages and four scootches came prior to the bridge.

Bridge over Cedar Creek near the intersection of the Sims and Weston Lake trails, Congaree National Park

From the Sims Trail bridge to the South Cedar Creek launch, we had to dodge a few trees and scootch over a couple, but for the most part it was leisurely paddling. As mentioned, the first three miles took us 3.5 hours. We did the next three miles in 1.5 hours.

Gap in a fallen tree across Cedar Creek that is below water just enough to scootch over, Congaree National Park

From the bridge, Cedar Creek follows along the Weston Lake Trail, so if you see anyone hiking, that’s the trail they are on. You will also notice a lot more cypress and tupelo trees in this area than there were closer to Bannister Bridge.

Trees along Cedar Creek near the Sims Trail bridge, Congaree National Park

Cypress trees along Cedar Creek in Congaree National Park

Google Maps show numerous tributaries forking off of Cedar Creek west of the Sims Trail bridge, but I never saw any of these. There is only one channel to follow to the South Cedar Creek Canoe Launch, so you do not need to rely on GPS as much beyond the Sims Trail.

The second bridge, which comes about a mile and a half after the Sims Trail bridge, is a bridge over Cedar Creek on the Oakridge Trail near its intersection with the Weston Lake Trail to the west and the Kingsnake Trail to the east. This is the last bridge that you will pass under before coming to the South Cedar Creek ramp.

Cedar Creek passes under the Oakridge Trail Bridge in Congaree National Park

The South Cedar Creek Canoe Launch comes a little over six miles from Bannister Bridge. Once out of the water, it is a short walk to the parking lot.

Upstream view of the South Cedar Creek Canoe Launch in Congaree National Park

I have no idea how long the trip between Bannister Bridge and the South Cedar Creek Canoe Launch is. The Congaree National Park hiking trail map shows it at 6.6 miles. A mileage marker on a tree for the 6-mile point was just three minutes prior to the ramp, and it is not possible to paddle .6 mile in three minutes. The National Park Service website for the park states it is 6.2 miles, which seems more reasonable given the mileage marker. One of my hiking apps claims it is 7 miles. My GPS was so far off due to portaging and backtracking that the data was not usable. So figure somewhere between 6 and 7 miles, with 6.2 being reasonable. The trip took us 5.5 hours.

SOUTH CEDAR CREEK TO CONGAREE RIVER TRIP

Cedar Creek just east of the South Cedar Creek Canoe Launch, Congaree National Park

If you insist on paddling to the Congaree River, there are a few vital things to know. A printed map of Cedar Creek that I found on the National Park Service website shows three ways to get to the river (Google Maps is the only online mapping service that also shows these details). The first is a shortcut using Horsepen Gut, which is about 4.5 miles from the South Cedar Creek launch. The second is another shortcut, Mazyck’s Cut. The third is along Cedar Creek—the longest route. In reality, only the first two options exist. Cedar Creek is completely blocked at Mazyck’s Cut, and even if it weren’t, I don’t believe it actually flows all the way to the river unless there is a lot of water in the creek. I took Mazyck’s Cut, and I had Google Maps in hand as I paddled down the Congaree River towards Bates Bridge. I was specifically looking for the confluence of the creek and river and saw nothing but a wall of trees along the entire shore.

Cedar Creek Map

The National Park Service claims that about two miles of Cedar Creek east of the South Cedar Creek Canoe Launch are kept cleared of fallen trees. My buddy and I hit our first portage after 2.5 miles, so this claim sounds about right. Prior to the portage there was a tree we barely squeezed around and a couple we could go under. We paddled this stretch in less than an hour, averaging about 3 MPH. At the time we didn’t know it would take us another 4.5 hours to go the remaining 4.5 miles.

At the second portage we had to land on shore and carry the boat around the trees, and the mud was deep. I nearly lost a foot—not just a shoe, but my whole foot. I thought I was going to have to amputate it and leave it behind. With no idea of what was in store, and no idea when we might get to the Congaree River, the trip ceased to be fun.

Downed trees across Cedar Creek east of the South Cedar Creek Canoe Launch, Congaree National Park

Cedar Creek about three miles east of the South Cedar Creek Canoe Launch in Congaree National Park

About 4.5 miles from the South Cedar Creek Canoe Launch at a fork in the creek is a sign nailed to a tree with an arrow pointing to the left that reads CANOE TRAIL TO CONGAREE RIVER. In this same area are a bunch of islands, and things get very confusing—we actually ended up paddling around in a circle. Anyway, I am pretty sure that the sign is at the intersection with Horsepen Gap, which is to the right. Again, only Google Maps shows this fork in the creek. I actually went down a little ways to check it out, but there was an immediate portage and another within eyesight, so that way to the river looked awful. When I was hiking the trails at Congaree National Park, I crossed paths with may “guts,” and they were very narrow, the water in them, if there was any, was very shallow, and all were filled with debris. Based on this, I seriously doubt it is possible to get to the Congaree via Horsepen Gut, so just follow the sign. That’s probably why it is there.

Cedar Creek at the confluence with Horsepen Gut in Congaree National Park

Directional sign on Cedar Creek at the confluence with Horsepen Gut in Congaree National Park

It is about two miles from Horsepen Gut to Mazyck’s Cut, and this trip took us 2.5 hours, that’s how many downed trees there were on this section. There was one portage that was so miserable that I thought we would have to turn around. We had to carry our kayak up a hill of mud to a ridge. I could barely get my feet out of the mud a couple of times. It took us 20 minutes, the longest portage by far.

Portage route up a steep and muddy bank on the eastern end of Cedar Creek, Congaree National Park

There were so many trees down that Cedar Creek was no longer even pretty. It was like paddling down a tree junk yard.

Dozens of trees are down across Cedar Creek between Horsepen Gut and Mazyck’s Cut

There is no directional signage at Mazyck’s Cut, but it is the first noticeable fork in the creek past Horsepen Gut. Cedar Creek widens a good bit, like a small pond, and Mazyck’s Cut is a sharp U-turn to the right.

Mazyck’s Cut on Cedar Creek, Congaree National Park

As mentioned, Cedar Creek is completely blocked at Mazyck’s Cut. I had originally planned to take the long route, but at this point I just wanted the quickest way out of this mess and to the Congaree River, so I would have turned at Mazyck’s Cut even if it were possible to continue down the creek.

A log jam blocks Cedar Creek east of Mazyck’s Cut, Congaree National Park

Mazyck’s Cut isn’t much better. It starts out well enough, but no sooner did we go around a bend than the creek split at a small island. The channel we picked was impassible due to debris and low water. By the time we realized it was blocked, it was too late, so we had to get out and carry our boat to the other side of the island.

Blocked channel at the start of Mazyck’s Cut, Congaree National Park

The other channel was pretty nice and actually had some very swift water, the closest thing to a rapid on the entire trip.

Open channel around a small island at the start of Mazyck’s Cut, Congaree National Park

Mazyck’s Cut to the Congaree River is only a quarter mile long, and once we got past the swift run of water, it looked like we were in for another quarter mile of portages. However, it turned out that we could get around everything, and five and a half hours after we departed the South Cedar Creek Canoe Launch, we were at the confluence of the Congaree River.

Trees and other debris in the water of Mazyck’s Cut, Congaree National Park

Confluence of Mazyck’s Cut and the Congaree River, Congaree National Park

Total distance covered was roughly seven miles. All things considered, this trip took the same amount of time and covered about the same distance as the trip from Bannister Bridge to the South Cedar Creek launch. Only now we had another twelve miles to travel on the Congaree. We paddled directly across from the mouth of Cedar Creek to a sandbar where we had a snack and got ready for the river paddle. And by the way, the north bank of Congaree River is part of the Congaree National Park, but the river itself is not. The river is the southern boundary line of the park.

Sandbar on the Congaree River across from Mazyck’s Cut

Mike prepares for a 12-mile trip down the Congaree River

As I already stated, the trip down the Congaree River is as boring and uneventful as a paddling trip can get. On a positive note, the current was moving at 2.5 MPH, so we made great time, often moving along at nearly 5 MPH. It only took us three hours to cover the twelve miles to Bates Bridge.

The Bates Bridge Boat Ramp is on the left side of the river at the base of the second bridge you come to, the first being a railroad bridge. The boat ramp has a large parking lot, and on a nice day you will find a lot of fishermen launching their motorboats from here.

Norfolk Southern Railroad bridge over the Congaree River

Bates Bridge over the Congaree River

Bates Bridge Boat Ramp on the Congaree River

While Cedar Creek is still beautiful between the South Cedar Creek Canoe Launch and the Bates Bridge Boat Ramp, you can see plenty of beauty on the cleared segments without having to endure endless portages and a mind-numbing trip down the Congaree River. My advice is to stick to the cleared section, and if you want adventure, run the first six miles of Cedar Creek from Bannister Bridge. You aren’t gaining anything but misery by paddling the entire creek.

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