Only 10 times a year and in total 2 weeks the Congaree river is high enough to overflow its floodplains making it only a 3.8% change to hit it at the right time.
Being from a river delta country, having lived below sea level a part of my life and having experienced the treat of flooding my whole childhood (each year the flooding of the river Rijn blocks roads and fills basements of my home town), overflown rivers are in my blood. And so I take my change on the 3.8% and otherwise there is always a creek to navigate through the park.
I walk in the visitors center and ask the friendly rancher for the possibilities to take my kayak out. The ranger pulls a map out and his hand waves over the whole paper: “We are flooded right now, the whole park is underwater, you can go where ever you want!” The ranger is clearly excited and confirms it with the words: “You are so lucky to be able to experience it flooded”. And so am I, very excited.
The flooding makes this park so unique. The floodwater deposits rich soil whose nutrients support the complex plant communities and the unusual giant trees the park is famous for. Depending on the time a region is flooded (due to elevation difference), the soil changes drastically and with it the forest above it. Yes, the flood plain is a forest and not the wide open grass fields I am used to. My seakayak is clearly not the right length for randomly peddling through the forest and I stick to a hiking trail instead.
Its interesting navigating but it’s a wonderful place to be.
The whole forest is flooded and in places I measure 1.5 meter deep.
The water is flowing pretty steadily in the direction of the ocean and it is not always easy to keep the kayak on the trail. 
With my compass I have to bushwhack away from the trail until I finally find the creek.
Which is easy to paddle and brings me right back to the Oto. 
I am scratched by branches, my kayak took a good beating, but it was all well worth it. Dag,
Iris (Congaree NP, 28280 miles)
