Skip to main content

2017 Southeast Trip Part 8; Congaree National Park and the Carolinas

After leaving Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway my next destination was in South Carolina at Congaree National Park.


But I had to get to South Carolina first. After leading the Blue Ridge Parkway I continued eastward following US 74 to I-40.






I-40 is pretty in North Carolina but just as haggard as I remember it with slow speed limits and heavy traffic.

 
I was stopping quickly in Asheville to have lunch with friends.  I pulled off of I-40 to make a phone call at a gas station (since I didn't remember exactly where I was going) and spotted a US 74-A shield which I thought looked fairly unique.





My destination for lunch was south on I-26.





The Blue Ridge Parkway crosses over I-26 in Asheville.  My lunch destination was on NC 146.





I-26 is heavily traveled between Asheville and Columbia.  I missed the state line signage but stopped on SC 14 to get gas before continuing on my way.  I always dug the modern design of the South Carolina State Highway shields, they have a clean but unique look.






Mercifully I pulled of I-26 after 160 miles of heavy traffic onto I-77 north.






After a couple miles on I-77 I pulled off of the freeway onto SC 48.





SC 48 is a 29 mile state highway running from US 21/76/176/321 in downtown Columbia east to US 601.  SC 48 more or less follows the Congaree River along the north bank and apparently was signed all the way back in 1930.  There was a nice mixture of new and older South Carolina highway shields.






Most of SC 48 is on Bluff Road.  The access road to Congaree National Park is on Old Bluff Road which I'm fairly certain is the original SC 48 alignment.









Congaree National Park is the largest tract of old growth bottom land hardwood forest left in the eastern United States.  Essentially Congaree National Park is a swamp along the north banks of the Congaree River.  Congaree National Park was established in 2003 out of the previous Congaree National Monument which was established in 1976.  There is actually fairly extensive boardwalk trails through the trees and swap lands.  I made my way almost all the way to the Congaree River and ran most of it since my leg was starting to feel better after the Water Rock Knob.












Leaving Congaree National Park I rejoined SC 48 and took it east to US 601.  I crossed the Congaree River on US 601 and took SC 267 south.






SC 267 is only 23 miles long and ends at US 15.  I'm not sure when the route was created but there was some nice views and decent shields along the highway.






After completing SC 267 I took US 15 to I-95.  From I-95 I headed south to US 78 in St. George where I stayed the night. 













Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dillon Road

Dillon Road is a 34.2-mile highway located in northern Coachella Valley of Riverside County, California.  Dillon Road begins at Avenue 48 on the outskirts of Indio and ends to the west at California State Route 62 near San Gorgonio Pass.  Dillon Road was developed the 1930s as a construction road for the Colorado River Aqueduct.  Dillon Road serves as a northern bypass to much of the development of Coachella Valley.  Dillon Road is known for it's frequent dips and spectacular views of San Gorgonio Pass.   Part 1; the history of Dillon Road Dillon Road was constructed as a haul road for the Colorado River Aqueduct through Coachella Valley.  The Colorado River Aqueduct spans 242 miles from Parker Dam on the Colorado River west to Lake Mathews near Corona.  Construction of the Colorado River Aqueduct began during January 1933 near Thousand Palms and was made functional on January 7, 1939.  West of Berdoo Canyon Road the alignment of Dillon Road is largely concurrent with the Colorado

Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road

Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road is an approximately 21-mile highway located in southeast Kern County.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road begins at Tehachapi Boulevard (former US Route 466) in Tehachapi and crosses the Tehachapi Mountains via the 4,820-foot-high Oak Creek Pass.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road enters Antelope Valley of the wider Mojave Desert and passes by the historic stage station of Willow Springs to a southern terminus at Rosamond Boulevard.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road has historic ties to the Havilah-Los Angeles Road and Stockton-Los Angeles Road due to the once reliable presence of water at Willow Springs. Part 1; the history of Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road Oak Creek Pass and Willow Springs were known to the local tribes of the Tehachapi Mountains for generations.  The first documented European crossing of Oak Creek Pass was during 1776 as part of an expedition by Francisco Garces.  Oak Creek Pass is as used again by John C. Fremont during an 1844-1845 expedition to e

The 1928 Iowa Hill Road Bridge

The 1928 Iowa Hill Road Bridge is a derelict structure located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Placer County, California.  The 1928 Iowa Hill Road Bridge can be found between the communities of Colfax and Iowa Hill.  The 1928 Iowa Hill Road Bridge is a wire suspension structure which spans the North Fork American River.  The 1928 Iowa Hill Road Bridge was replaced by a modern span and converted to pedestrian use following floods during 1963.   Part 1; the history of the 1928 Iowa Hill Road Bridge During 1853 gold was discovered at what to become Iowa Hill.  The gold mining claims soon led to a small community known as Iowa City being established.   By 1854, Post Office Service began at the mines of Iowa City.  By 1856 gold production at Iowa City was estimated to be around $100,000.  Iowa City was burned in fires during 1857 and 1862 but the community was rebuilt with more modernized structures.   The location of Iowa City can be seen as "Iowa Hill" on the 1873 Bancroft