The blackwater creeks of Francis Marion National Forest are stained dark by tannins from decaying vegetation, giving them the color of strong tea and a mirror-like surface that reflects the cypress trees above. Paddling these creeks feels like moving through a cathedral.
The forest was devastated by Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and has spent the past three decades recovering. The regrowth has created extraordinary habitat for red-cockaded woodpeckers, which are found here in one of their largest remaining populations.