Cypress Gardens is a 170-acre preserve about 40 minutes outside of downtown Charleston. It’s a great place to explore the natural environment including swamps, bogs, trees, flowers and the native wildlife: alligators.
It wasn’t until I was in Cypress Gardens that I realized how prevalent alligators were in these parts. I’m a Midwesterner, so it seemed like alligators were everywhere. They don’t put that on the Charleston brochures. Aside from a few signs that say, “Beware of alligators,” they don’t even really acknowledge it. In Louisana, they’ve made a tourism industry out of it, but not Charleston.
Cypress Gardens in Charleston
The Cypress Gardens are on mainly swampy, marshy land where there used to be plantations.
It costs $10 to tour the property; once inside, rowboats are included if you’d like to get in the water. To us, not from the south, the “beware of alligator” keep us from getting anywhere near the water. This is how you can tell where people grew up. Some of them (southerners) hopped in those boats because gators don’t bother them more than a stray alley cat would.
The walking trails are plentiful, so I opted to skip the boat and walk. The well-paved trails surround the many acres of manicured ponds and lagoons. Tall bald cypress, tupelo and magnolia trees sprung from the dark, still water while pink, red and white azaleas bloomed along the paths.
Occasionally, the inky black of the water was broken by the swampy green algae, oversized turtles and, sometimes, a small alligator. There were picturesque footbridges and gazebos like you find in a movie. Speaking of movies, parts of The Notebook and The Patriot movie were filmed in Cypress Gardens.
Alligators in Charleston
A few weeks prior, while touring a Charleston plantation, I had to walk between two ponds filled with – I counted five gators – and turned around. There was no way I intended to walk through the middle of that, but now, three weeks and dozens of alligators later, I am becoming immune to their presence.
As I walk, I note alligators sitting on the sides of the swamps, sunning themselves like teenagers on spring break. A few were pretty large, but aside from ensuring I do not stumble blindly on top of one, I don’t need to worry. They are pretty docile for the most part, especially in the winter.
I’m learning they are harmless if you keep your distance, and now I can walk right past them without a care. Who would have thought walking alongside a wild alligator would cease to bother me? Surely not me. But I’m about to find I’ve overestimated myself again.
Cypress Gardens Alligators on trails
At the rear of the property, an unpaved, narrow trail went further back. A sign read, “Caution, alligators and other animals can be on the trails and surrounding areas. Stay at a safe distance.” At the bottom is a silhouette of an alligator looking, in my opinion, ready to spring.
In the Midwest, if there were an alligator within 50 miles, we would stay in our homes and lock the doors. But here, “stay at a safe distance” while alone in a swamp seems enough. And what, pray tell, is a safe distance? The sign maker gives no indication.
If provoked, do you know an alligator can run up to 30 miles per hour? I do because I looked it up. They can also jump six feet high. Think about that while you’re keeping a “safe distance.”
Still, I know I’m just as crazy as the person making these signs because after seeing two people take the trail, I waited a few minutes and followed them.
Walking Trails and Paths in Cypress Gardens
This “trail” was just a few thin boards going through the swamp. The alligators wouldn’t be “on the trail” – I would be walking in their swamp. If I got my leg bit off, nobody in this world would defend me.
“What did you think would happen when you walked through an alligator-infested swamp on nothing but a thin board?” they would ask my dead body.
Still, to be this close to the swamps with the trees, turtles and quiet heat of the afternoon was rare. The proximity to nature and the splendor of the land are insurmountable.
I’d caught up to the couple I’d seen enter before me. They stopped to take a picture of something. A big mama gator was sunning herself right off the side of the trail.
“Whew, I’m sure glad I saw you two before I saw her,” I said. (If an alligator attacks you, it’s likely a female protecting her offspring.)
Things to do at Cypress Gardens
I passed several more gators and, despite all my carrying on, they could have cared less. By then, even I only cared a little. I think maybe I really am starting to get used to them now. Other things to do at Cypress Gardens include:
- Self-guided boat tours through the swamp
- Guided walking tours of the gardens
- Animal exhibits, including alligators, snakes, and turtles
- A butterfly garden
- A picnic area
- A gift shop
If you are looking for a unique and educational day trip in South Carolina, Cypress Gardens is a great option. The gardens are beautiful, the wildlife is fascinating, and there are plenty of activities to keep your blood pumping.
Read more stories about Charleston here.
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