Boardwalk Loop Trail

This is one of the most rewarding easy walks in the entire national park system. A raised boardwalk carries you through the largest intact tract of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the country — towering loblolly pines and bald cypresses draped in Spanish moss that block out the sky like a living cathedral. The air is thick, humid, and smells like wet earth and decomposing leaves in the best possible way. You'll cross over Weston Lake and Cedar Creek, where the dark tannic water reflects the canopy like a mirror. Interpretive signs along the way explain the floodplain ecology without being preachy. The loop format means no backtracking, and the flat boardwalk surface makes this accessible to nearly everyone. Families with strollers, birders with binoculars, and anyone who wants to feel genuinely small in the presence of ancient trees will love every step.