This Southern U.S. State Has One of America's Coolest Wildflower Blooms — Here's the Best Way to See Them

Ready to experience some seriously cool spring wildflowers? Then it's time to get in a kayak and paddle out to them. 

You see, the Olde English District of South Carolina, a seven-county region in the north-central part of the state, is home to the Landsford Canal State Park. It's here that travelers can find the largest population of Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies in the world. And the best way to see them is by hopping aboard a boat along the Catawba River.

As the South Carolina State Parks website explains, the lilies are a rare sight. They are only found in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina, and only bloom between May through mid-June. 

“Seeing the peak bloom of these incredible gems is one of our area's most sought-after experiences," Jenny Parrish, executive director of Olde English District Commission, told Travel + Leisure. "We highly recommend planning a visit between the last two weeks of May and the first two weeks of June to explore the beauty of these native wildflowers, which thrive only in the fast-flowing, rocky shoals of rivers and streams.” 

The district's website additionally noted that this year it's predicting a more specific bloom window, noting the lilies will likely peak around the last two weeks of May through the first two weeks of June.

To view them, the district encourages people to visit Landsford Canal State Park and take a 1.5-mile, round-trip hike down the Canal Trail to an overlook where the spider lilies are in full view. According to AllTrails, the hike is "generally considered an easy route," and takes an average of 54 minutes to complete, though you'll likely want more time than that to stop and smell the flowers (or at least look at them). Dogs are also welcome on the trail and are allowed to be off-leash in some areas.  

However, more adventurous travelers can opt for a canoe or kayak trail that runs through the park. As PaddleSC explained, paddling to these lilies isn't difficult, but is rated as a moderately strenuous task. It too is about a 1.5-mile paddle and takes between one to two hours to complete. "The paddle is suitable for those with some paddling experience because of the many shoals and small rapids that must be navigated throughout the trip," the website added.

But really, whichever method you choose will be worth the work to get to say you saw these rare blooms in person.