What to do at Congaree National Park

If you’ve been following our journey, you may know that one of our travel goals is to visit every national park. When we decided to drive to Hilton Head Island as our final destination of 2023, it only made sense to add Congaree National Park to our itinerary. Less than 20 miles southeast of Columbia, it was on our route from Chicago. Thanks to weather, however, we had to skip it on our way to Hilton Head and made a return trip a few days later when the skies had cleared up.

Planning your visit

There is no entry fee required to visit Congaree National Park. Even though we knew this, we always keep our America the Beautiful pass with us when we’re traveling the U.S.

It’s dog-friendly! We had our dogs with us on this trip, so obviously we checked before visiting that we could bring them. Remember to be respectful of the land and keep your dogs leashed at all times. This might go without saying, but leave no trace! That includes your dog waste.

Late December and any time in winter is actually a great time to visit. We had weather that was in the high-50s and sunny for our visit. We’ve heard that mosquitos can be absolutely brutal during the warmer months, so take that into account when booking your trip. There is the potential of flooding at times, so check the park’s information in advance of visiting.

How long do you need? We spent just a day at Congaree National Park and that was plenty. If you’re interested in camping, you can stretch it to two, but it is one of the smaller national parks and can be done in a day.

Facts about Congaree National Park

• Congaree National Park protects the largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest left in the United States
• The park protects around 22,200 acres or 35 square miles of land
• Congaree is a floodplain forest, not a swamp (contrary to appearances)
• It became a national park in 2003
• Congaree is among the least-visited national parks in the U.S. In 2022, it was the 12th least-visited with just over 200,000 visitors
• UNESCO gave the park International Biosphere Reserve status in 1983

Things to do

The first thing we do at every national park is stop at the visitors center and collect the pamphlet for that national park.

The Boardwalk Loop Trail is just over 2.5 miles and starts right at the visitors center, lucky us. It’s an elevated boardwalk (as the name suggests) that takes you on a loop through the forest. This is the fastest way to see the landscape that the park was designated to protect and is noted as a can’t-miss when you visit Congaree.

Bluff Trail is another easy option that connects to the boardwalk. You can add this to your leisurely day if you’re already taking the Boardwalk Loop Trail.

Sims Trail starts at the visitors center and follows the Bluff Trail before eventually ending up at Wise Lake.

We had our dogs with us, so we only took on easy strolls through the park. Here are some things to add to your list if you’re not limited.

Kayak or Canoe – this is another great way to see the park. You will need to bring your own equipment, which can be rented from a number of vendors nearby. There are also a few tour companies that offer guided tours through the park.

Firefly Trail – we didn’t get to see this because of the timing of our visit, but if you happen to visit in May to June, you might get lucky enough to see the Synchronous Fireflies. There are only three species of synchronous fireflies in North America, so plan ahead if this is something on your list. Passes ($5) are required for this event. As of February 20th, dates for 2024 had not been determined, but you can track the updates here.

Summary

While Congaree National Park isn’t as awe-inspiring as some national parks (looking at you, Grand Canyon), it’s definitely a nice place to spend a day and enjoy the biodiversity of our nation.

Have you visited Congaree yet? If not, is it on your list?