Why you Need to Visit Congaree National Park

12/15/2022

**Updated : December 2022**
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Is Congaree National Park worth visiting? The short answer, YES. Although this is a smaller park that can be easily explored in a single day, we LOVED it. Congaree is truly unlike any park we visited before - and it was our 29th National Park! Plus, it is one of the only National Parks that requires NO entry fee (meaning it's FREE!). We visited Congaree in December, and loved that we had almost the entire place to ourselves. However, we've also been told that visiting during firefly season (early summer) can be absolutely magical! Read on to find our complete guide to Congaree, including nearby places to stay, eat, and the best things to do!

Where is Congaree National Park?

Congaree National Park is the only National Park in South Carolina, and was established in 2003 covering a total of 26,276 acres. As the 10 least visited national park, Congaree receives about 215,181 visitors each year. This park has wide biodiversity, with lots of plant and animal life hidden throughout the swamp. You can keep your eyes out for wildlife like deer, bobcats, wild pigs, opossums, squirrels, and river otters. It's also important to note that there are a large number of snakes in the area, some of which can be venomous. The Congaree National Parks website also shares that these snakes are commonly seen on the trails throughout the summer months. Congaree also has a rich history, and in the past was a refuge for those escaping slavery.

Located almost right in the middle of South Carolina, the best way to get to Congaree NP is to drive from Columbia, the closest metropolitan area to the park. For planning purposes, we've listed some driving times from other major cities near the park :

Columbia, SC - 20 miles, 30 minutes
Charleston, SC - 106 miles, 1 hour 50 minutes
Myrtle Beach, SC - 130 miles, 2 hours 30 minutes
Charlotte, NC - 110 miles, 1 hour 40 minutes
Savannah, GA - 150 miles, 2 hours 25 minutes
Augusta, GA - 91 miles, 1 hour 30 minutes

Where to Stay When Visiting

Finding a place to stay in or near the park will most likely be the hardest part about planning your trip to Congaree. Although there is camping in the park, other places like hotels might require a bit of a drive. We've gone ahead and split this category into two groups: "In the Park" and "Outside the Park."

In the Park :

Longleaf Campground - walk in tenting only, each site has a picnic table and fire pit, and there are two vault toilets for the campground and no running water
Bluff Campground - walk in tenting only on the Bluff Trail (about 1 mile from Longleaf Campground), each site has a picnic table and fire pit, but no bathrooms and no running water
Backcountry - requires a free permit, please see more information at this link

Outside the Park :

Cottage Tree House B&B - 5 mins.
Elloree Bed and Breakfast - 40 mins.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Columbia-Fort Jackson - 18 mins.
Tru By Hilton Orangeburg - 45 mins.
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriot Santee - 50 mins.
SpringHill Suites by Marriot Orangeburg - 45 mins.
Hampton Inn & Suites Orangeburg - 40 mins.
Best Western Plus Santee Inn - 45 mins.

*It's important to note that all campers will need to have a reservation ahead of time in order to camp in the park. These can be made at this link.*

And Is There Anywhere to Eat..?

Our honest recommendation is to bring in what you'd like to eat with you, but please remember to follow the LEAVE NO TRACE principle. There are no restaurants or food services in the park, so we've rounded up some of the nearby places to eat. We did not stop at any of these places ourselves, however, these are the locations that we would be most likely to stop at next time (a.k.a. the places that looked the least sketchy):

Katie's Sandwich Shop - subs, sandwiches, burgers and wraps

*Ok, so clearly this section needs some work. If you have any recommendations we will gladly take them, leave them in the comments below!*

Must Do's in the Park

Although Congaree National Park might seem small, there are a number of fun things to do in the area! We highly recommend :

Walk the Boardwalk Trail - an easy, 2.6 mile walk along an elevated boardwalk
Hiking - see our list of trails in the park below!
Kayak or Canoe Cedar Creek - a 15 mile winding paddle trail starting at Bannister Bridge and ending at the Congaree River
Paddle the Congaree River Blue Trail - a 50 mile trail beginning in Columbia and making its way to Congaree National Park
Fishing - you'll need a valid South Carolina fishing license, and have to be more than 25 feet away from any manmade structure as well as follow any other fishing regulations for South Carolina, Congaree National Park also highly encourages catch and release
Look for Wildlife - contrary to what you might think, there is a lot of wildlife viewing opportunities in the area, including deer, bobcats, wild pigs, squirrels, opossums, river otters, snakes, owls, woodpeckers, and many other birds!

Hiking in the Park

Congaree National Park has over 20 miles of hiking trails, and we've gathered the information you need to know for each one! Our favorite was the Boardwalk Loop Trail - and if you only have time for one hike we highly recommend this one!

Fork Swamp Trail - 0.6 mile moderate hike that follows the Bates Old River
Bluff Trail - 1.8 mile easy loop
Firefly Trail - 1.8 mile trail used for firefly viewing in late spring/early summer
Bates Ferry Trail - 2.2 mile easy hike
Boardwalk Loop Trail - 2.6 mile easy loop on elevated boardwalk
Longleaf Trail - 2.6 mile easy out and back trail that leads to the Longleaf Campground
Sims Trail - 3.2 mile easy loop on old gravel road
Weston Lake Trail - 4.5 mile moderate hike popular for birding
Oakridge Trail - 7.1 mile difficult trail through forest
Kingsnake Trail - 7.8 mile moderate trail popular for birding
River Trail - 11.1 mile difficult trail that leads to the Congaree River