Congaree National Park
Congaree National Park is a 26,276-acre (41.1 sq mi; 106.3 km2) American national park in central South Carolina, 18 miles southeast of the state capital, Columbia. The park preserves the largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest left in the United States. The lush trees growing in its floodplain forest are some of the tallest in the eastern United States, forming one of the highest temperate deciduous forest canopies remaining in the world. The Congaree River flows through the park. About 15,000 acres (23.4 sq mi; 60.7 km2) are designated as a wilderness area.
The park received its official designation in 2003 as the culmination of a grassroots campaign that began in 1969. With 145,929 visitors in 2018, it ranks as the United States' 10th-least visited national park, just behind Nevada's Great Basin National Park.
Links
Images Gallery
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Old growth forest
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Kayakers paddle on Cedar Creek
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Geologic map of the park
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Park geologic cross section
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Comments
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Wonderful experience walking through this old forest! They have 15 species of the tallest, largest trees in America! So many champion tress, and it is so rare to get to walk through a preserved old forest like this. The boardwalk is easy to walk on and well maintained. Parking is convenient to the Visitor Center. Even though it might be hot, and humid, I could appreciate these grand old trees.
a week ago -
One of the least visited national parks in the contiguous US. And people are really missing out. They had this self guided boardwalk tour with numbered stops along the way and it was full of history and interesting facts. I loved that. The boardwalk is 2.4 miles and starts right at the visitor center. I like that there is a long boardwalk as it is stroller and wheel chair inclusive. I expected to be swarmed by mosquitoes but visited on a day low on the mosquito meter so I did not need bug spray. I brought it with me just in case but truly did not need it. Saw snakes, turtle, alligator, butterflies. Really enjoyed my visit!
3 weeks ago -
We didn't know what to expect when we visited the park. We did enjoy our small walk though! We did the self guided tour on the boardwalk starting at the visitor center and really enjoyed it. Glad the boardwalk was there as the ground looked VERY squishy.
3 days ago -
My wife and I enjoyed the trails! The boardwalk trail was an easy trail but had a lot of people on it. We decided to take one of a few trails that spur off of it and enjoyed it much more.
a week ago -
Been in South Carolina all my life. Never been to Congaree National Park until today. Very beautiful. It’s so wonderful to have our Park Rangers take such good care of the area. Y’all work very hard. Keep up the good work. If you want to escape the worries of the world then this is the place to come. You have to take your time and enjoy what God has created. A very mush so place to come and visit.
2 months ago -
Lovely place to walk and explore. The walking area is up on a boardwalk and underneath the trees, so no it's very shady and cooler than walking in the open sun. There is a spot along the trail where you can look out over the water. Tons of wildlife. We love to listen to the different birds when we're out. We have heard owls and woodpeckers, and we've seen deer running through the woods. We've seen snakes, squirrels, spiders and all kinds of neat things. My kids love it. It's very peaceful.
2 months ago -
Very friendly rangers and the boardwalk was an amazing easy hike. It is a swamp so be prepared for all that comes with that (humidity, snakes, bugs, alligators, etc) but it is beautiful. They have a video that they show frequently. Newer park, just became a national park in 2017 so everything is in great shape, and not very many people here, great visit.
a month ago -