Congaree National Park

Congaree National Park sits just outside of Columbia, South Carolina, so we decided to stop on our way back home from Blacksburg. Congaree National Park features over 20,000 acres of old-growth, bottomland hardwood forest. It was created to protect the forest from logging and to preserve an area of what America once looked like. If you love the outdoors, you will love Congaree. It’s full of hiking, kayaking, and camping opportunities.

Address and Location

You’ll find Congaree National Park at 100 National Park Road in Hopkins, South Carolina.

Cost

Exploring the park is free!

What to do

We chose to explore the raised boardwalk. After checking out the Visitors’ Center, we headed out on the trail. The boardwalk loops around a section of forest and is really interesting. You can grab a map in the Visitors’ Center that highlights a bunch of stops along the boardwalk.

Be sure to keep an eye out for the champion trees. The trees are the largest of their respective species, and Congaree is full of them. Their size is truly impressive. The park also has a mosquito meter, and it’s pretty accurate. I would definitely recommend taking bug spray because I think both of us had at least five bug bites within 10 – 15 minutes. We were joking that we needed to pack the Army-grade bug spray that melts paint of equipment. I would also recommend wearing sturdier shoes. The boardwalk is outside in a swamp, and it can be slippery in spots. Congaree National Park is a really unique national park, and it’s definitely worth the trip.