Reviews of Congaree National Park. (Campground) in Columbia (South Carolina).

Congaree National Park

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396 Comments

Campground

National park

100 National Park Rd, Hopkins, SC 29061, United States

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Information of Congaree National Park, Campground in Columbia (South Carolina)

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Reviews of Congaree National Park

Paige Vickers

A nice national park to go to. The board walk was definitely worth it with a nice raised path and information markers along the way. A good 2.5 mile hike and took about an hour. It is in a swampy area so depending on the time of year might be a little buggy and or muggy; so come prepared with water and bug repellent. But a very nice and easy walk with great information along the way and plenty of wildlife to observe!

Katy Beebe

I almost hesitate to review because we LOVED it so much and don't want it to become over crowded. This is one of our favorite hiking spots! The 2.6 Mile boardwalk was easily doable with me and my elementary aged kids. It feels like an adventure but also quite safe and clean. We also picnicked in one of the many, shady spots by the lodge. After lunch we were a bit more adventurous with off boardwalk trails. There are many and they're rated by difficulty with listed distances so you can easily determine what's the best fit for you/your group. The staff was AMAZING! We availed ourselves of the gift shop for a few items. We also picked up our junior ranger books, completed the activities during our adventures, and were then sworn in as junior rangers! Including me ☺️ We got beautiful Congaree ranger badges that absolutely thrilled them. We will return as soon as we are able! It is a little more than 2 hours each way for us and totally worth it!!

Sara Miskin

Great hidden gem! I took my young kids and we did the boardwalk trail. Felt very safe clean and sturdy for being in a swamp. It was so peaceful. Park ranger was very friendly and informative. Will definitely come back when the weather is more cooperative to explore the other trails!

Leah MacDaniel

This park is an underrated gem and the floodplain forest is truly a treasure. I would highly recommend taking a guided kayak tour to really see the best of the park. The facilities at the visitor center are well-maintained and clean, the boardwalk loop is super cool and fun for all ages and skill levels. I gave 4 stars instead of 5 just to manage others' expectations. The park is relatively small, and there isn't a TON to do or a huge variety of views and landscapes. It's a floodplain forest through and through, you're not going to find any spectacular views or challenging mountaintop climbs here.

Kaitlyn Arlotta

Beautiful park, no entrance fee. Right now the park is closing at 4pm. We had planned a 2 to 3 hour hike but the insects were relentless! We opted to do the boardwalk loop instead which was gorgeous! The Park Ranger at the visitor center was very helpful explaining the different hikes available and what to bring. It was busier than normal because of the holiday weekend but I would not say it was busy. We were alone most of the time. Saw some gators, turtles and snakes!

Aaron Yang

The park was so popular on the weekends, which included volunteers led programs. The ranger led programs are more concentrated during the peak season. The center was partially closed, mostly educational sections, however, they have a lot of stuff for purchasing and for sales. You could tell that this park is very new and geared towards urban people. I recommend to come for the firefly season. Would love to do kayaking programs with the rangers in this park too. But it's super popular and hard for accessibility.

Mária Vagovičová

This park definitely exceeded my expectations! We went on a rainy day and the atmosphere there was so unique! Peaceful but eerie at the same time. We did the self guided boardwalk trail and enjoyed it a lot! Very informative and beautiful walk. Im excited to come back and do more hiking there!

Aniyah Pendleton

Took my sisters here for their first hike and their first National Park trip, and they had an absolute blast. The rangers were super kind and helpful, the hikes we found were easy to follow (especially for first-timers), and the place is absolutely gorgeous. Would definitely recommend for camping as well. It is safe to say that I have successfully recruited them into the world of collecting National Park cancellation stamps, and it's largely due to the great time exploring this awesome park.

Joe Kowaleski

"Off season" hours are ridiculously short but everything else is AWESOME. Many trails aren't well marked but overall this place is spectacular. Ranger suggested two paths I could take and complete before they closed (4pm). She did suggest I not wear flip flops because the longer trail I was taking was considered moderate difficulty. I did much of that trail in bare feet. The massive trees are the stars of the show here. I've walked many swamps here in the southeast and I've found these trees without equal. Loads of wildlife to see. All the visitors I encountered were as expected, very friendly.

valerie leaphart

Beautiful National park. Boardwalk trail is great for kids. Very easy and has informative map with markers to go with it. Several other very easy trails. Has the synchronized fireflies in may. Now you need to enter lottery to attend. Lots of picnic tables. Visitor seemed to be under renovation this time. In years past it has had lots of interactive and learning stations. Bring bug spray. Definitely check if trails are open as it is a flood plain

Heather H

What a beautiful and serene place to visit! There’s not a whole lot to do, but you should absolutely walk the boardwalk trail that just circles around the area. Lots of beautiful and quiet scenery, plus a nice view of Weston Lake. Plus you can grab a brochure and find the numbered corresponding spots and read about each one along the way! We saw the resident alligator in Weston Lake, and also the resident spider, Lucy, at the visitor center! The visitor center is quite nice also, and has plenty of cute souvenirs to choose from! A must do on your Nat’l Park bucket list! Are

You Who

Be prepared to see lots of birds and other wildlife. There are snakes along the hiking trails. Bring bug repellent and water for the longer hikes. The campground is well maintained and clean. The camping pads are well constructed and the picnic tables are in great shape.

Marie

Beautiful trails…flat so not physically demanding but challenging in their own way. Rangers have copious markings however due to leaves/fallen trees it is still very very easy to get off track. Stay alert and sharp if your surroundings. All in all a wonderful day. 11.6 miles on the trails

Andrea W

A great place to check out SC and have it not be Charleston or a beach! A true Low Country hike! Be sure to bring bug spray. We did NOT need it but saw lots of warnings. Plan for time! It takes longer than you think. Unfortunately, there was no staff or literature at the Visitor Center. Our cell service was in and out so good ole fashion paper map would have made it better. WE SAW WILD BOAR 🐗 trail 4 or 5! and the boardwalk was a nice have. We did the river trail and we’re at the park for about 5hrs. We did about 9 miles.

Kylie

Beautiful park with a stroller/wheelchair friendly raised walking path. The trees were beautiful! There were a lot of these huge spiders. We ate a picnic lunch at the picnic tables and almost walked into a couple of their giant webs so be aware 😬 …

Wyatt W. Penke

Very unique National Park like few others. Easy 2.5 mile boardwalk over the swamp with some of the tallest forests in the USA. There is also so decent trails as well. You will see different kinds of animals that your not use too. This park is great for a 1 day visit. The park is also a great place to kayak as well down the Congaree river.

Sameed Hassan

This is a beautiful national park with a flat hiking trail. There are nice views of the river at certain spots. Be careful coming here after it rains as it gets flooded and can be swampy. It's close enough to the city, yet far enough to feel like you're in a secluded forest.

Emily Bleuel

Such an underrated National Park. I hiked the entire boardwalk loop (upper and lower) as well as the Weston Lake Loop. The boardwalk was an easy hike with spectacular views of the trees. The Weston Lake Loop was a bit intimidating, the trail could be hard to follow at times but there are trail markers on the trees every few hundred feet. There were also some downed trees to navigate but it made the hike all the more fun. I loved the diversity of the trees, plants, and wildlife. A must see if you're in the area. I visited the first week of June and it was not busy at all.

Tilly Lo

This park has a 2.6 Mile boardwalk that is wheelchair accessible. The boardwalk is real nice and goes through the swamp where you can see the cypress trees among various types of trees. I am so glad that my friend when with me. He pointed out some of the older pine trees, that I would have completely missed because I'm not knowledgeable when it comes to trees. We took the Sims trail, which was graveled, so that our pups will have a change to water the plants. 😄 the staff is real nice. I went to the gift shop to get some water since I was too lazy to get it from my car. They have a Christmas tree up, and it's so cute, decorated with merchandise in the store. The stuffed raccoons are so cute.

David Goerner

First time to this Park. I found the Boardwalk trail to be a very impressive piece of work, all 2.6 miles of elevated walkway. Leaving the Boardwalk, I hiked the Oakridge trail. Well marked with blazes but in some spots you've got to keep a keen eye to stay on trail. Def recommend this Park and we'll return to hike other trails

danwoodcock

I enjoyed the two and half mile walk on the wooden boardwalk through the swampy woods. I walked a bit on a dry trail as well. Not a whole lot to offer compared to most other national parks but still very unique and worth visiting if it’s on your way.

Donna Jones

Yes, the two and a half mile boardwalk hike is worth the drive... It's dog friendly and wheel chair accessible. Make sure you grab the map and self guided boardwalk tour at the visitors' center on your way in. Such an interesting and beautiful, other worldly, ecosystem. These pics have had the color saturated, not added.

Clarissa Viens

Wonderful board walk through an enchanting cypress forest! The trail was well maintained, the maps and self guided tours were prevalent, and the kids had tons of full collecting nuts and sticks. This was 2 and half miles all the way around, but my mobility challenged child could handle it due to the smooth walking surface!

Ernest Bethel

Rather boring park. Not necessarily their fault, half the park was under water. the elevated walkway trail was very nice. Ironically they had to kill a forest to allow you to walk this forest. :) But either way, nice park. Rangers were nice. Very no frills for a national park.

CanadianBacon 101

The pictures from the website don't do this park justice. We expected to be pretty bored walking around this park compared to the other national parks. However, it was very pleasant to walk and look at the trees and other plants growing in the swamp. In winter the bugs were not an issue, and the temperature was perfect. Although the park is in a swamp, you can view plenty of it by taking the boardwalks. We did not really see any animals, but we could hear birds and other creatures above us.

Fjollë Novakazi

What a treasure this place is. Beautiful for a casual walk and accessible through the boardwalk. Who wants more, can venture o to the other paths. Be prepared to awe in front of the champion trees and many birds and reptiles you'll get to encounter. Perfect for a Sunday out, or a whole day exploring.

Sean Hogan

Went here last Fall, it is a beautiful park! There is nice boardwalk trail! I will love to come back again in the spring and see more of it! I was impressed by all the unique trees to the area such as the Cypress, Palmetto, and the terrain plus the habitat that lives in the area. Being able to see River Otters and Alligators here was awesome!

Darren Holley

I saw a significant amount of wildlife on the boardwalk hike. Definitely a unique landscape. Makes a great day trip or quick overnight stay. Mosquitoes were as advertised, but completely tolerable.

Molly Smith

Really fascinating scenery, I’ve never quite seen any environment like this. We got to the park around 6pm, started the boardwalk trail by 6:15. A section of the lower boardwalk was too flooded to pass — we assumed this was seasonal flooding since we didn’t see any notices posted about it. Instead of doing the full loop once, we doubled back once we reached the flooded section from either end. Total walk was 3.32 miles, took us about 1:45 min, including lots of stopping for artsy photographs in the setting sun. We were back in our car by 8:00pm. The weather was perfect — no noticeable mosquitos, not too hot or humid yet. Overall it’s definitely worth picking up this national park if you’re in the general area.

Jay

Beautiful and quiet park. Was muddy on some parts of the trail so definitely wear the right shoes. Self guided boardwalk tour is a must, we did a 5 mile trail just off the boardwalk and saw so much wildlife

Rebecca Goodman

We went for an early hike and it was great. It's free admission and easy to park. Easy to find the start of the trail, easy to follow. The trails we tried were all pretty flat so it make it easy to go far. The boardwalks are far, so you could stay on them for a long time. We had a great time.

El

If you're not a fan of swamps, you probably won't be impressed by Congaree. There is a really nice 2.4 mile boardwalk behind the visitor center that highlights all the different types of elements that the park is known for. The best part of the boardwalk is that you get to stay above the swamp and mud. If there was a recent hard rain, some parts may be closed though. If you go during anything other than the dead of winter, make sure to pack bug spray because the mosquitoes will eat you alive!

Logan Ogzewalla

We did the boardwalk and then cut to Sims trail, following the east route to the Weston lake trail. Threw on a 20 pound weighted vest, took some photos and walked the trails. It was way fun defiantly kid friendly trails are pretty trafficked regularly and if you just do the boardwalk your not getting lost. They had bathrooms in the beginning with a merch shop. Got some cool national congaree gear. Also free maps! The lake was cool and if you look closely and long enough you'll see some alligators prowling around. When we went off the trail doing the wrston lake trail it's gets more narrow and your surrounded by wild life. We had some animal idk what snort at us and shoot off making us jump out of our Datgum shoes during a leisure conversation. Highly recomend plus its free so what's there to complain about.

Z F

Great national park! Bring bug spray! Easy walking path. Great use of a day of hiking. I went in early spring and had great weather.

Francesco

Amazing, so far the best national park I saw. Is like been in a documentary! The board walk is great for family, if you stay quiet you see so much wildlife

Shiv

You are not missing much on this National Park. Very similar experience of walking in almost any forest. They say the tress here are a little larger, but they are not very noticeable or significant I would say compared to Sequoias. Still, it is a good walk through nature where you can hear natural sounds and see gators, spiders, turtles and more. If you're on the area, sure visit it, but don't feel you have to go out of your way for it.

Jasdev Singh

I vote this the best 'compact' national park we have. Close to civilization but can feel a million miles away. Looks like a swamp but it's not, just flat dirt terrain (even has a board-walk loop) but the foliage was not that so you can actually see quite far in. You'll see massive fallen Cypress trees, and I mean really massive - which adds to this feeling of being so remote. Canoeing the river (book in visitor's center) was really beautiful with the overhanging branches of trees across some parts of the meandering river. I went in November, so it was just really pleasant as the days were sunny but breezy, the nights were just around 50F/10c and only leaves have just begun to turn their color. The campsite is surrounded by super tall trees so my campfire made it look like I was surrounded by giants. Went in with very low expectations, I thought maybe a day trip at most but I took the whole solid weekend with the variety of things to do and the ease of access in this small park. 11/10 Pro-tip: Just 5-ish minutes north of the park there are open cotton fields.

James Kitahara

Unfortunately, half of the boardwalk loop was closed when we visited but we ended up doing the bluff trail as well to make up for it. We walked to Weston Lake and saw a couple of woodpeckers, fish but no turtles. It was really nice to get there first thing in the morning before the crowds came in and the weather got warm. Bonus, the mosquitoes weren't that bad this time of the year.

Michael Merdeath

Nice place to take a walk, fish and see some wildlife. The park rangers were extremely friendly and we felt very welcomed to the area. Will definitely visit again during the warmer months! ... with bug spray

Bruce Wessel

A step back in time to the largest old growth bottomland hardwood forest in the southeast. Huge towering trees will awe and impress along the many hiking trails suited to every ability level. A full day and a half is necessary.

Michael Roesch

Small national park, you only need a few hours to see the highlights. Very unique geographical area, that according to the info, is a “bottomland”. Looks like a swamp but it is not. Over 99% of millions of acres of bottomland in America has been destroyed. Worth checking out.

James Willcox

Fabulous park! So much to discover. Two and one half miles of board walk through lowland forest. Outstanding birding. Uncrowded. Peaceful. A national treasure.

bruce cowan

It’s not much of a National Park, but there is beauty and adventure here. They have a Junior Ranger program for the kids and the hike on the boardwalk is easy enough for a two year old. There is plenty to see and do. Bring something to protect yourself from the mosquitos. It’s definitely the most encountered wildlife here. As said in all the posts previously there is a tracker.

Gary Oke

I know this park pops up on a lot of "worst of" lists, but that's unfair in my opinion. Yes, Congaree lacks the expansive vistas of other national parks, and, yes, the mosquitos warrant their own meter and are legendary in the warmer months. However, if you like old-growth 150' tall trees, spring birding, or fall color this park is amazing, perhaps even spiritual (for me anyway). As of early spring 2022, the excellent exhibit sections of the Harry Hampton Visitor Center are still closed. The store and restrooms are open and the friendly rangers are available to send you on a good hike (or paddle). The 2.6 mile boardwalk from the visitor center is one of my favorites in any national park. It does sit on a flood plain, so check the website for trail conditions before you visit. For the right person this park is a 5. For the wrong person, it can be 1. So, do your research before you go to decide if it's right for you, and ignore the subjective reviews of fools like me. Old-growth is kind of my thing, but it might not be to everyone's tastes.

Naomi Tingler

Beautiful National Park in South Carolina close to Georgia. I did the boardwalk look that is 2.5 miles. It’s it has multiple benches to sit and rest on and there is a pier to look at Weston Lake. The visitor center has restrooms and souvenirs.

Kyle Kempf

The boardwalk hikes here allow a great tour of the swamp. At night they offer firefly tours through the woods which I wasn't able to do myself but sounds awesome. I got to see salamanders and lots of bald cypress'.

Candace Chamberlain

Great! The 2.6 mile boardwalk walking trail was great for my little one in a stroller. We saw a variety of wildlife even from there. Cute gift shop as well. Very friendly staff.

Kristen Davis

We had quite the adventure here… lots of the trails were under water and we kind of underestimated/misunderstood just how much water would be on the boardwalk trail…. Ended up wading through about a mile and a half of knee high water. But it was still super fun. We had lots of laughs and it was a beautiful area!

Dawndra Cameron

This is a wonderful park! The boardwalk is perfect! Benches spaced for those that need them, wheelchair accessable, lots of flora and fauna to see. Loved watching the anoles and skinks. Event saw a fox squirrel.

Yesh

Was pleasantly surprised at how nice this national park was. We went here early November so it was quite chilly and there were no sign of any mosquitoes. The boardwalk was amazing - it's close to a 2 mile loop that takes us thru the park and has 20 places of interest that it covers. The visitor center is partially closed which meant we couldn't check out the exhibits. Scenery wise it's not the best but will still make for a nice trip. Caution : the park ( and boardwalk) gets flooded after rains so plan your trip accordingly.

Liberty Bell Moving & Storage LLC

🤩🇺🇸PERFECT 4 🫵🇺🇸🤩. A great example of South Carolina swamps and lowland rivers ☀️🌴☀️. Take the SIMS trail down into the woods, the. Do the Weston Loop Trail to see everything SC Swamp 🔥😎🔥. Weston Loop trail takes about 1.5 hrs and is well worth it. Lots of Cypress trees along with Ash, Sweetgum, Hickory and some of the BIGGEST pitch pine I’ve ever seen. Was a tad buggy, so wear a light hoodie….and you’ll love it 🫵😇🫵. If your moving to South Carolina, Call the best long distance movers in Maine today for a free move quote.

Russell Townshend

We visited and had limited time, so did the boardwalk trail. It was utterly freezing on the day we were there so there was ice on the swamp. Beautiful place and well worth your time. Recommended.

Mark McCarty

Congaree is a great NP to visit. We really enjoyed the self-guided 2.5 mile loop on the boardwalk. Very interesting tidbits of information on the brochure. We visited in mid-October so no bugs to speak of but it was rather dry. We would like to come back to explore further. Definitely recommend stopping by if you haven't had the opportunity to visit.

Debra B.

If you have time and close by don't miss this stop! The board walk is fun and enjoyable. Wonderful views. We didn't see much for wildlife. But good for a nature walk.

Donna Oliver

Nice brisk walk through the boardwalk loop. Take a pamphlet and read the descriptions for each number on the boardwalk. We saw a couple pileated woodpeckers. Neat!

Kelsey Schultz

We LOVED Congaree NP! My husband and I drove from the St. Louis area to Myrtle Beach for vacation and spent the night in Columbia so we could take our time exploring the park the next day. I listened to a podcast on Spotify about Congaree and the hosts said that Congaree is the most underwhelming of the national parks and that they were even surprised that it is a national park and not a state park. I do understand their point in that it is underwhelming compared to Zion or the Grand Canyon, but we still thought it was awesome and unique. It's a smaller park, which just means you get to see all of what it has to offer when you visit. Another complaint I heard about the park on that podcast was the giant spiders everywhere. While there were looots of bugs in the park, the raised boardwalk kept almost all of the bugs away from visitors. As for wildlife, we spotted two needle-nosed gar fish, beautiful birds, a squirrel, a dragonfly that landed on us, and heard about an alligator close to where we hiked. The water was beautiful with many different colors. I will definitely go back when in the region.

Melanie

It’s great to have a national park so close by, when you go here you really feel like you’re in nature especially if you take the less traveled paths. We’ve gone a couple of times during the fall, I was told not to go in the summer so I haven’t tried lol

Shawn Brown

What a "hidden" gem. I love how this National Park feels. It has the appeal of a small neighborhood park with the friendly staff, but all weight of the NPS behind it. Wonderful trails. Plenty of space and parking at the visitor center. Some of the best kayaking I have ever come across. The boardwalk trail offer access for nearly all. More parks should have something like this for the mobility challenged.Best part is the lack of a crowd. You see how packed the Smoky Mountains are or any of the parks out west. Hour long lines just to enter. Here, you can walk a 2.4 mile loop without seeing more than dozen other people. This is one of my favorite parks now. Great job CNP!

Ben Williams

Truly a unique place. The boardwalk is excellent, the other trails further in even better. Very friendly rangers at the visitor center. Highly recommend checking this gem out. Free to enter and park, camping has a small fee.

Rich H

Well-marked trails. Insects were tolerable for a swampy area. Boardwalk is a bit slick, as are trails due to damp exposed roots. Didn't see anyone else on our 7-mile loop, just a very big otter and a feral pig. Plenty of big, harmless golden silk orb-weaver spiders.

Justin Vavrick

Walking the boardwalk is an easy and excellent activity. Just be warned, in June if you venture off the boardwalk onto the trails and you might get hammered by flies.

Heather Brushwood

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!

Rachel white

Make sure to do the self guided tour on the boardwalk. We came here on a freezing day, and the icy, swampy spectacle didn’t disappoint. The lowest section, closest to the Congaree River, was flooded, as is common a few times a year.

Phil Brown

Stopped on the way from Columbia to Hilton Head for the sole purpose of walking the boardwalk. Couldn’t be happier with the walk. Great for all ages young and old. We saw some wildlife including an alligator, turtles, birds,squirrels and plenty of bugs! I would like to stop again on the future to check out another trail.

RAJAT JAIS

To be honest, I don’t find anything interesting in this National park. I am a big fan of National parks but this one has disappointed me. We walked on a 2 mile boardwalk just watching the big trees. Congaree river is good for kayaking but you need to get your own Kayak. I found only few staffs in this park but they are very kind, helpful and knowledgeable. Visitor Center is the place you can start from. Parking is enough and I don’t see anyone asking for park entry fee here. Most importantly, you will get annoyed by hundreds of mosquitoes all over the park, so better to carry bug spray with you or can buy at the visitor Center.

Steve Alcemi

Visited with my wife and two kids. Did some filming of the whole park loops and photos also. It’s a great park to enjoy peace and quiet 🤫. We seen some birds, turtles🐢 , an alligator 🐊, multiple long nose Gar fish, a pack of 4 deer 🦌 all in their natural habitat. The spiders 🕷 are enormous. So watch out. Mosquitos 🦟 weren’t so bad as it was a little chilly, but we enjoyed our 2+ mile hike in the raised loop trail. We will be coming back for sure to hopefully see the whole boar 🐗 and the firefly’s that sync in may-June!

Eli Kluiszo

Pleasantly surprised by how cool this place was. Boardwalk was the perfect length and was not crowded at all. Went when it was a little rainy and it was quite beautiful.

Natha B

It was on my to do list for awhile. Eventually, I am here. Park is huge. But aacess is only from Sounth Cedar creek to visitors center and around there, including 2,4 mikes boardwalk. However, it has 3 creek access points and one can kayaking 21 mikes of the creek and stop exploring trails.

P CHANG

Great place to visit with family and walk through the hiking trail! Just keep it in mind that there could be mosquitoes during hot summer..

Tyler Ryan

Might not be the best national park but even if you just take the boardwalk trail it's a nice easy trip.

Nicole LeVan

Absolutely beautiful area. Tons of wild life to be found. Just watch your step on the paths that aren't board walks because of roots 😉 take plenty of water and snacks when doing the whole thing! …

Liz

Lovely park! Plenty of parking, running water, and bathrooms. Lots of trails to explore. I was pressed for time so I only had the chance to do the boardwalk. The boardwalk is very nicely maintained and has benches if you get tired. Park staff are very helpful and pleasant and it's a lovely park overall! Don't forget to get your stamp from the office!

Carlos Maga

Without doubt the Best trails Ever !, It's a Place that You not see it anywhere else But here, in this undescribable and Peaceful beautiful & Well kept and Preserved.Amazin type native Tree's !, If You're around here, don't miss the Opportunity to see This place, Congaree National Park ! & , the rangers are Awesome and knowledgeable.

Sharon Corish

Absolutely beautiful national park! I came here while driving from South Carolina to Georgia, and I am so glad I made the trip! The park has a wonderful and well-maintained self-guided boardwalk that takes you through the park and teaches you about different wildlife and historical features of the park. I learned so much and felt so close to nature! Also, the staff were all very friendly and knowledgable!

Mrs. C.

The woman who was working was super sweet and very informative. Love the boardwalk style path option. We didn't take it tho!!

Stephen Cook

Nice park! Easy boardwalk hike or some nice regular paths to explore. Bring bug spray!!!

Zak Evans

A nice casual morning stroll on the boardwalk is worthwhile. The mosquitoes can get bad, wasn't too bad for us. I know can realize that it is not just green, there are unique parts to this green space. The knees of the trees were my favorite

N M

🦝🐿🦎🍂🍁 🦝🐿🦎🍂🍁 🦝🐿🦎🍂 It was a beautiful day for a walk along the boardwalk. When we went parts of the boardwalk was underwater so be prepared you might get wet if it’s flooded in certain areas, however it was well worth the walk Saw a few raccoons in the trees 🌲 🦝🐿🦎🍂🍁 🦝🐿🦎🍂🍁 🦝🐿🦎🍂

Jeff Tinker

Great place to visit and see the lowlands of SC. Trails are marked very well and there’s some cool sights to see.

Dayton Carter

Beautiful nature experience, the park isn't a Yellowstone or Denali, but there is a ecological significance to the park and an opportunity to get into nature. Park admission is free, and camping is also inexpensive which balances out the lack of grandeur.

Sinead Capoeman

As we haven't been out in awhile, we stuck to the boardwalks. But it was no less amazing. There are also benches along the route. There are many hiking trails, campgrounds and picnic areas. We availed ourselves of a table and I felt so relaxed, watching the countryside as I nibbled my sandwich. It was cool today. No bugs bothered us. Highly recommend a visit!

Mike Farris

This is a beautiful National park. It has a well maintained boardwalk going through the swampy Forrest with a lot of wildlife.

Ron Hoffman

We live in SC so Congaree is sort of "In our back yard". The park is what we expected. The walking trail "Boardwalk" is very nice. It could be better if there were guided tours or even a tape or CD tour available. We did see some wildlife. My wife wanted to see the woodpeckers which we did just prior to ending out your. Bring plenty of good bug spray. Depending on how long your tour takes you might need to reapply. We didn't tour the river. Again. It would be much easier if rentals were available on site. Lots of things to learn about the ecosystem. I'm sure this place is a biologists dream.

JEFF HODGES

Visited July 12th 2021. A beautiful and unique place. I would like to come back in the fall (so there was more light and less leaves blocking my view) and spring to see how the park changes. I walked the whole Boardwalk (Take a copy of the "Self-Guided Boardwalk Tour" brochure as it provides interesting information on the 20 different numbered locations along the boardwalk) in addition to a portion of Sims Trail to Wise Lake. I also drove to the Cedar Creek Canoe Access and hiked the Kingsnake Trail. I went early in the morning arriving around 7:30 and walked very quietly and saw deer, snakes, turkey and many birds. The sound of the forest is loud between the bugs, frogs, owls and Woodpeckers. While I heard Woodpeckers and Owls I did not see either of them. Take bug stray!!!!!! There is a mosquito meter at the visitor center which is an indication of how bag the bugs can get.

Ed Al

Highly recommend visiting!!! All the staff was super. Great place for kids, let's teach the love for nature. Great trails...

Nate

Lizards galore! We did the elevated board walk trail and found the 2.3 mile walk with kids to be very enjoyable.

Phil Ventura

Beautiful park that boasts an embarrassment of old growth trees. A true, largely hidden, gem of a national park. Took a star as a result of the limited parking.

Sally Kasper (Sally)

Wonderful experience walking through this old forest! 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 except it rained so hard and we got soaking wet so guys be prepared to carry an umbrella with you. Parking is convenient to the Visitor Center. Even though it might be hot, and humid.

Christian Gibson

Love this park! A lot was closed when we went due to flooding which can be EXPECTED when dealing with a floodplain. It was beautiful nonetheless and we will most certainly be back as soon as we can. 10/10 would recommend!

Nicole Esquino

Such a serene and beautiful park! We loved walking along the boardwalk. Our pups also got to join us which is so special because most National Park don’t allow dogs. Our 5 year old enjoyed exploring the visitor center especially the children’s section with the fun animal puppets. She also got to do the Junior Ranger program - make sure to ask for your free Junior Ranger workbook at the visitor center desk. So fun! A special thank you to the park volunteer that helped us just outside of the door to the visitor center. He was incredibly helpful and kind. Thank you! Highly recommend visiting here.

Val Apthorp Ponce de Leon

As soon as we arrived to the visitors center, one of the guides offered to help us pick the best trail for our time limits, the day’s temperatures, and best sites to see. He was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed chatting with him. The boardwalk is very well done, DEFINITELY get the guide that has 20 stopping points and explains more about the history of the area. We didn’t see much wildlife but loved the cypress trees. The walk is short, about an hour, but we enjoyed it. I don’t know if I would spend a whole day here but passing through on the way from Charleston to Charlotte, it was a good rest break of about 90 minutes.

Ryan Hyde

Amazing Nature, Rich Vivid History, Majestic Sentinel Trees! If you have the time add the Weston Lake Loop Trail to your hike, it's right off the Board Walk Trail and offers way more in terms of huge trees and abundant wildlife.

Steve S

This is a great place for all ages to experience nature. They have trails ranging from a two mile, flat, elevated forest loop that is nice easy walk with several rest points. They also have maintained trails that are more rugged and extend for 8 miles through the forest. BEWARE, this is a natural reserve so the rules are pretty much take only pictures and leave only footprints. You may not mess with any wildlife or pick, pick up, or remove any natural items from where they lay. You can get permission and permits to take things if you are conducting research but check with the forest rangers and information building before conducting these activities. If you are caught, at a minimum you will be ejected from the park and may face criminal/civil penalties if what you take happens to be endangered. There are great mental and health benefits if you spend just 2 hours in nature a week. Everthing from immunity boosting to a greater sense of well being. So get out, get happy and healthy!

ProfessorDrex

Made a day trip to the park and was blown away by its beauty. I spent hours there, but there’s so much more to explore. If you ever have the opportunity I suggest you visit the park.

Josh Wells

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.

Ferdilyn Leary

We love visiting national parks. This is probably like the less visited one. Not much people but we enjoyed the visit. It was peaceful and we an owl.

Hailey

Nothing too special about this park. The trails are nice and the trees are cool to see. But offers no elevation.

Mark Kinne

Lovely dense woods and wetlands perfect for getting out into nature. Didn't go very far on the boardwalk on account of the heat but would love to go back on a cooler day.

David Sigler

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.

Justin Christensen

Gorgeous park! We only had time to walk the boardwalk but would love to go back and explore more of the trails. Boardwalk was well maintained and the numbered stops were very informative. Highly recommend if you're in the area.

Margie Fannon

My husband and I visited Congaree in late October on a weekday; we completed 3 hikes, the Boardwalk, the Weston Lake, and a partial hike to see the tree named for General Nathaniel Greene, off the Bates Ferry Trail; and enjoyed each of them. The park was not that busy and we had a great introduction to the locations of the Champion trees, and special points of interest by the Park Ranger that day, Kenny Boggs. He had excellent knowledge of the park and a sincere enthusiasm for it. He told us about a National Champion Loblolly Pine that was a short bushwhack off the Weston Lake trail. We had a picnic lunch on the grounds of the Visitor's Center. It was a great day.

Adventure Krewe

Some might say this shouldn't even be a national park but like most national parks to really enjoy it you have to get deep inside the park. Start with a stop at the visitor center to talk with a ranger& pick up a trail guide. You can also pull up the nps app and down load the guided tour. To comfort about all the park has to offer. Each season offers a different view of the park as weather can really change this park. We recommend starting off with the board walk and forest trail figure 8 loop. This walk/hike gives you a great overview of the different parks of the park. From there you can dive into any of all of them. You can also get your t shirt, hike pole medallion, passport stamps and all you nps great, books, etc. And if your luck you can win the lottery for the fire fly event with synchronized for flys at night. A must see bucket list item. We do recommend some bug spray or deet if flying bugs freak you out. Otherwise this park will not be crowded and you will be able to relax and enjoy mother nature beauty. Give this review a like and follow @adventurekrewe for more nps, experience, food and travel reviews and videos.

Shantell Hughes

We took the self-guided tour along the boardwalk. It was very peaceful, and for much of the walk we were all alone. There were 20 markers along the walk. The pamphlet we picked up had historical information, or tree, plant and animal information that went along with markers. We left there having learned a lot about the park.

Brooke Tucker

My husband and I spent a day here as we were passing through, and it was lovely! The boardwalk through the swap was a great way to quickly take in the park. The trails were all well maintained, and the ranger we talked to in the visitor center (Ray) was very helpful and friendly, we enjoyed chatting with him. Will definitely be back to this park!

Keith Paré

Very well maintained Park. The trails and boardwalk provide a safe and effective way to tour the swamp. Highly recommend getting off the boardwalk on the trails. We were able to see an owl, feral pigs, dear and otters. They were otterly-amazing.

Kate Chiafolo

I took my kids here today and we all loved the boardwalk. I have been to many national parks and , while this lacks in the vistas compared to Glacier or Grand Teton I so appreciate the accessibility of this one. If you have a child in a stroller, family member in wheelchair or someone who uses the walker this is such a great place. The 2.5 mile boardwalk puts you in nature with a flat safe surface and offers frequent benches to sit on. We will definitely be back

Candace Bradam

If you read no further, bring and use bug spray!!! The mosquitoes are aggressive! This park is very dog friendly and the park rangers were kind and helpful. The boardwalk is nicely constructed and a easy walk for anyone but is narrow for two way traffic (especially with dogs). There is a guided map at the visitor center for numbered stops along the board walk but we didn’t realize it until we started on the walk. If you have kids or just like learning new things pick one up to enhance the experience! We went on Memorial Day and the parking lot at the visitor center was over filled but the park did not feel over crowded.

Tracy Kratzer

Absolutely loved the boardwalk trail...lots to see, hear & learn....enjoyed seeing all the forest critters & also the gator on the lake...the mosquito meter was cool too

Janna Mike

I love Congaree National Park! This day the path was flooded, but it was still a beautiful, quiet day. I highly recommend Congaree for a day trip with nice walking trails.

Paul Riddle

What a fantastic place to go and take a nature walk with the family! The boardwalk was well maintained, the rangers were friendly and helpful. We really had a very nice time. I'd recommend it for anyone who wants to take a safe walk through nature and maybe even learn something along the way!

Melissa B.

Visited midday and was greeted by a NPS ranger that gave us some wonderful tips and tidbits about the park, its fauna and flora. We did the boardwalk trail and it was clean and self-guided. The mosquitoes and gnats were at a minimum, thankfully. The gift shop was nice, restrooms were clean, but I do wish that there had been displays available to learn more about the history of the park.

Susan

It was crazy busy but fun. I believe they had something going on. So many wonderful dogs and people, however, there are always a couple dogs that the owners bring but no one knows why. Two little dogs aggressively barking, different owners which definitely made many of us cringe. Kind of ruined that peaceful out in nature experience. If they can't get along or are aggressive please leave them home.

T Sujaya

Very nice trail..the boardwalk trail....yet to cover other trails..very beautiful park with beautiful scenery...

Kendra Dorsey

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.

A.C. Antonelli

Congaree National Park is easily one of the wildest national parks I've been to. What I mean is, the plants, the animals, the terrain itself, feel so alive that if you stop moving they might just grow right over you. That said, the elevated boardwalk trail is very well maintained and offers an amazing glimpse at the unique landscape. Along the way keep your eyes out for the numerous species of wildlife, including snakes, turtles, some big ol' spiders (oh boy), even alligators. There are two campgrounds here, which are very well maintained, extremely spacious, and come with a picnic table and firepit.

Max Sanches

The park was beautiful and the park rangers are awesome, I can't wait to go back!

Austin Sims

Beautiful and unique. And free! Although somewhat small compared to other National Parks, you obviously can't beat the price since there isn't one, and you will not be disappointed even though you might run out of things to see on foot kind of quickly. Especially if it's flooded. The trick is to bring a paddle craft since most of this park is only accessible by water.

Robert Ferguson

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.

CJ Bare

Amazing experience at Congaree! We saw about 50 massive spiders all around the boardwalk area and enjoyed a mosquito -free walk in a light rain shower.

Emina Roses

Visiting from Florida and we loved the ~2.5 mile boardwalk trail. The boardwalk trail connects to other trails if you want a longer trail. We loved the boardwalk trail (requires just sneakers, no need for hiking shoes or walking stick). We went in July and it was just hot! We didn't encounter any bugs or animals

Rich Post

Had a great time there, the trails and wild life are fun.

Brennan Russo

What an interesting National Park. We stopped heading past toward the beach. Was a great stop and stretch of the legs. The loop is 2 miles on extremely nice boardwalk. Capable of anyone and any age who can walk a flat boardwalk. Great views of swampy lands and massive trees

DakeaJ Boutte

Absolutely gorgeous, felt like walking through a scene of Jurassic Park in some areas there !

Arsha Shaji

One of the best national parks I’ve been to be with nature, enjoy the quiet without a crowd.

Jo Matthews

Some people say it's one of the worst National Park but I really enjoyed it. Not any mosquitos when we went but it had a self-guided boardwalk walking tour that was really beautiful. Got to see some of the big champion trees. The Loblolly trees were incredible. Not a huge park but definitely worth the visit, and dog friendly.

Cassandra Gaskins

My daughter and I had a wonderful walk through the national forest. No bugs, perfect weather, great views && wonderful memories. Would love to see the synchronized fireflies here. Wonderful accommodating staff. We found most of the things on the junior park assistant sheet but didn't make it back in time to turn it in. A little bit of the walkways were under water but didn't teeter us from taking another route.

SCH Travel

Gorgeous park, beautiful trees and very clean! We brought a stroller and did the 2 miles boardwalk around the park first and it was so pretty. They had plenty of dirt trails off the board walk but we stayed to the boardwalk the first round. It was very nice and very easy to walk it. They have PLENTY of benches along the path. You can bring your dogs as well! Which was nice because most national parks do not allow you to bring your dogs on trials. It was easy to keep up to social distancing standard as well. All in all it was such a great day.

SK Kirkland

Really glad I stopped here. Go early if you dare go in the summer because the bugs are thick but it’s so peaceful and lovely. We saw beautiful trees, an owl and even though I missed the fireflies it sounds lovely.

Daisy flower

Seen the sweetest Owls !! They just look at you then fall right back asleep . Beautiful park small but beautiful. Watch out for the intense bugs tho . Snakes galore too

Lennie t

What an amazing treasure of green! Big bald cypress trees shoot from swamp lands. Dwarf palmettos let you know you are still in low country. But standing next to a loblolly will make you feel like a miniature fairy in the forest! There are paths (bridges and trails) to enjoy the beautiful park. The smell of the forest is sweet! We saw lots of wildlife and heard amazing sounds; birds, squirrels, turtles flopping into the water. We did the sims trail around weston lake. If you have a day, I would highly recommend visiting this park!

Mark Eisner

We didn't stay all that long, but we walked the boardwalk through the forest and wetlands, and it was well worth the time and effort. To their credit, it is wheelchair accessible which is uncommon for venues like this. I wish we'd had more time to do some trails as well.

Ruth Smith

Very interesting features. Not too crowded. Easy diversion when traveling between Charleston and Charlotte.

Ping Zhou

Obviously not as extravagant as some of America's other National Parks. Not much to do outside of the boardwalk, but still a pleasant walk nonetheless and an important ecosystem to preserve.

Jan Goswick

This is by far one of my most favorite place to hike. The Cyprus trees are a must see. You will not know you are entering into the Cyprus Forrest until you actually start walking down the boardwalk from the main entrance. Your drive back and even the view at the visitors center, just appears to be a normal Forrest. Once you start your walk on the boardwalk, it feels as if you are entering a Forrest in a fairy tail movie. There are hikes for all skill levels and everyone....including the elderly and children. There is a boardwalk that takes you through the woods and loops back around, which I believe is about two miles. But for those that can’t do that distance, you can just walk a little waYs down the boardwalk, and when you are done turn back around and head back to the visitors center. For those wishing to venture on longer hikes, and migrate off the boardwalk, there are a range of very well marked trails from 4, 5, 7, and 12 miles long. They provide free maps at the visitors center (FYI parking is free too), and there is someone working there everyday of the week from 9am on. They are always happy to help provide you info and a recommendation on what would be the best hike tailored to you and your skills. I prefer to hike from fall to early spring, and I mix my hikes up between the 4 mile and 12 mile range...depending on how much time I have. I avoid summer, just due to the heat and amount of bugs, but if you bring bug spray and are prepared to possibly encounter snakes in the wooded trails, you will do fine All the trails that take you off the boardwalk have incredible views of the river, larger areas of the swamp and most have bridges to walk over areas where water crosses the trail. Make sure you look at the board posted at the visitors center or their website, to see if any of the trails are closed due to water or other issues. I am a 45 year old woman and I feel safe walking any of the trails alone. I do come prepared with water and a walking stick to clear spider webs across the trails that I may encounter. However all the trails are primarily flat and groomed down for easy walking. There are plenty of roots though, that you will need to keep your eyes on to make sure you don’t trip. I have had instances of coming across trees that have called across the trail, that I need to climb over. Most of these are just the size you would step over. The park is good about getting those cleared though regularly. But do remember to look for snakes before stepping over a log you may not be able to see the other side of, before you step. This is a beautiful place to visit and they have a great website with lots of info. Make sure you check out the lightning bug phenomenon that occurs in late may here. There is info on the website and this is one in only six places in the world that something like that occurs. Safe travels and enjoy your visit. It is a great family trip to do, and bring your camera for lots of great pictures

Jason Fair (Nomadic Nerd Project)

Beautiful park with far less travelers than it should have. It's a unique ecosystem of hardwoods and thick mud that filters the Congaree River. The boardwalk around the area is a great way to experience the biodiversity of the area. Some of the trees, like the loblolly pine are 150 feet high and others are a thousand years old. Visit Congaree. It's worth it.

Elijah Perez

I love the amazing sceneries to be seen in this park. The views were breathtaking and will really bring you closer to the nature. My family had fun, too! I'm looking forward to going back here again soon!

Keni How

It's a beautiful and peaceful place. The trails and parts of the boardwalk was flooded due to the time of year, but still a great experience. Did I mention it's free. POC

Henry Karasch

This park is free! With free parking but not over night for any rvs or van lifers. They only have and let parking for the tent camping. The board walk is really nice and the have other trails but very mudd as it is in a swamp. Lots of mosquitoes off the boardwalk area as well!

Matthew Zimmerman

in one full day: red shouldered hawk, two river otters, barred owl, a few deer, red headed and pilated woodpeckers, and some wicked looking spiders. we may be slightly better than average creature spotters, but still, it was a better than average day spotting wildlife. wished we had more time to spend but this park is under rated. No one but us in Bluff Campgeound for 2 week nights in Oct.

John Hardman

Outstanding. I visited here first for the solar eclipse a few years back, and that occurred in August. I was layered in enough insecticide to make sure the mosquitos stayed away that day and vowed to come back in late fall to enjoy the trees. I'm glad I did, and I really enjoyed the boardwalk. I'll be back to do some more serious hiking and get down to the river.

Kyle Hartmann

Congaree is one of the more unknown parks outside of the East Coast due to its small size, seemingly unattractive nature in a swamp, and for its age, not even twenty years old as a national park. The park however is steeped in history, from the centuries-old trees to the people that used to inhabit such as the Catawaba, “The Swamp Fox,” and escaped slaves, as this the largest untouched tract of bottomland forest left in the country. I’ve never seen such massively large loblolly pines and bald cypress as in here, as well as an abundance of wildlife even in March when I visited. The park is largely hiking-oriented with trails going about that become flooded when the river spills over its banks as it does fairly frequently (about 11 times annually). There is no entry fee making it a nice escape from the bustle of Columbia or a place to take your girlfriend or your mates if you’re a student at University of South Carolina nearby. The entry points for float trips are on the western and eastern edges of the park, though please do be careful as rain increases the current greatly and inexperienced floaters and kayakers may have a rough time. Other than that, the visitors centre is off the main park road and has restrooms with a tap, gift shop, and is currently only half the museum/education part I suppose due to the SARS-CoV-2, but I didn’t see why that mattered since their current setup only made everyone closer to one another. Would highly recommend a visit if in the area or in general; you will be pleasantly surprised. Cheers.

Vidhya Vijayakumar

Beautiful park with shaded boardwalk trail , you can finish this in half day , huge trees board walk trail was a easy trail good for kids and older people. We saw toads, snakes and lot of caterpillars.

Charlotte Wilson

I had a great time with my family here. It was wonderful and a must-have experience! We'll be back here soon! I'd advise taking part in some of their outdoor activities. Get ready for the greatest experience possible.

Omez Mesina

Alone was I surrounded by hundreds of beech, The cacophone of my metronome as I traversed the forest, I stood still and closed my eyes, To hear the sounds that the Congaree had heard hundreds of years ago

Jessica Daszkiewicz

This National Park is a hidden gym! We did the boardwalk hike and it was wonderful. Part of the boardwalk was flooded at our time of visit, but we still saw most of the loop. My daughters really enjoyed the Junior Ranger program, and we learned a lot about the history of the park through the self guided tour. We saw lots of wildlife!

Jonathan Cress

This is a beautiful national park with very nice walking trails and woods to be seen. The wildlife was abundant. The visitor center was beautiful and clean!! Brand new boardwalk was amazing to walk on and see all the various woods below. Definitely worth a visit for nature loving explorers!

Erinn Drake

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.

Nicholas Bigner

Honestly, I went to this park to cross it off my bucket list, but I was surprised how nice it was. The board walk was such a nice feature that allowed us to experience the park without dredging through mud. Definitely will return! Also as a heads up, the bookstore is closed Monday- Wednesday.

Harry Miley

A very quiet time, inches from nature, but not disturbing it. A few folks, all smiling and sharing 'good day', and one gator!

Jennifer Kisner

The park never disappoints. The park ranches are helpful and there is always something new to see. It has become a family favorite three of the last Black Friday's after Thanksgiving.

Benjamin Brown

A nice small national park that I had no idea existed until I started looking around the local area for activities. It has a nice little visitors center with displays and a video about the history of the park and the area. There's a nice boardwalk loop out to a lake and back that's handicapped accessible, and lots more trails in the backwoods as well. I hiked the Oak Ridge Trail, and I was glad of good boots and pants, because there was lots of mud, some prickly plants, and sometimes trees had fallen on the path after the recent hurricanes so those have to be navigated. I saw a bunch of wild pigs that were scared of me, a couple great blue herons, and some whitetail. Overall quite enjoyable.

Darla Wells

2nd visit to this park. It is beautiful. The boardwalk is really nice. We took the longer hike on Weston Lake trail and enjoyed it. We saw lots of birds and lizards and 2 snakes.

Aaron O

Congaree National Park is a great experience and an awesome national park if you are willing to get your boots muddy in the swamp. If you stick to just the boardwalk you will probably be disappointed though. The cedar creek kayaking trail is a must.

Bon Manhkong

Bald Cypress Trees, wetlands and scenic boardwalk were the highlights. I tried to hike to the Congaree River, but it was so humid and the mosquitoes were terrible. Every time I stopped to take a photo, I got bit. But I like that there were no people ... One of the least visited parks. Tallest trees east of the Mississippi River.

Mark Stevens

I can’t say enough good things about this seemingly hidden national park in the south eastern part of the United States! I’d read about it for a few years and finally decided to just head out and explore it. It’s easy to find using whatever map software you use. Parking is convenient right outside the visitor center. You can ask any volunteer or a park ranger about trails to walk and explore. The boardwalk is the most convenient and one can easily access other trails from that. I walked part of the Weston Lake Loop, Trail from the Boardwalk. As the floodplains can easily get covered with quite a bit of water, I’d highly recommend wearing some type of hiking sandals or footwear that you don’t mind getting wet. The trees…they are amazing to take in! If you go in the mornings, you’ll often hear the birds singing away, keeping one company to take in the sights :-)

Daniel & Donna Glembot

This is a gem of a National Park, and the park is well maintained by the Rangers. It has its own beauty, and is well worth visiting. You can hear and see barred owls, river otters and so much more. It has wonderful trails that are incredibly well marked.

Nancy Huffman

Disappointed, as the three main trails were closed. Great place for plant and bird enthusiasts. Glad we were able to see it, but we are more of tne Zion or Yellowstone type.

Steve Bounds

Volunteer Ranger was amazingly helpful and interactive. Congaree is definitely worth a visit, but the scenery doesn't match up to most other National Parks. Huge Loblolly Pines and Cyprus abound and the Cyprus knees are the largest we'd ever seen. We saw a swamp fox squirrel and a range of birds, including a pair of red pilliated woodpeckers.

Ken and Alicia Lund

There are great boardwalk trails in this great slice of forest. For a desert-dweller like myself, the intensity of the greenery in this park is impressive and lots of amphibians, reptiles, and birds could be seen. Highly recommend mosquito repellent, but beyond that, this park is fantastic!

Carmen Viera

Beautiful place and the staff are friendly. Highly recommended

Curtis Peek

This National Park is just side of the capital city and is worth the visit. The park has some of the largest trees in SC growing its boundaries. The wildlife is truly amazing. From the birds to the reptiles you might get lucky enough to spot them in the wild. On this trip we were lucky enough to watch owls feeding in the wild and snakes swimming in a little bog area. Them most amazing thing were the Synchronized Fire Flys. Truly a wonder to witness this sight.

Amanda Griffin

Great for family walks and picnics. Great for little ones. Just pack a snack and being your camera. There is sometimes flooding so tennis shoes or boots are advised! Go into the visitor center and also do some Geocaching! (Download the app)

Kimberly Mauro

I went exploring here while visiting a friend in the area. I was astounded by the beauty of this park. It was great to walk around the "boardwalk" and see nature. It was extremely peaceful and quiet. I went just an hour before sun down and snapped some really beautiful shots. After dark, the lights on the path from the main building out to the cars lit the way and were really pretty. I was lucky enough to snap a wild boar and get him on video as well. I will be back when in the area again.

Patricia

This place is gorgeous. All trails are well marked. There are walking tours available to take outside of the visitors center. There are also maps of the national forest. The park rangers are very knowledgeable and quite helpful. Dogs are welcome, if they are on a leash. This place is also great for kids, and you can push strollers with ease on the boardwalk. They have picnic areas for eating, places for fishing, among other things to do. This is a great place to experience nature. Bugs, especially mosquitoes, can be bad during certain times of the year. Be sure to bring bug spray.

Jacqueline Telljohann

We were looking for a place to camp near Charlotte and ended up coming here for the weekend. It's conveniently located about an hour and a half from Charlotte which is pretty convenient (it's also right outside of Columbia). We camped at a group campsite at the Longleaf Campground. The campsites were huge and each had a fire pit. There were vault toilets at the front of the campground. The parking lot was right by the campground. The sites were close together and unfortunately we had loud neighbors, but I can't blame the campground for that. The weather was ok, but not great. It sprinkled on and off a couple of times on Saturday and was a little chilly, but we made the most of it. We're used to hiking in the blue ridge mountains, so this was something different. We did the Winston Lake Loop Trail which was around 5 miles. We really enjoyed it. It was quite scenic to see all of the trees in the marsh/swamp. The trail did get quite muddy at different parts, so definitely be prepared with waterproof boots if it has rained at all recently. In the afternoon we went kayaking which was my favorite part of the park. They do free canoe tours some days, but other than that you need to bring your own kayaks or rent from somewhere in Columbia. We started at the South Cedar Creek Canoe access. The parking is close to where you put your boats in so that's nice. The river moves fairly fast, so starting upstream is probably a better idea. We paddled for a while in both directions. It was incredibly scenic along the river and cool to be that close to the trees in the water. I'm really glad we checked this place out. It's a great place to spend a day or a weekend!

Chas Kuhn

This park was worth the drive for the special trees that live here. The mosquitos are a pest but these are the largest pine trees I have ever seen. Also the tree knees are cool and unusual.

shelly winfrey

It's probably one of my least favorite national parks, but don't let that stop you from going. Very humid and they have a mosquito meter hung so be sure and bring bug spray. It was pretty neat to see where the water had come up to on the trees.

Kalebh Schroder

Very cool with a nice history. It's very small though. No extra trails per sights to see. Just a boardwalk for 3-ish miles

Molly Parham

Amazing park and great experience! This is one of my favorite parks now! I cant wait to go again! Definitely will wait until it rains again! Amazing surprise and lots of fun!!!!

Jeff Kirkpatrick

A great hidden gem on the outskirts of Colombia. Great place to spend some time outdoors. Hikers or any age (dogs too) will enjoy the boardwalk hike.

Alex Demas

Beautiful park and quite accessible! It's got a 2+ mile boardwalk through most of the types of landscape you'll see at the park. It can be a little uneven, so if you're in a wheelchair, it can get a little difficult. Also, if it's cold, like it was the day I was there, be careful of ice on the boardwalk. The scenery is beautiful, though. The baldcypress is everywhere and there are hundreds of cypress knees. There's lots of wildlife, especially birds. I heard woodpeckers all over the place and even managed to see one. There are good hiking trails too, with varying levels of back-country to hike through. The one thing I'll note-if Google is still listing the address as Bluff Trail, that's wrong. Go to 100 National Park Rd-the other address isn't actually accessible by the public.

Marilyn Hemingway

A wonderful way to start the new year with a hike in Congaree National Park!

Adam Tuiletufuga

Went on a 3 mile hike here for the first time. The paths were well kept and the scenery natural and beautiful. Seems to be that there were plenty of paths to explore next time we visit. The visitor center was also very nice, old but with plenty of character and history, regarding the parks founding. Seems like it could be heavy with mosquitos during the heat of summer. Great place to hike overall and will be visiting again in the future.

Sara Beth Wade

Maybe not my favorite national park ever, but a really fun and different environment and an easy walk around the boardwalk. Came the day before thanksgiving and it was too crowded for my tastes! So many visitors don't wear masks and it's not like you can really avoid people on a boardwalk. At least it's out in the open. There isn't much in here that you can drive around, it's all walking/hiking.

Jacalyn Boggs

This national park is just outside of Columbia and a total surprise to me. I was headed to the LDS Temple when inspiration struck to look for a National Park and to my surprise, here one was! There is a little guided information area about water usage and this awesome boardwalk through the woods. Surprise! It’s like 3 miles from start to finish. Ooops. Wish I had worn the good shoes! Ha! It was beautiful and relaxing and if you love an easy (and Ada friendly “hike”) you could easily plan a 5k stroll at this park simply by Parking in the back of the visitor center lot and taking the boardwalk. Grab the guided trail hand out though to get the most out of it. If I ever end up in Columbia again, I’m 100% returning to do this walk... but I will wear good walking shoes next time!

Matt H

We stopped into congaree National Park in December and were very happy with our visit. The mosquito meter read “1” on that day and there were none in sight. Unfortunately, most of the trails were flooded, outside of the boardwalk, so were were limited on what we could. It was a very cool experience walking through the long tall trees though.

Chad Dube

Nice easy hiking and lots of birds. The board walk is nice

Alfredo Ramirez

The only national park on South Carolina and definitely worth a visit. The only remaining low lying hardwood forest of the east coast, it’s the last of its kind. The rangers are extremely knowledgeable and can give you a wealth of information to make your trip to the park all that much better. The only reason it gets 4 stars is because it has the Smokies so close to compete with. Nevertheless, it’s a beautiful park to visit. Beware that it is a swamp and it can get HOT and dangerously full of mosquitos. You will regret every decision of your life if you don’t arrive with some kind of repellant.

Nicole Calderone

Such an amazing park it's truly a one of a kind. some of the lower boardwalk is currently underwater which is actually being reconstructed but feel free to bring knee high boots or walk through bare foot(water was a bit too cold for me to do so in the beginning of January). however totally worth the drive to check out 500-700 year old cypress trees. we took our 2 dogs with us and really enjoyed the easy 2.3 mile stroll. they have plenty of benches along the way for those who may need to take a break and be sure to stop in the visitors center to grab an information packet that coordinates with numbers along your route so you know what you're looking at. if you're lucky enough you may even see a few otters depending on the time of day you go that was the only thing we missed due to our time constraint to get back on the road to NY. Most of my photos are from the lower boardwalk

Rob Carr

I think this is a wild boar refuge. But still, it was a great hammock camping experience. Use hammock with a mosquito cover. The river trail pretty much does not exist along most of the river section. It is greatly over grown. Great morning sounds just before sun up.

Steven Wise

Unique experience that must be visited. Bring bug spray.

Dallas Howard

This is a beautiful National Park! I would definitely recommend visiting here! There is a beautiful boardwalk and it is great to hear about all the history and how hard the people of South Carolina worked to protect this beautiful land. The visitors center is very informational and the staff are very helpful and kind!

L P

Incredible place..old-growth bottomland forest that would have stretched to the sea,,off season is quiet and affords many hours without seeing people,,hogs-gone-wild in the park without any non-human predators, has led to federal agents killing them..more panthers would be great,,It was an important place for enslaved people fleeing,,they formed Maroon communities, the history and people who still live around Columbia SC give the region a very distinct feel,,if you're into trees and history,,must go

Kevin Travers

What a hidden gem this park is! Just a short drive from Downtown Columbia, it offers miles of trail through the swamp lands of SC. There was plenty of parking and the trails were very well marked. The first portion of the trails is all boardwalk, which means this trail system is handicap accessible! The park has several trail options for explorers of all ages and skill range, including a paddling trail. There's campgrounds as well which appeared to be accessible just off the main road. We did not get to stop in the visitors center, but it was very large and looks worth the visit! This was my first time, and we went in December (no bugs), but this is a swamp land and I imagine mosquitos abound in the warm months. Never fear, you can consult their trust Mosquito-Meter! We will most certainly be back!

Sherrell Ott

A great place to do spend time outdoors. Lots of hiking places... A place to kayak or canoe (with your own boats). Over two miles of boardwalks thru the swamp!

Hyperion Warrick

Truly a wonderful place for a hike. There are many forms of wildlife to see here. From various plants, scurrying lizards, towering trees, hooting owls, and swarming mosquitoes; you will truly get an outdoor experience you soon won't forget. From the parking ar the visitors center you will see a brick path with solar lights leading up to the archway that acts as the entrance. On the left side, underneath this archway are the doors to the inside of the visitors center and further down will be the maps and self guided marker descriptions that helps you learn about the nature here. On the right side are the bathrooms as well as the mosquitoe meter. The mosquitoe meter I got a good kick out of. It is a wood sign that ranges from 1 to 6 where 6 is rated as war zone. My visit was on a day where it was at a 3 for moderate. On the boardwalk, I did not seem to be bothered by mosquitoes granted that I was sprayed down with some deep woods bug repellent. Only once I left the board walk did I have a issue with the mosquitoes. On the boardwalk ,which connects to most of the other paths, you will see the numbers for the self guided tour both cut into the rails and on wood planks as you walk. The first number will be on the right path of the boardwalk. As you walk along look out for the lizards that like to hang out on the rails. They will typically hide on the outside face of the guardrails once you get to close. Once you travel far enough you will reach a split which the left path continues on the boardwalk and the right will take you on the trails through the forest. These trails are muddy so wear boots if you have them. The trails have markers on them trails with a number that corresponds to the trail number as well as GPS coordinates. This is where you will run into mosquitoes the most. If you are not soaked with repellent from head to toe, you will have them biting you. Overall, this is a pleasant place to enjoy the outdoors. You can fish here if you want to, take a peaceful walk on the boardwalk, or even a hike through the old parts of the woods. This is a 5 star place for sure. Just be sure too bring bug repellent, plenty of water, and your boots if you are going off the boardwalk.

Jessica Chong

What a beautiful and different national park! We went in mid June and it was just over 30 degrees. There were barely any bugs but I would still bring bug spray. We did the Weston Lake trail. The bottom loop took us no more than 1 hour but attached to the boardwalk took us 2 hours. The trail itself was a bit muddy and had a few trees down on the trail. It is also narrow but a fairly flat trail. We will definitely be back when were in the area!

Natalie Frendberg

Expected it to be awesome and it was still mind-blowing how beautiful it was! So many HUGE old growth trees and lots of wildlife. Can't wait to plan another trip here and spend more time exploring.

Scott Mace

What an awesome place. Was a nice walk in the woods and a great place to visit. Wear your walking shoes as it is over 2 miles around, but well worth the time to take it all in. Grab the list that has the numbers on it that can tell you what each number represents. It really adds a nice aspect of it to the trip expressing what is near each number along the way.

Thomas Petersen

We made a family visit here in early July. humidity was super high but visiting early in the morning made the hike not bad at all. The staff is very friendly, the movie in The visitor center is really good. Definitely bring bug repellent and water. We would like to come back to see the lightning bugs.

Derek Konieczny

We stopped by on a trip to Florida and Congaree was definitely a trip highlight. The trees are amazing and this place is a true gen. Please take time to learn about the ecology of this unique place. I live in Canada and Congaree has many plant species that don't grow as far north as where we are. That made it all the more interesting for myself. Visit during the winter and you will get to see more of the forest and the true height of the trees as most of the leaves are off the trees improving sightlines.

Nate Makanoff

It's a National Park so it's obviously beautiful. Go during the dry season. The park is a swamp and floods regularly. As a result, mosquitos are bad, even in the off season. But the main boardwalk trail is good, though unchallenging. It was good for about half a day.

Karen Sparks

Beautiful park the board walk was nice you were in the forrest but were elevated off the ground easy walking plus there were benches along the way in which to rest.

JoAnn Gibson

What a treasure! Beautiful walking trails and hours of delightful kyaking through the swamp. We visit often

William Lieberman

We've been to 45 National Parks. Congaree is 46. In the middle of nowhere. Only one entrance and one road in. Takes you right to visitor center. Multiple hiking trails (ranging from 1/4 mile to 15 miles). We took the Weston Lake Loop trail (4.5 miles). Part boardwalk, part trail along the creek. Herons and woodpeckers (and theoretically otters) on the trail. Nice hike. However, most of the hikes are just slight variations on the same. So, this is really a one day NP. Definitely worth going.

Gillian Winzinger

This was not the most exciting national park, but I can also see why it's important to preserve it. We were here in October and couldn't hike much because of flooding on some of the trails. I know that during other times of year it's more interesting (like in firefly season), we just didn't hit it at the best time.

Michele Kane

Congaree National Park is one of those parks that everyone forgets about but is so beautiful. Since it is not one of the most well known of the US National Parks it is nice and quiet and not extremely over crowded like a lot of them can be. It is also a free National Park which is not very common. When my husband and I visited the park we walked the entire length of the boardwalk maybe running into three familys at most. Nice quiet place to enjoy nature.

Kate Me

March 14, 2020. 2.5 mile boardwalk, just reopen today because of flooding. Flooding is a understatement, The water was feet high above the trees. Remnants of the park benches being underwater are very visible. Lots of birds and wildlife. The trees were absolutely amazing! ** this is a must do!!

Samantha Cummings

It's a neat park but a lot of it looks the same especially on the boardwalk trail. Love the Cypress trees and their "knees". Such a unique feature of the park especially with water pooled all around.

Traveler

Take the boardwalk from the Visitor Center. Get there a map!!! The walk is 2.4 Miles. It is good for strollers and even wheelchairs. I can no longer walk very well and it took us 2 hours

Douglas Chambers

Had a great hike today on the elevated boardwalk trail. Some of the boardwalk has been recently replaced. The scenery is beautiful and even though there were a lot of people on the trail it did not feel crowded.

The Redneck Hippie

Congaree national park is the most underrated and overlooked national park. No crowds, no booking nightmares or permits. Just go and enjoy a beautiful park.

Charles

This park is awesome! So beautiful and rich and history. The boardwalk trail is a great place to walk is handicap accessible.

Ian Pearthree

Lovely park with a nice visitors center and boardwalk. Rangers were helpful, and getting a backcountry camping permit was easy. Trail conditions were good in the wilderness portion of the park, with only a handful of water crossings. Most crossings were shallow, but there was one that required thigh high wading. There were no explicit camp sites in the backcountry, but plenty of areas to make a dry camp. The park allowing dogs was a nice touch.

Ashley Crane

We drove from Wisconsin to visit this park and was a bit disappointed... but almost feel guilty for being disappointed because we love the National Park system. Obviously nobody can control the flooding - it was just really sad that the timing was so poor. With even the boardwalk under water, there wasn't much we could do it enjoy.

Charles Shoemaker

Incredible nature around here. Magnificent trees, wild hogs, bird life, snakes, etc. BE ADVISED If taking a hike, check water levels. When I went the boardwalk was underwater. just in case be prepared to get wet.

Jacob Moya

A winter hike thru virtually masquito-less woods. Saw a red woodpecker. Burned off some Boxing Day (observed) gravy!!

Cara Roth

Boardwalk is great for families and a neat experience. Try going to a few other locations afterwards to really get a feel for the park. We loved Beaver Creek.

cMoonbow

If you haven't been here, you need to put this on your must experience list. I wish I lived close, so that I could come here often. There are hiking trails for all. We chose the 2.5 mile boardwalk as Grandson was in stroller today. It's an old growth forest of Bald Cypress, Tupelo, and loblolly pine. Very little undergrowth, though one section has switch cane aka cane breaks. To enhance a leisurely stroll, there are numbered points that go with a paper guide. You can also download the guide to your phone. Hope I can return someday.

Miranda Huston

Beautiful park. Underrated, which I enjoyed. All of the NP rangers and volunteers were polite and well informed. My children did the junior ranger program and had a blast.

Mick Dees (nomad.mick)

Unique park. Not the most grandeur of the parks but is certainly an important eco system and is neat to walk amongst the marsh. Just beware of snakes.

James C

There isn't a ton to see but this is the only park I've ever visited where I walked around for 2 plus hours and didn't see a single person even though I was on the main loop. I got lucky and there were no mosquitos but keep an eye out for huge spiders!

Chasity Smith

One of the smaller National Parks, but I’m glad I took the time to visit while in the area. Very unique trees.

William Watt

Have taken my kids here since they were little. Great place to turn them loose , always an adventure and never disappoints. Over that past several years visited on multiple occasions. We have seen alligators both big and small, turtles , deer , snakes , owls ,lizards and much more. Walkway is safe and in great condition. Highly recommend.

Tahir Gulfraz

Loved visiting and speaking with the ranger. What a delightfully friendly lady. Immaculately preserved and the boardwalk is awesome.

Tammy Stanek

Loved this park and complete walk around boardwalk. Saw some wildlife and a snake that crossed over the walkway... Very cool. Stroller accessible and very easy to walk. Brochure guide available to help understand the different areas along the trail. Will definitely be going back.

Stephanie Ralston

Beautiful nature walk. We did the boardwalk trail. Peaceful and full of things to look at. Get the guide and follow along.

Jen Verdery

We had a blast!! The long board walk makes it easy to keep kids going where you want them to go but also gives them a feeling of freedom to explore. The Jr. Ranger program, which is free, is great and the kids all loved it. We loved every minute. DO NOT FORGET BUG SPRAY.

Erin Schuermeyer

Wonderful experience seeing old growth. Not very crowded. Clean facilities. Fun even with flooded walkways.

Stephen Ellis (Bourbon Traveler)

Lovely little park tucked away in the middle of the state. A mix of swampy low lands, the Congaree River, and acres of cypress.

Keith Montminy

Great day trip to a national park. It's free to get in and has a roughly 2.5 mile boardwalk to circles the famous park. You can also camp for about $10 a night. However, the camping doesn't have any potable water (just a bathroom/outhouse) so be prepared for that. Overall, really solid outing but I'd recommend also stopping by Columbia or Charleston to make the most of the trip if you're coming from far away.

Krystal B

2.4 looped boardwalk, stroller friendly, and free parking but get there early because the parking lot fills up by 11am on weekends.

Jenn Kraschnewski

The board walk was easy and surrounded by beautiful scenery. Definitely worth a visit on the way down to Savannah.

Asha Shibu

A unique national park with many accesible hikes. Visited during the month of January so there were less visitors. The place was well maintained and the rangers were also super helpful!

Suz Garland

Loved our visit! The boardwalk trail was perfect for our time we had their. Just wish the park service would open up the interactive parts of the visitor centers.

Paul Brown

I took my 8 year old daughter...we loved walking the boardwalk. We will go again with at least 2 days planned

Jess Palantino

Now this is where you wanna go when you want to what nature is all about. Congaree is not only a National Park, it's a National Treasure! Everything you want from a National Park and more is right here! And if you ever feel fat and wanna lose some weight, this is the place to go. YEE HAW!

Tim Tasse

Enjoyable walk on the boardwalk. Walk is about 2.6 miles. Many other trails as well.

Brian Perkins

Very underrated National Park! Hopefully it's dry and get off the boardwalk to explore more. Take a tour or a map and bug spray!

Beth Spencer

Amazing experience walking among giant trees. Main trail is mostly boardwalk, winding through trees and over swamp. Part of the boardwalk was closed due to a fallen tree while we were there, so we were unable to complete the entire loop. We saw a beautiful crested woodpecker and were able to watch it for a while before moving on. It was a very quiet and peaceful experience.

Ryan Otte

This particular park is not high on the visitation rankings, despite being on the outskirts of Columbia, SC. It isn't among the popular parks as far as size or grand geological features as well. That being said, I personally got a lot out of this park and enjoyed the swath of designated wilderness floodplain forest. As I understand it, they make the distinction between this occasionally flooded region (floodplain forest) and a more permanently flooded swamp, but for the sake of a mental picture, envision your visit here as entering a spooky swamp forest. I think our particular timing for a visit to Congaree NP fortunately turned out to be very spot on. In late February, the "Mosquito Meter" at the visitor center was at a 1 (All Clear) out of 6 (War Zone). I can only imagine battling a War Zone. Also, winter time can tend to produce some excess flooding that will cover the dirt trails and possibly some of the boardwalk loop. We were fortunate to observe some pockets of swampy terrain, but the dirt trails were by and large clear and dry. I talked a bit with the staff at the visitor center while obtaining a backcountry camping permit, and they seemed to give an impression that some visitors will take the park too lightly and venture out past the boardwalk into the dirt trails unprepared. While I would highly recommend an overnight stay in this spooky wilderness forest, I would also warn to be prepared and have at least some experience in navigating and finding paths. The park does a great job though in providing a lot of markers along the trails, especially important in a situation where overnight flooding might obscure parts of a trail. There are a few options for some pretty big adventures in the park. I took the standard backpacking option, and obtained a permit to camp off one of the ridge trails. The staff and rangers will assist in choosing a good spot. I could also see the Cedar Creek canoe trip through the heart of the forest to be a real treat, and I would love to try that some day if ever back in the area. Still, a half-day quiet stroll along the boardwalk loop closer to the visitor center will still yield some relaxing visuals and some fun wildlife viewing along the way. The smaller size of the park and some of the features that limit visitation capability (flooding) knock this park down a star for me, but I still find this to be a strong park. Especially keep in mind when visiting here how rare this large tract of forest is within the USA. Just be sure to face whatever adversity this forest may present you with a bit of determination and patience, and a great time can be had.

Brian Decker

Nice visitor center and friendly rangers. Board walk self guided hike is worth it. Cool to learn about the different trees and wildlife of the Forrest and human impact. Saw snakes, turtles, alligator gar, butterflies and a couple different species of dragon flys. Sad to see trash along the trail in a national park.

Zane Hurst

There was lots of cool lizards and I got some nice wildlife pictures!

Teresa Callaway

Beautiful outdoor national forest with a safe, clean wooden walkway that is easy to walk. We enjoyed the outdoors.

Seashell Mountain

We got to the park right before the Visitors Center opened. Did the boardwalk trail. The pamphlet for the boardwalk trail was very informative. Very peaceful.

Tanya Towne

This is a gorgeous park. There is a lot of history here. The campsite is very primitive and know that you will have a hike in. The spiders were huge!!

Kyle Fullerton

A nice small national park, the boardwalk is very nice and makes it easy for everyone to get out. The back-country trails are good as well. Almost no elevation so the biggest challenge is dealing with the heat and the bugs

Larry Overton

We took the 2.5 mile boardwalk through a swamp. This is the largest stand of untouched forest in the east. Extremely large and tall cypress, pine and oak.

Lyneida Loreany Hernandez

Nice place to walk and discover some cultural history and wildlife never seen before. Customer service was excellent!!!

george karampoulis

Small trails, big trails, YOU CHOOSE! If you go early enough you can go far enough by choosing a bigger trail. Get ready for a walk in the nature. It is quiet and beautiful. It had benches every now and then so you can rest. If you want you can go out of trail too, and enjoy nature really close.Please don't get lost. Their map is not the most helpful map to find your way and I doubt you will have signal...so have an offline map on your phone if you go out of trails.

Deana Gilliland

Enjoyed the beautiful board walk and view of the lake. Nice park!

Lavonna Skeans

We loved it. Cone in the winter and bring insect repellent!

Robb Baker

Amazing old growth foerst with some of the biggest loblolly pines I have ever seen. The board walk is just a amazing

Oleksii Motorykin

Good small National Park, much different from other NPs. Lots of trails and dog friendly! Close to a city, so if you need something, you can always drive to the store. Beware of the seasons, we were here in October and there was so many big and small spiders and spider webs everywhere, including on the trails.

Nicole Calderone

Bring your rain boots if you want to make it fully around the boardwalk. Dogs on leashes are allowed. Really cool park with cypress 500 year old tree. Very easy flat walk

Tyler VanDoeselaar

Loved the boardwalk hike. Follow the self guided tour pamphlet to learn a lot as you enjoy the views.

MyroSlava Strembetska

It a very interesting park, it wasn't overcrowded on Sunday which is a huge plus. Awesome place to watch birds, enjoy the nature and go for a hike.

Mary Ann Baak

A gem in the middle of South Carolina. I'm even from the West and accustomed to parks like Rocky Mountain National Park. The forest was amazing, and we are here in December. I can only imagine the beauty in the spring and autumn. Will definitely check it out then.

Danny

Hidden gem. What a breath of fresh air(literally) compared to the hordes of tourists that descend upon some of the other parks. No fee to enter and you can go off and explore the miles of hiking trails or get a guided canoe tour down the river. Some of the country's largest old growth trees here and also the oldest! Worth a trip

D. R.

Love this place! Elevated 2 mile boardwalk is a perfect leisure hike. Dogs on leashes are welcome. Make sure you check the mosquito meter between the bathrooms at the beginning of the trail. I go in late fall or spring and it's always been good. If you go when it's mosquito season bring lots of repellant.

Miguel Martinez

Beautiful park with marshes and different flora and fauna. You can see frogs and snakes on its boardwalk path. Herons and different birds and insects.

emily p

My husband and I stopped at Congaree NP on our way from Asheville to Charleston. It was pouring down rain, which on the plus side meant no bugs. We walked a little ways on the boardwalk and it was amazing! I wouldn’t liked to have walked the full loop, but we were pressed for time. I’d love to stop here again and complete the walk.

Matthew Raines

Great, clean, and open park. Plenty of hiking trails to get out an experience the real nature that makes up South Carolina. When compared to larger National Parks, this lacks the crowds that, but this allows for greater appreciation for nature.

Brad Philippi

Great trails. Rangers were eager to answer questions. We saw wild pigs, salamanders, turtles, an alligator or crocodile not sure which. All sorts of spiders.

D3v1Nt

Great get away, lots of different tracks with varying lengths. Several camp sites are also available with reservation. Don't forget your bug spray and stay hydrated.

Amelia Taylor

This place is cool. I did have a close encounter with a cottonmouth soon into my paddling trip. I paddled upstream on cedar creek from the king snake trail boat access area and ran into a river wide log jam. Thought I was gonna portage and continue upstream but this thing was floating 2 feet from me hissing and opening its mouth and coming towards me. Very agro snake. I got the hell out and continued downstream where I saw another snake. This place is snaky and I ran into some gnarly spiders but it’s very unique environment and I’m thankful for free access.

Samuel Choate

The park is beautiful and the congaree river is great kayaking, but let's talk camping for a sec. Depending on rain the river has a range of at least 6 feet in height. So if your planning on camping riverside, choose a spot that's nice and high off the river. As I write this, after a few weeks of on and off heavy rain. Many of the beaches are straight mud that you can sink ankle deep in, and the mud stretches back hundreds of feet into the tree line (see the attatched pics, it's all mud.) So tents will be a challenge. If you decide to go with a hammock, make absolutely sure you have a bug net and rain fly, the bugs are downright vicious and the weather is unpredictable. I was very greatful to have both. Make sure you visit the park in late spring/early summer. At night there are millions of fireflies that light up in sync. It's wild.

Dustin Cole

Really quite beautiful. Home to the biggest trees I’ve ever seen in the south!

Alexis

A few trails could be better kept (e.g. move large fallen tree limbs across walk paths and maybe widen the very narrow segment on Trail 3), but overall this place is wonderful. It's a nice break from the bustle of Columbia, and the shade helps keep trails relatively cool even on our famously hot days!

Ty Delsart

Ethereal, mystic, and slightly spooky..this national park is an absolute favorite of mine. Take your breath away by starting into cypress knees. Also, there are tons of Indian oysters and chanterelles!

Jake Norlin

one of my FAVORITES this side of the missippi. such an alien landscape. the boardwalk trail is great, watch out for spiders!

Cherokee Spring

My daughter Kara and I had the best time exploring the swamp today. Everything in spring is the most brilliant of greens here in this grand National Forest.

Anu Chitrangana

This park is nowhere close to any other national park in terms of beauty. It could have been a state park. It is a good park and located just under 30 minutes from Columbia. I did boardwalk, bluff trail and a part if sims trail in a couple of hours.

danial pate

Beautiful! Went canoeing with Palmetto Outdoors and had a great time! The guides were friendly and informative. I can't wait to go back in the spring.

Jake Turner

Small, beautiful park. Don't expect the "wow" factor you get at Zion, but a stunning ecosystem worthy of protection and visiting.

Christopher Bischoff

Great camping experience! I spent one night (April 20th) camping in the backcountry by Wise Lake and the weather couldn't have been more perfect! Well-kept trails, wonderful staff, and beautiful scenery. Would definitely camp there again!

Christopher Harwell

Always have such a great time at the park. Great photo opportunity all the time. Rangers always inform us of floods and danger zones.

Zhao Ge

not a grand canyon national park, but worth half day hiking and exploring the woods and visitor center. kids are happy to see real snakes on the tree and got their junior ranger badge by finishing the quiz.

donna locher

Interesting small park: take shaded boardwalk hike and pick up the pamphlet to read the good notations about history & vegetation.

Brent Pokay

Very helpful and knowledgeable park officers even thou we had lots of water and it was flooded we enjoyed our nature walk and the park is a great place to visit

Joseph Campanella

I overall enjoyed the walk through the swamp. It was 80 degrees in February.

Pamela Huffstetler

A very nice park. With all the rains, a lot of the park was under water but still beautiful.

Lee West

I don't think I've ever put such little effort into such a rewarding National Park & nature experience. The boardwalk trail is beautiful and accessible to people of all abilities. Bring some bug spray and water/snacks.

Stephanie Allen

We had a really nice time on the boardwalk that starts right outside the visitors center. It was about a 2 mile walk through the forest and swampy areas. The boardwalk was very well kept. The bathrooms at the visitors center were clean and the people at the visitors center were friendly and helpful. A lot of the trails this time of year have downed trees or are seasonally very muddy so it's a good idea to ask before you decide on a trail.

Fariba Talebi

It was very informative. We were able to learn a lot about forest and different trees.

Christiane Grimes

Very interesting place! Great hiking trails but bring your boots, your feet might get wet!

Cameron

Very long boardwalk is great for seeing the park. Possibly the best place in the world to observe cottonmouths 😆 …

Alana Schmitt

Super cool small park with nice trails and a lot of wildlife. I loved the welcome center and the boardwalk trails as well as the river trails.

Ywh Krgb

Beautiful,, nice trail, easy hike if you take the boardwalk

Donnie Elliott

20 min from my house, yet feel's like Ive steped into anouther world!! Love the scenic beauty of a sunset in the park. Nothing like seeing a gourgeous scenic views right around the corner from your house.....

Rachel Smith

Nice boradwalks. Park staff friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. If planning to go, check water levels as some of the boardwalks get over run with water. Dog friendly trails.

Nathan England

Great park. Tends to flood. I visited in December and the lower boardwalk was under water. Pretty quiet. Small for a National Park.

Alex Merryman

beautiful place to go there Is a ton of wildlife there especially birds you probably will se a woodpecker too it is also good to go with your kids.

Ben Trevor

Despite the 4, Congaree is still definitely worth a visit; it's just that, when you compare it to other National Parks, it doesn't quite measure up. It's one of the smallest NP's, so you don't get the kind of ecological diversity you can see in ones like Everglades or Olympic, and it doesn't have any features that struck me as particularly spectacular. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed my brief time there, and the swamp is a cool place to check out. We didn't see much wildlife, but that may be because we went in March. Make sure you research before going to be certain you're not there when most of the place is flooded.

Saurabh Raje

Great trails, well marked. Clean facilities. Nice gift shop with friendly staff.

Mike Whitt

Visited on a warm December 27th afternoon and took the Boardwalk Loop -(about 2 miles in length and easy). Didn't expect nor did we see any wildlife but could imagine seeing a lot of slithering creatures during the summertime. My only disappointment was there was no interpretation along the boardwalk. It would have been nice to learn about the flora and fauna. Nonetheless, a great resource, one that I look forward to seeing again.

Joshua watkins

Underappreciated national park. Definitely worth the stop if you're anywhere near the area. Compared to the western national parks I'm used tobit definitely stands apart

Devon McSager

The boardwalk is great! Accessible for those who are differently abled. We saw a great variety of plants. It was flooded when we went so many of the trails were closed which was disappointing, but not the parks fault and it seems that is pretty rare. Park staff and volunteers were friendly. Use bug spray!!! Do the clothes kind before going and then add the skin type when you get there. It is a swamp, there are 🦟.

John Nelson

It was a cloudy and drizzling on and off today. Nice park with a great board walk. This is a neat place to visit but we heard it can get buggy depending on the season.

Toni Sterling

Nice, well keep park. Plenty of maps at the visitor center. Neat to learn about the different trees. Fair amount of parking. No parking or admission fee. Clean bathrooms available. Very marshy, so we did the boardwalk loop trail.

Travis Mularz

This was a spur of the moment trip. I just did the boardwalk in terms of hiking. It's a beautiful place, guess I missed the bugs, nice, since it's later winter there, but 65 and sunny was great. The staff was awesome. If you go put some planning into it n hike or kayak the day away.

Ginger Miller

Hiked 16 miles. On the map the trails ranged from easy to difficult. The difficult had many large trees down, causing us to walk around many times off the trail then find the trail again. The map wasn't the greatest. If we revisit we will stay on the boardwalk and not venture off.

Mandy Kirby

Can't wait to come back when they are open completely. An unusual park compared to others in the park system. But, its a great mix

Eliza Macayan

Stunning place simply peaceful and beautiful. My kids loved the 2 mile board walk.

Derek Neumann

Friendly staff. Boardwalk makes for a nice hike with some good views. Lots of skeeters during the summer.

Glasscaster

Unique place with lots of threatened species. It has a gift shop/visitor center that begins a 2.4 mile boardwalk loop and seemingly endless foot trails.There are populations of feral hogs and venomous snakes in this park. They will only be an issue if walking on lesser traveled trails. Camping is available but I suggest bringing your own water, for it has been reported that the nearby Westinghouse facility has leaked radiological waste into this area. Great place to spot Barred Owls, Great Hornned Owls, and many species of reptile. You will be amazed by the size of the trees in this park.

Nick Marsh

Love the Congaree. Beautiful wild space with an easily accessible boardwalk. Take your time and enjoy nature, when you slow down it’s amazing what you’ll see here. Just plan accordingly and you’ll love it. It is a swamp, so best when it’s cooler. If you go on a warm day wear long sleeves/pants and mosquito repellent - they sell it in the visitor center if you forgot to bring some with you.

Kelley Zamzow

Glad we ventured to Congaree. 2 1/2 hour drive was worth it as we hiked around and got away from the city. Preferred the other paths over the boardwalk. Lots of history to earn about!

A rare FISH

Beautiful boardwalks and hikes through the swampy forrests

Anya Brichak

This is one of the most beautiful places in SC! The boardwalk trail is breathtaking. It feels like you’re in another world. It’s always amazing to see Gods creation. We were lucky enough to see an alligator and snake last time we were here.

Frank Worley-Lopez

Walked on the boardwalk. Easy walk for older folks, but there are much longer trails.

John Stringfellow

Beautiful trails anf natural splendor. Take plenty of mosquito protection in the summer

NB

We enjoyed this nice boardwalk trail, it's 2.6 miles.

Chrissie Segars

A beautiful National Park in South Carolina. It is truly unique and we enjoy coming here!

Jennifer Campbell

Had a very nice time at this very underrated Park. We enjoyed a very peaceful and tranquil kayak trip down Cedar Creek along with our dog. It wA also very informative and we saw a Great Blue Heron, an owl, a few snakes, and a few turtles. Didn't see any alligators. We also saw some beautiful giant trees like the Bald Cypress and others. We also walked around the Boardwalk. It was very educational and informative as well as very beautiful. We also walked another trail and saw a gecko. Our camp site was nice although had no showers, but we knew that coming in, so we were prepared. The Visitor center was small and nice. There were bugs, as expected, but not too bad.

kelly hollifield

What a gem of a park here in South Carolina. It is amazing that more people don't know about it, though it's probably better for environment that way. I never knew how much biodiversity existed here or even that it is one of the few remaining old-growth forests of this type. The Park Rangers and volunteer staff were excellent resources and very friendly. Bring VERY strong mosquito repellent.

himanshu arya

Congaree national Park is a good place for boardwalk .I was kinda disappointed as I heard that we could see animals .But it has only trails .Though felt good after seeing small turtles and fish in the Congaree river .Though if u like to see fireflies trail ,u can surely visit there 😊 …

Deb Elliott

So quiet and peaceful! Saw lots of species! Trees are very interesting!

Andrew T.

Beautiful park! Great place just to walk and take in this old growth forest!

Brittany Savoie

Beautiful but beware of flooding, make sure you look up trail closures before you go. During my trip the only trail open was the elevated boardwalk due to flooding. Also beware of mosquitoes and wear your bug repellent.

Gabriel Contreras

An awesome ancient forested National Park

Michelle Gutierrez

Beautiful place to take a walk or take it up a notch for a serios hike. Loved that the trees covered the sun making it pleasant to continue until late morning.

Korrine Rudderow

This is the first National Park we’ve come across that was Free. Great trails and the staff was really friendly and nice.

Anthony Jung

A must visit at night during fire fly season end of May/early June. The fire flies flash in sync with each other. Also decent amount of not difficult trails that allows for you to further see the swamp forests.

Kathy T

Great boardwalk. Currently under water so check in advance

Dave Higgins

Good time of year to come. No bugs as all. Just wish there hadn’t been as much rain as a lot of trails were flooded. But will come back. Very clean facility and staff were very friendly and helpful.

Tina Hill

It's a place that stays with you. It is an unforgettable experience! I dare say that it makes you a better person!!

Rina David

This is a very nice park....we only took the small walk to the lake overlook, but was relaxing. There is parking and there was no fee to go in.

Yew Kar

Beautiful, loved walking on the boardwalk. Being in nature is quiet amazing, love seeing the trees

Emily Thompson

Went for the first time in dec 2016 and I was the only one there! Went yesterday (the day before the eclipse and it was PACKED. It's a great little National Park to visit.

Amy miner

Head over to the Harry Hampton Visitor Center to watch a movie about the park, chat with a ranger, get maps and head out on the boardwalk stroll. If you have kids, ask about the Junior Ranger program.

T'Keyah Williams

Beautiful place with easy hikes.

Anita Aiken

Unfortunately couldn't go on some of boardwalk area due to high water in the park at the time we were there Oct 14th 2020

Marcus Lodwick

Swampy areas, not so swampy areas, good boardwalk, not many birds in middle of day, but snakes, lizards, hogs, deer. Enjoyable.

Gary Drinkman

An easy walk with lots of information along the way. It is a long and winding pet friendly board walk. There were numbers along the way that correlated with information on your program. Tall trees with a heavy canopy, so a cool and nice shaded walk.

Larch Ego

A way different type of nature than my home state of Washington, the boardwalk was beautiful

John Gross

Terrific old growth Southern swamp forest with excellent boardwalk and fun nature center. Excellent for families, great for borders and photographers, and wheelchair accessible.

MrBlairibus

Wonderful raised boardwalk walkway that takes you on a 2 mile walk around the forrest and it is very wheelchair accessible. Well worth the visit.

Kyle T.

Great National Park to go for a walk in. Diverse vegetation and animal/insect life. Well worth the stop.

Lisa Isenhower

Such a beautiful place! The icy swamp was gorgeous, and we even saw a javelina.

Vicky Adhikari

Beautiful arrangements of boardwalks to explore the park. It is so convenient to enjoy the grandiose of nature with such comforts..

Jen Hawkins

Beautiful and well designed! Make sure you ask for a map before heading out, the map has lots of great facts and information.

Art Hernandez

Absolutely beautiful,thousands of fireflies all around..Just magical !!!

Karl J

Beautiful park with lots of wildlife. Boardwalk trail is nice. You can pickup a guide pamphlet for free that will let you know what you are viewing at the numbered stops along the way. I tried another trail in the park too. It was well marked and a pleasure to hike.

Brunna Silva

Very nice hiking trails and it's really beautiful here

Lukas Mäks

Very nice national park with great scenery and a very convenient boardwalk.

Jeanette Case

No charge to visit this national park, though nothing really spectacular to see. Interesting history associated with this swampland, though. Not a place I'd visit again and again.

Mike Hausler

Great out of the way National Park! Thankfully we missed the mosquitos! Lots of great things to explore and learn about!

scott wilde

I really enjoyed the board walk, nice place to visit staff and volunteers were great.

C Bilyeu

Great park. No entrance fee. Camping is an available option here. Really nice volunteers there to answer any questions you may have about the park & trails. The visitors center is a little dark inside but has some nice souvenirs to choose from. They also have some snack options and water available for purchase.

Preston Rachel

Not the best National Park but it's still cool to walk around and kill time.

Stephanie Willimon

Absolutely loved this boardwalk trail!! Very friendly staff! Coming back in the fall!

Blake Guither

This was definitely the best way to experience a swamp. The boardwalk was perfect for walking and a wagon with kids. We saw frogs, snakes, and a massive fishing spider

M Prince

Definitely remember bug spray! They do sell some in the Visitors Center if you forget.

Amit Sheth

Old growth forest with excellent boardwalk - especially great when visiting at the right time of the year - that too 35-40 mins from Columbia.

Higle Lang

Beautiful national park with plenty of hiking trails.

Neha Patel

Quite a swampy landscape with some woods. Not the most spectacular of the 35+ national parks I've been to.

Brooke Meidam

Surprisingly beautiful park. We did the boardwalk trail which was an easy hike and easy to navigate and went through several different landscapes. The trees were the most impressive aspect of the park for us as we didn't realize how many old growth trees the park contained and of so many different kinds. The swampy portions of the trail were beautiful as well. I highly recommend stopping here.

Claire Salinas

Lovely. Great selection in easy trails and seemingly more difficult wilderness trails. I went in winter, so most were flooded out. Stop at ranger station to check on what's open.

Alma Williams

The trails are awesome and plentiful. I also learned a lot from the knowledgeable and friendly staff at the educational center.

Se-Gil Feldsott (Louis)

Beautiful state park. Entrance and parking are free! There's a very nice boardwalk trail and several others. The forest is full on interesting trees, and I recommend picking up a pamphlet w at the front office if you're interested in learning about the plant life.

JEFF MCNEESE

This park has very few roads but lots of hiking trails. The campsites for walk-in campsites. We didn't get there in time to see the visitor center. But we did take a hike on the elevated boardwalk was a really nice. You need to downloaded app to take the narrative to how long the boardwalk I believe there's 21 stations.

Jen Shealy

Nice walk around the park, need to time it when more natural flowers are in bloom.

David Kraus

Nice and friendly at the welcome center. Boardwalk trail is elevated and family friendly. Wilderness trail part is off the beaten path but well maintained and visual cues evident. Flat easy trails all over although the wilderness trail area does have a high probability of animal encounters. Great hike, great park!

Paul Buchanan

We weren't sure what to expect at Congaree but we were blown away. This is probably one of the most beautiful parks we've ever been to, and we've been to over 30 states. The visitor center, however, is still in "covid" mode - the displays are blocked off and there is a "temporary" shop. Sorry, but move on. There's no reason to not allow people to access THEIR parks. The national parks belong to the people. That was the disappointing part - we couldn't really learn anything about Congaree because somehow that was "dangerous". That being said, this park is well worth the stay. We weren't really prepared for the walks - we went part way on the boardwalk, which was amazing. I would love to go back with the proper equipment and attire to do the 2 miles walk. There was great RV parking which was very nice

Elizabeth Searle

Had a great time (actually twice within a couple weeks) in this natural beauty! Early morning is a great time, and I like to visit before it gets warm and the mosquitos start coming around. Very beautiful and well maintained, with helpful and friendly staff.

Rachael Cannon

Great park with a boardwalk for the entire main loop. The elevated walking paths are great because you can look down at mostly undisturbed land. I saw lots of animal tracks this way. We saw many snakes around the lake so be careful if you have dogs off the boardwalk.

Loretta Divine

We made sure to visit this wetlands park before mosquito season started. The boardwalk trail is over 2-miles long, very nice to walk. Be sure to download or grab the boardwalk brochure which explains the marked points if interest. We also hiked the Bluff Trail which goes through the woods. Lots of picnic tables near the parking. This is a very popular park. The parking lot was overflowing by the time we left (we visited on a Saturday). Lots of dog owners taking their pets for exercise on the trails.

Stephen & Kathy Brassard

This was a beautiful and interesting place. I nice easy walk. All boardwalk. Places to sit and rest. Animals everywhere. We even saw an owl. It was so camouflaged that we would have walked right by but a group had gathered and people were pointing it out to each other as they came close. Wonderful people, wonderful place, we even met a new friend there. Tip: Go Straight when the boardwalk allows a left turn or you will have to follow the map backwards the whole way. 😎

Nick W

Very small National Park, not many trails or things to do. There weren't even any signs leading to the park. Park store / visitor center closed due to rain (not a large storm). Why close the only inside location when it's raining outside? Park staff was polite and helpful.

Jon Weinrib

I honestly fell in love with this place - it is one of the most beautiful natural places I have ever been

Jason Loudenslager

Trails have a few downed trees but overall a great trail system. Everything is well marked and easy to traverse your choice of short or long hikes(all are flat). Definitely visit the sand bar if you do the river trail as it's the prettiest place on the trail and the fewest mosquitoes:) Excellent park.

Brianna Brewer

Their visitor center has a nice, informative walk around area full of facts on history, animals, and trees. The sculptures and animal figures are neat for the kids to see!

Luca Abati

Fantastic trails. Very wild and strenuous. Wet and hot with a lot of mosquitos. I loved the atmosphere. Silent and peaceful. Snakes spiders and turtles.

Ameya Amritwar

Not for everyone, you enjoy it most if you have interest in various habitats and you can beat the heat and the moisture. Geared more towards urban crowd, but you can always go off the wooden trail and find very interesting animals, plants etc.

Dragon Gurl

Park is nice and clean. Boardwalks are well maintained. Kids had a great time reading the story along with the numbers posted along the way on the map we saw lots of animals. Their favorites were a bunch of snakes and a giant owl calling to another one.

Sean Boyd

Beautiful! Such a neat set of trails through the swamp.

Sheric Adventures

Most of the trails are underwater in the Spring, but we managed to conquer the Boardwalk Loop despite some closed portions. Wear your rain boots!

mark yaun

Great 2.6 mile low and elevated boardwalk through Beautifully wooded River Floodplain

Tim Othy

The Firefly's were amazing! Gotta see them when In season! The boardwalk trail was very nice!

James Hartnett

All red state national parks are free because democrates aren't paying attention.

Shawna Flager

Loved this quick stop at Congaree National Park! Easy 2.5 mile boardwalk trail that is dog and flip-flop friendly. I loved the self guided walk that told you all about the history and unique features of the forest. Bring bug spray because the mosquitos are fierce and keep an eye out for snakes on the walk.

T'Nille Reynolds

It's a great spot to get back to nature. We really enjoyed our hike, the boardwalk is a easy going 2 1/2 mile walk, it's in great conditions, there was only a couple places that it needed maintenance. Animal friendly😊🐾, we ran into a few dogs on our walk, every dog parent was responsible and their dogs were well behaved. Our boy had the best time!

Ron byrd

we liked the 2.5 mile long boardwalk thru a part of the Park

Brennan McGilvray

Congaree gets the 3 all because of the lovely woman working the socially distanced visitor's desk. She was a real peach, I tell ya. I'm sure Congaree has it's special hold on certain people, but it did not grab me. It didn't help that I went on a muggy, July, South Carolina afternoon. I couldn't shake the bugs and the Weston Lake wasn't much to look at. I've been to more picturesque state parks in my Ohio backyard.

Palace of Persephone

Great free National Park with tons of different trails with beautiful diversity along the way. Didnt see too many animals but plenty of breath taking trees and scenes. Very muddy when it rains so prepare shoes wisely! The trails markers can be hard to see on moderate and difficult trails but if you're just on the boardwalk you'll be fine and still get to see a lot of what the park has to offer. Van life approved! Peace and Love!

Alex K

I had a very high expectations of this prk. It looks great online. If I could I would give this 2.5 stars. Basically, if you are driving by and want to stop, relax for an hour - it's not bad. It has a nice walk built above the ground floor, which is mostly flooded river with trees. Once we got to the actual river, about 2 miles into it, I was an interesting experience - being in the middle of flooded forest at water level. However, we were really hoping to see a lot of bold cypress trees with their unusual knees and we did not( maybe partly due to flooding). Few here and there, but not much. Huge round pines, at least 5 foot in diameter were nice. All and all, I have been to about 10 national parks in US, and most of them I would highly recommend and will return one day. This one is worth it only if it's on your way. Yes, fresh air, and interesting flooded river, but in my opinion, you cannot compare to other National Parks across the nation.

Alesia B

We visited this park in February, some tracks were flooded and closed. Quiet and pleasant place.

David Crow

Wonderful national park. If you hike make sure to spend some time off of the boardwalk.

David Hesterly

With the excess rain only one trail was open. Not the adventure that I was expecting and will go down on the bottom of my NP list. Best part was seeing 27mph signs when leaving.

William M.

Good place for short hikes and photos. I went early October and it was hot, I would recommend to go during winter.

Ahmad A

Nice little park. Well maintained. Has some nice trails. Main attraction is probably the boardwalk trail that is a 2.6 mile loop from the visitor trail. Quiet and easy for everyone. Not really much driving you can do. Probably best to come during fall or winter when it's not hot and humid. Heard there are a lot of mosquitos when its hot.

Eric White

Boardwalk trail is nice. Lots of snakes!

Dennice Lindsay

We went to the Nation Park to get our passport stamped. I was pleasantly surprised that we enjoyed ourselves. I had thought "what would I enjoy about walking thru a swamp" but we did enjoy it. We walked the upper boardwalk trail because it was the only trail that was open due to flooding from the Congaree River. Nice walk and liked looking at the scenery. All of the boardwalk trail was not open. The staff told us to walk until we ran into water and turn around and come back. Interesting place and in February there were not a lot of other people on the trail and NO MOSQUITOES or other bugs.

Robert “Bob” Reed

South Carolina's only national park is one of the best kept secrets in the state! The park is accessible to anyone, since the most popular "hike" is actually an easy walk along a well-constructed boardwalk. Those who want to venture out further can take advantage of a well-marked trail system that allows visitors to explore a variety of areas within the park. If you walk quietly, and keep your eyes peeled, you will probably get to see a number of the residents of the park, too! We have enjoyed camping - both in one of the camping areas, as well as in the "backcountry" - on a number of occasions.

Chris Tso

The boardwalk hike was quick and easy. Had to shoo away bugs frequently.

Climbing Goddess

I always dreamed of coming here and it didn't disappoint me. Very magical place.

Brian Reinicke

Congaree was a different but equally beautiful National Park experience than I have had. There may not be sprawling, vast Vistas, but the cultural history and environmental ecosystem the park represents is rich and important.

Leigh Harrison

Had a great time walking the boardwalk. If you don't like spiders, this isn't the place for you.

Elizabeth Peck

Great place to take family! We loved the board walk trail, just make sure you get there early if you want to hike it before seeing the fireflies if you go in May. The visitors center is well-kept and the staff is very helpful. The synchronized fireflies are well worth the trip to see. Get there early to get decent parking though because it gets really crowded really fast.

Rick Sussman

My wife and I only had the day, so we took a slow hike on the boardwalk trail. Took tons of photos, heard or saw 24 bird species, a large water moccasin and 3 watersnakes, SE five-lined skinks, lots of cool trees, and in places the air was humming with the collective sounds of insects. Though the temps outside the park were in the low 90's, it remained cooler down among the trees.

Brick Owens

Walked the 2.7 mile boardwalk. The dog was good for the first 2. The .7 we needed more water and energy treats as motivation. The signage was hard to find and far between each one. There are 20 stops and could only find 18. The environment is quiet and for the most part shaded. The open areas allowed the sun to hit the wooden walkway and raised the temperature noticeably and changed the vegetation to a thicket like quality.

Wendy K.

Great walk around the boardwalk. Come prepared for heat and mosquitoes and be sire to take and read the self guided tour pamphlet.

Matt Klink

I'm hesitant to say anything negative about a National Park, so I'll say I'm glad this area is protected from development. Not for the avid hiker.

Bradley Kirouac

Glad we went when we did so we could walk the boardwalks and see the tree water lines! So cool

Rob Supra

We had one of the worst hikes anywhere we have been in the country. Trail was overgrown, bugs unreal, wet and muddy. Realize this is nature, however park Ranger we talked to could have stated some issues. We would have hiked the Boardwalk trail. Maybe we will try again in the late fall/winter?

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