Start planning your ultimate South Carolina adventure with a free copy of the 2024 Vacation Guide. Request your free copy, view the guide online or download a PDF version below.
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, we turned the spotlight on South Carolina's six national park sites.
Among them is Congaree National Park near Columbia, featuring the largest contiguous tract of old growth bottomland hardwoods in the United States. Within the 26,000 acres of lush backcountry are a number of state and national champion trees that have thrived in the forest thanks to the nutrient-rich river waters that flood the land about 10 times a year.
Recognizing the South Carolina floodplain is one of the few remaining ecosystems of its kind, Congress voted in 1976 to preserve it as a national monument, naming it after the Native American tribe that roamed the land centuries ago. In 2003, it gained national park status and has since been designated an International Biosphere Reserve, a National Natural Landmark and Globally Important Bird Area.
Its impressive collection of trees includes a record-setting deciduous holly, laurel oak, swamp tupelo, sweetgum, water hickory and the national champion loblolly pine - the largest of its species in the country at 167 feet.
Start your adventure at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center, featuring museum-quality exhibits and a short film about the biodiversity of the park. Be sure to pick up a brochure and self-guided map of the 25 miles of backcountry hiking trails before you set out exploring the wooded wilderness. The most popular trail in the park is the 2.4-mile Boardwalk Loop that takes you under a canopy of old-growth trees to Weston Lake, once a channel of the Congaree River.
A number of programs are offered each month, including a Nature Discovery Walk, nighttime Owl Prowl and Bird Walk/Talk.
Sign up for a ranger-guided paddle on Cedar Creek, a slow-moving blackwater tributary that winds through a primeval forest of bald cypress and tupelo trees. Or set out on your own on the marked canoe trail. Canoe and kayak rentals are available at several Columbia outfitters. Be sure to ask the park staff about current water levels and conditions if you're going to paddle without a guide.
Hikers have their choice of eight different trails, ranging in distance from 1.3 to 11.7 miles round trip. One of the best areas to view wildlife is along the 6.6-mile Oakridge Trail. As you pass the low-lying sloughs, look for deer and wild turkey. The 11.7-mile Kingsnake Trail is a favorite with birders because of the diverse vegetation and proximity to Cedar Creek.
Each year for a few short days in May, fireflies put on a spectacular light show at Congaree National Park. The star attraction is a rare species of lightning bug that mysteriously synchronize their flashes. The event has become so popular, a lottery system has been established with a limited number of tickets sold for each of the evening viewings. Visit the park website at www.nps.gov/cong for the exact dates of the firefly spectacle.
Located 20 miles southeast of Columbia off I-77 at Bluff Road or SC 48, Congaree National Park is open 24 hours a day year-round. The Harry Hampton Visitor Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week, except on all federal holidays. Brochures and trail maps are available in the Visitor Center breezeway anytime. Admission is free.
