Congaree National Park
Trip Assistant
How Much Time?
Congaree is more pit-stop than destination. Stop in, walk the Boardwalk, join a ranger program if possible, and head on your way.
Now, if you want to get cypress-knee deep into the park, then the best thing you can do is paddle. Cedar Creek is a good choice. Cache a car or a bike like I didat South Cedar Creek and you have a nice leisurely paddle from Bannister Bridge. Paddling the Congaree River is another option.
Need to Know
- Reservations are required for camping. Campgrounds are walk-in, tent-only.
- Reservations are also required for the firefly show. I’ve heard mixed opinions on it.
- Check the park website for current ranger programs.
Highlights
- The Boardwalk
- Ranger Programs
- Synchronous Fireflies
Activities
- Hiking
- Paddling
- Fishing
- Biking
- Birdwatching
When To Go?
Weather
Visitation
Congaree is small but not heavily visited. And most visits are brief.
Park Map Downloads
Road Trips
Helpful Tools
Below you'll see a Google Map to help plan road trips from the east (Cape Hatteras), north (Great Smoky Mountains), west (Atlanta), and south (Biscayne). It’s a good start, but I’d highly recommend making your own. Google My Maps, Wanderlog, and TripIt are incredibly useful trip planning tools. Find what works best for you!
There’s much more to our country. Here’s another Google Map with points of interest across all types of public land.
For campers, here’s a Google Map with National Forest campgrounds. National Park campgrounds are difficult to reserve (there are about 200!). With nearly 5,000 national forest campgrounds, you can usually pull in and find a spot.
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