#Congaree August 5

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In two weeks, I will be visiting two of America’s most popular National Parks-Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Just two hours away from where I live is CONGAREE National Park. It is typically one of the least visited and it is one I have not been to.

Some attendance figures for Congaree hover around 125,000 people a year. Comparing that total with the 11.3 million people that visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are a few other interesting things about Congaree in comparison to other National Parks. First there is no admission fee at either Congaree or Great Smoky Mountains. Not all parks are like the fee to enter Zion National Park (UT) and Yosemite (CA) is $35.00 per vehicle.

Location

Congaree National Park lies within the floodplain of the Congaree River. It is located Southeast of Columbia SC outside of Hopkins SC. The map below shows its location. It did not become a National Park until 2003.

Touring

The park does provide two basic ways to see what it has to offer. First is by water using a canoe or kayak. Below is a YouTube Video on what it looks like from the water.

CANOEING

The second method is to hike. The most popular option is the boardwalk loop that is elevated above the flood plain.

Congaree’s infrastructure/amenity elements, including the entrance, visitor center, and all of the maintained trails have been confined to the northwestern end of the park in order to preserve the wilderness quality of the place. At that entrance is where you will find the boardwalk.

HIKING Boardwalk Loop