Congaree National Park (#1), South Carolina: Photos, Reviews & Location

Large hardwood forest featuring hiking trails, as well as creeks for canoeing & fishing.

At a glance

Rating breakdown

5 ★78%
4 ★16%
3 ★4%
2 ★1%
1 ★1%

What reviewers talk about

Share of 15 recent reviews that mention each topic.

View13%
Price & value13%
Waiting & crowds7%
Location7%
Cleanliness7%
Service & staff7%

South Carolina

nps.gov

(803) 776-4396

Photos of Congaree National Park (203)

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Congaree National Park, South Carolina – photo 1

Congaree National Park, South Carolina – photo 2

Congaree National Park, South Carolina – photo 3

Congaree National Park, South Carolina – photo 4

Congaree National Park, South Carolina – photo 5

Congaree National Park, South Carolina – photo 6

Congaree National Park, South Carolina – photo 7

Congaree National Park, South Carolina – photo 8

Congaree National Park, South Carolina – photo 9

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Congaree National Park, South Carolina – photo 11

Congaree National Park, South Carolina – photo 12

Quick facts

What is the rating of Congaree National Park?: Congaree National Park is rated 4.7 out of 5 based on 6,011 reviews.
Where is Congaree National Park located?: South Carolina
What do visitors mention most about Congaree National Park?: Most often: view, price & value, waiting & crowds (from 15 recent reviews).
How can I contact Congaree National Park?: Phone: (803) 776-4396 · Website: nps.gov

Reviews (15)

Sheila Madison 2023 Nov 26

We loved this National park. This seems like a great time of the year to visit as we saw very few mosquitos. If you are visiting looking for peace then don't expect it on the boardwalk. Head out farther to enjoy the quiet peacefulness of the park.
Dogs are allowed so that's what causes half of the boardwalk chaos.

Glen Osborne 2023 Nov 19

What a great park. This was my first time here and was not disappointed. Parking is issue but once in the trail it was great. The trails don't have a lot of elevation changes and make for a quick hike. Beautiful area will be going back

Archana E 2023 Nov 18

Good and leisure National park. The terrain is different than typical National
Parks. The 2.5 board walk trail is good with kids.

Jerry Caldwell 2023 Nov 17

A national park with its own unique beauty. If you love big trees, come here to see Cypress Trees centuries old. If you are brave enough to go off-trail and find the old growth forest, you could find a Cypress as old as 1,000 years.

Larry Taylor 2023 Nov 06

Little known National Park that offers a lot of natural history of area vegetation and native wildlife. Great walking paths. The 2.5 mile boardwalk offers easy walking but not much to offer for younger kids.

C Price 2023 Oct 20

Such a great park!
Plenty of trails, ranging from easy to difficult, Short to long.
Very clean, nice, restrooms on site at visitors center.
Boardwalk trail is fantastic, shaded, smooth. Little under 3 miles but not bad at all. Wheelchair accessible.
Absolutely wonderful park, kept up with.
Free entry.
Campsites available
Kind staff & helpful people.

Miriam Chaponniere 2023 Oct 05

An underrated National Park that was serene, peaceful and calming. What I love is it’s protection of the old growth hat te wood forest, and the walks on the boardwalks were lovely. We also saw some fairly large, unique spiders, and were able to chat with the Rangers about the flora and fauna. We’re definitely coming back for the annual Firefly show!

Chip Edwards 2023 Sep 22

I really enjoyed the boardwalk loop trail. Lots of interesting things to see (definitely get a pamphlet describing each of the numbered view points along the trail). In addition to the stationary items (like trees and the lake) today I saw a couple of raccoons foraging. Be warned that the path to the visitors center was under construction, so there was a roundabout way of getting there (which did include about six stair steps) - once construction is finished there will be easy access to the visitors center.

Sam Sachs 2023 Sep 06

One of the least visited national parks, but still definitely worth stopping by for anyone traveling through the area. Much of the park can't be visited from trails, but instead requires a canoo or kayak. We kept our trip simple and checked out the visitor center and the easy to traverse boardwalk trail. Depending on when you visit you may or may not see any animals from the trail, but it was still a scenic walk and easy enough for our 6 and 3 year old to venture on. The visitor center offers a simple overview of the park and its history as well as a small gift shop. Parking and access is totally free! Be warned though, the place is covered in massive orb spiders. They seem to stay out of the way, but they are still very alarming to see hanging around the buildings! Luckily they were not on the trail itself.

Beth McK 2023 Sep 05

We always see something interesting here. This time it was 3 snakes, 4 turtles, and tons of fish. There are lots of trails and they are well marked, but it is easy to get off trail if you are not careful. Staying on the boardwalk is great with small kids. We always see water snakes in the summer, but this time we saw a Cottonmouth and a Rattler. Check the website before you go - sometimes it is flooded and only a few trails will be open.

An Pham 2023 Sep 03

I had never heard of this park before planning this trip, but I am very glad that I went out of my way to come here! Very beautiful park with the informative Boardwalk Trail and easy breezy paths around the visitor center. I'm not much of a hiker, but all the trails in and around the visitor center were very walkable.

Blake Roche 2023 Aug 09

Fantastic park for kayaking and hiking in SC Swamp Country. I’ve been here for years and just hiked the boardwalk loop, but this park (the only National one in SC), has a lot more to offer. Kayaking from the Cedar Creek ramp (past the main entrance) offers incredible flat water black water backwater kayaking through cypress, Tupelo, and more. You’ll see snakes and spiders and mushrooms. You might even see a hog or two digging around in the mud. The water moves so slow you can drop and pull out at the same ramp - and the park provides a nice structure to load and unload your boats. The boardwalk in the park proper is a great and reasonable length - elevated above the muck with a self-guided numbered tour that highlights the flora, fauna, and natural history of the whole impressive place. The entire park is criss-crossed with trails, and this area is incredibly unique. As far as national parks go, it may not be the biggest or the flashiest our nation has to offer, but it’s unique, beautiful, free, and right here in South Carolina. A must-see by boat or by foot.

Chris Listenfelt 2023 Aug 08

One of more unknown and underrated National Parks, Congaree was a pleasant surprise. Start at the visitor center, where there is free parking, picnic tables and grills, restrooms and the gift shop. The visitor center is a little dated and could use a refresh, especially the restrooms.

The boardwalk trail was lovely and has a lot to look at. It does get crowded on the weekends because it’s great for families. If you want more of a secluded longer hike, we did the Weston Lake Loop, which took a couple of hours but it was worth it.

Justyna 2023 Jul 21

We went for the boardwalk trail. It was a really nice walk. We saw a lot of animals on the way, including alligator and turtles! For those who are going first time, don't forget to take a paper trail guide as there are many interesting points a long the trail. There are available at visitor center.

j h 2023 Jun 02

It is such a shame this is one of the least visited national parks. And its free!

This park is beautiful. The cypress trees provide great shade but it can be humid and hot in the summer. But there are lots of bugs everywhere playing bumper cars with your face!

There are many trails to hike depending on your level of experience and appetite for adventure. We did the boardwalk trail which was easy. We wanted to hike the weston lake trail but saw gators and water moccasins close to the banks of the lake and decided not to for precaution. Trails are marked throughout.

However, I can see why this is one of the least visited parks. The visitor center was lacking pizzazz. It would be better if there were more interactions between the park ranger and visitors through educational programs or ranger talks. But rangers do not approach you and try to talk to you.

I am not sure I would come back again but am glad I had the chance to stop by while in the area.