Attraction of the Week: Congaree National Park
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As far as Southeastern National Parks go, most people are more than familiar with the Great Smokies. However, it is not the only park to check out while vacationing in the Southeast. If you are planning a vacation near Greenville, beautiful Congaree National Park is only 2 hours away. Honestly, I never even knew there was a park in this state until I got my National Park Passport booklet and made it a goal to visit 63 parks in the US. Living in Greenville, I jumped on the opportunity to visit this beauty while it was so easily accessible.
Few have heard of Congaree National Park in South Carolina, despite the park’s close proximity to numerous big Southeastern cities like Greenville, Charlotte, and Atlanta. While this hidden gem may not offer the big and bold scenery commonplace at other national parks, it does offer a bit of history and rare scenery rolled into one. Being that the park was not established until 2003, this makes it one of America’s newest national parks. Compare this with Yellowstone, America’s first national park, founded back in 1872. Congaree also happens to be one of just a handful of national parks not currently charging and entrance fee. As free national parks are hard to come across, this itself is a big bonus.
“Redwoods East”
Congaree is home to the largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest in the country. The park is also home to the largest concentration of champion trees in the world (25 have been identified). A loblolly pine towers at 167 feet, making it the largest of its’ kind anywhere. Other champion trees include a 157 foot sweetgum, a 154 foot cherrybark oak, and a 133 foot swamp chestnut oak. In total, 15 species of trees here are the tallest of their kind in the world. This is how Congaree came to be nicknamed “Redwoods East.”
Learn more about the park’s history
Hiking amongst some of the tallest & oldest trees
A beautiful 2.5 mile loop trail along a boardwalk will take you past mesmerizing bald cypress and water tupelo forest. Some of the tallest trees in the Eastern US are located within this park. This is a really quiet and peaceful national park which does not receive nearly as much traffic as the more popular destinations like the Great Smokies. Walking the boardwalk trail really feels like a step back in time. It’s quite easy as opposed to a rough and tough hike.
While the boardwalk is the most popular trail within the park, there are several additional options if you feel like exploring more. The 1.7 mile Bluff Trail passes through a forest of loblolly and longleaf pines. Additionally, there are a few really long trails for the more adventurous types out there.
Canoeing on Cedar Creek is also popular with visitors. If you have the time, a guided tour is a nice opportunity to learn more about this rare habitat. Free tours are offered several times per year.
Wildlife Watching
Wildlife watching opportunities are plentiful with deer, river otter, armadillo, turtles, and various bird species frequently sighted. Occasionally, alligators can be seen, although don’t get your hopes up as it is pretty rare to come across one. If you want to see tons of gators, you will have to travel a bit further near the coast! Just watch out for the gigantic spiders often lurking right above your head! Anyone with a spider phobia may want to think twice before visiting this park! Unfortunately, our wildlife encounters were limited to the giant spider in the pic above.
Synchronous Fireflies
The best time to visit is during synchronous firefly season. I hope to get out here to see this unique marvel of nature before leaving South Carolina. Fireflies are the only species in the country which can synchronize their lights. The unique flash of light is used during mating season as a mode of attraction. Keep in mind that this event draws crowds. Also, the time frame is limited, taking place for just 2 weeks, sometime between mid-May to June.
Why visit Congaree?
Anyone set on visiting every US National Park definitely needs to add this hidden gem to their bucket list, if for anything just to collect another stamp in your passport book. For anyone else, there are bigger and better parks on the East coast which offer more impressive scenery and an overall bigger band-for-your-buck experience. As Congaree is an easy daytrip from Greenville, enjoying all the great attractions around the Upstate will make your trip a bit more memorable.
Location & Additional Details
- Location: 100 National Park Rd, Hopkins, SC 29061
- Hours: The visitor’s center is open from 9am-5pm.
- Fee: Admission to Congaree is always free! Parking is also free.
- Dogs are allowed on all trails (must be leashed).
- Activities besides hiking: Kayaking, Canoeing, Camping, Fishing. More info on the park website.
- Accessibility features: Free wheelchair use (first come, first served). There are 2 wheelchair accessible picnic tables, 3 parking spots, and the boardwalk is wheelchair friendly.
