Congaree National Park

Walk the Boardwalk Trail or paddle Cedar Creek through an old-growth bottomland forest of towering trees.

100 National Park Rd · Hopkins, SC

About Congaree National Park

Congaree National Park protects the largest remaining tract of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the United States, about 18 miles southeast of Columbia. You can explore its wilderness on foot, by kayak or by canoe, starting with the Boardwalk Trail. The park holds the tallest known examples of 15 tree species, including a 167-foot loblolly pine. Flooding can come with little warning, so check water levels for Cedar Creek and the Congaree River first, and expect mosquitoes in summer.

#national park
#boardwalk trail
#old-growth forest
#canoeing
#hiking

Printable maps

What's around here?

The closest stops to Congaree National Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

Museums
South Carolina Military Museum
No admission fee
A Columbia museum focused on the military history of South Carolina, organized around three main galleries.
Transit: reachable by public transit
19 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
Sports & Outdoors
W. Gordon Belser Arboretum
No admission fee
A 10-acre nature preserve in Columbia with ten biomes, a waterfall, and a botanical garden, run by the University of South Carolina.
Transit: reachable by public transit
19 mi awayMore like this
Shopping
Prince of Orange Mall
Check prices
Enclosed regional shopping mall on the northern edge of Orangeburg, South Carolina, with shops and dining.
Transit: reachable by public transit
19 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping
Sightseeing
History Buff
South Carolina State House
No admission fee
Tour the granite capitol of South Carolina, where bronze stars mark the spots Sherman's cannons hit during the Civil War.
Transit: reachable by public transit
21 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
Sports & Outdoors
Sesquicentennial State Park
Under $25
A large state park in the Sandhills region just outside Columbia, offering camping, a lake, trails, a dog park, and picnic shelters.
22 mi awayMore like this
Sports & Outdoors
Swan Lake Iris Gardens
No admission fee
A 150-acre public garden in Sumter known for its iris beds, swans, and free admission.
Transit: reachable by public transit
26 mi awayMore like this