Congaree National Park
Astonishing biodiversity exists in Congaree National Park, the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States. Waters from the Congaree and Wateree Rivers sweep through the floodplain, carrying nutrients and sediments that nourish and rejuvenate this ecosystem and support the growth of national and state champion trees.
Alerts
- ClosureNPS ↗Flood Warning In Effect *10/12/2026
A flood warning for the Congaree River is in effect. During flood events, many park trails will be underwater and inaccessible to hikers. This includes the Sims, Weston Lake, Oakridge, Boggy Gut, Kingsnake, Bates Ferry, and Fork Swamp Trails, and portions of low boardwalk. All elevated portions of the boardwalk trail, as well as Bluff, Firefly, and Longleaf trails remain open and accessible.
- CautionPaddling Conditions
Trees down across Cedar Creek between Bannister's Bridge and South Cedar Creek may require significant portages depending on water levels & paddlers should plan accordingly. All paddlers should have necessary equipment, including the 10 Essentials.
- CautionBackcountry Trail Conditions
GPS is necessary on backcountry trails: Oakridge, Boggy Gut (formerly River), and Kingsnake. These trails may be difficult to follow.
- InformationNPS ↗Planning Ahead for Transportation
If being dropped off at the park, please ensure you will have a return ride. Taxis and rideshares do not often come out to Congaree, and the bus may be unavailable. Please plan ahead.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedRcw Rx Csp
4 mi from the park's reference point · 243 acres
- PrescribedHarry Hampton East Csp Rx
5 mi from the park's reference point · 212 acres
- PrescribedFy27 Scfmf Rx Support
29 mi from the park's reference point
Within 50 miles, as of 2026-10-14. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Check the park's alerts and the managing office before you drive.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| Congaree Operating Hours (Not Visitor Center Hours) | Daily · All Day |
When to go
May draws the most visits here and August the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Campgrounds
| Longleaf Campground | 16 sites | |
| $15 a night · Campground is open for use and sites are available for reservation year round. | ||
| Bluff Campground | 6 sites | |
| $10 a night · Campground is open year round and all sites are available for reservation. | ||
Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. All of them on one page → How park camping works
Visitor centers
- Harry Hampton Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. Closed New Year's Day, Washington's Birthday, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Hours may be affected by events, such as the annual Firefly Viewing Event in May, or by resource management activity. Please check park alerts prior to your visit.
Explore
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- 50th Anniversary Owl Prowl10/1705:45 PM · free · registration requiredThis program will begin and end at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center and will take place primarily on the Boardwalk Trail.
- Celebrating Congaree National Park's 50th Anniversary10/1709:00 AM · freeAll programs will either take place or start at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center.
- Congaree Action Now! The Effort to Preserve the Green Heart of South Carolina10/1709:30 AM · runs through Oct 18 · free
- Tall and Stately as the Trees: Congaree and the Lasting Legacy of Harry Hampton10/1702:00 PM · runs through Oct 18 · free
- The Green Heart of South Carolina: Congaree National Park at 5010/1711:00 AM · runs through Oct 18 · free
- 50th Anniversary Big Tree Hike with John Cely10/1809:00 AM · free · registration required
Show all 8Hide
- Fall Forest Wellness Journaling10/2410:00 AM · free · registration required
- Forest Wellness Yoga in the Park11/1410:00 AM · free · registration required
News
- Congaree National Park Invites Public to Commemorate its 50th Anniversary ↗2026-09-03
On Oct. 17 and 18, Congaree National Park will celebrate its 50th anniversary, hosting a series of free events including a commemorative ceremony, interpretive talks, guided hikes, special activities and talks by guest…
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
.jpg/960px-Chappelle_Administration_Building%2C_Allen_University_(Columbia).jpg)
.jpg/960px-Robert_Mills_House_-_Ainsley_Hall_(Columbia%2C_South_Carolina).jpg)
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for Congaree National Park and the South
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Local history books for Congaree National Park
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthCoyote 5× · Barred Owl 4× · North American River Otter 3× · Eastern Fox Squirrel 2× · Bald Eagle 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 189 birds, 37 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAMERICAN KESTREL · BALD EAGLE · BARRED OWL · BLACK VULTURE · BROAD-WINGED HAWK · COOPER'S HAWK · Eastern Screech Owl · GREAT HORNED OWL · Golden Eagle · MISSISSIPPI KITE · Merlin · NORTHERN HARRIER · OSPREY · Peregrine Falcon · RED-SHOULDERED HAWK · RED-TAILED HAWK · SHARP-SHINNED HAWK · SWALLOW-TAILED KITE · Swainson's Hawk · TURKEY VULTURE
Waterfowl & wadersAMERICAN BITTERN · American Black Duck · American Wigeon · BLUE-WINGED TEAL · CANADA GOOSE · COMMON EGRET · Double-crested Cormorant · GREAT BLUE HERON · GREEN HERON · GREEN-WINGED TEAL · HOODED MERGANSER · LITTLE BLUE HERON · PIED-BILLED GREBE · RING-NECKED DUCK · SNOWY EGRET · WHITE IBIS · WOOD DUCK · WOOD STORK · Western Cattle Egret · YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON
Shorebirds & seabirdsAMERICAN WOODCOCK · BONAPARTE'S GULL · COMMON SNIPE · Caspian Tern · KILLDEER · LESSER YELLOWLEGS · RING-BILLED GULL · SOLITARY SANDPIPER · SPOTTED SANDPIPER
Gamebirds & dovesEurasian Collared-Dove · MOURNING DOVE · NORTHERN BOBWHITE · ROCK DOVE · WILD TURKEY
WoodpeckersCOMMON FLICKER · DOWNY WOODPECKER · HAIRY WOODPECKER · PILEATED WOODPECKER · RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER · RED-HEADED WOODPECKER · YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER
Hummingbirds & swiftsCHIMNEY SWIFT · RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD
Also on the checklistACADIAN FLYCATCHER · AMERICAN CROW · AMERICAN GOLDFINCH · AMERICAN REDSTART · AMERICAN ROBIN · ANHINGA · American Pipit · BACHMAN'S SPARROW · BALTIMORE ORIOLE · BARN SWALLOW · BAY-BREASTED WARBLER · BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER · BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO · BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER · BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER · BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER · BLACKPOLL WARBLER · BLUE GROSBEAK · BLUE JAY · BLUE-HEADED VIREO · BLUE-WINGED WARBLER · BOBOLINK · BROWN CREEPER · BROWN THRASHER · BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD · BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH · Belted Kingfisher · Bicknell's Thrush · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · CANADA WARBLER · CAPE MAY WARBLER · CAROLINA CHICKADEE · CAROLINA WREN · CATBIRD · CEDAR WAXWING · CERULEAN WARBLER · CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER · CHIPPING SPARROW · CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW · CLIFF SWALLOW · COMMON GRACKLE · COMMON NIGHTHAWK · COMMON YELLOWTHROAT · DARK-EYED JUNCO · EASTERN BLUEBIRD · EASTERN KINGBIRD · EASTERN MEADOWLARK · EASTERN PHOEBE · EASTERN TOWHEE · EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE · EUROPEAN STARLING · EVENING GROSBEAK · Eastern Whip-poor-will · FIELD SPARROW · FISH CROW · FOX SPARROW · GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET · GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER · GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH · GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER · HERMIT THRUSH · HOODED WARBLER · HOUSE SPARROW · HOUSE WREN · Henslow's Sparrow · House Finch · INDIGO BUNTING · KENTUCKY WARBLER · LEAST FLYCATCHER · LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE · LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH · Lincoln's Sparrow · MAGNOLIA WARBLER · MALLARD · MOCKINGBIRD · MYRTLE WARBLER · NORTHERN CARDINAL · NORTHERN PARULA · NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH · Northern Shoveler · OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER · ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER · ORCHARD ORIOLE · OVENBIRD · PALM WARBLER · PHILADELPHIA VIREO · PINE SISKIN · PINE WARBLER · PRAIRIE WARBLER · PROTHONOTARY WARBLER · PURPLE FINCH · PURPLE MARTIN · RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH · RED-EYED VIREO · RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD · ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK · ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW · RUSTY BLACKBIRD · Roseate Spoonbill · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · SAVANNAH SPARROW · SCARLET TANAGER · SONG SPARROW · SUMMER TANAGER · SWAINSON'S THRUSH · SWAINSON'S WARBLER · SWAMP SPARROW · Sand Martin · TENNESSEE WARBLER · TREE SWALLOW · TUFTED TITMOUSE · VEERY · VESPER SPARROW · WARBLING VIREO · WESTERN KINGBIRD · WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH · WHITE-EYED VIREO · WHITE-THROATED SPARROW · WINTER WREN · WOOD THRUSH · WORM-EATING WARBLER · YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO · YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT · YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER · YELLOW-THROATED VIREO · YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
Small mammalsAmerican Beaver · COTTON MOUSE · EASTERN FOX SQUIRREL · EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL · EASTERN WOODRAT · Eastern Cottontail · Eastern Harvest Mouse · Eastern Mole · Hispid Cotton Rat · MARSH RICE RAT · Marsh Rabbit · NORTHERN SHORT-TAILED SHREW · SOUTHEASTERN SHREW · SOUTHERN FLYING SQUIRREL · STAR-NOSED MOLE · Southern Short-tailed Shrew · White-footed Deermouse · bee shrew
PredatorsBOBCAT · COMMON GRAY FOX · COMMON RACCOON · Common Otter · Coyote · Cross Fox · MINK · Striped Skunk
Hoofed mammalsWHITE-TAILED DEER
BatsBIG BROWN BAT · EASTERN RED BAT · Eastern Big-eared Bat · Eastern Pipistrelle · Evening Bat · SOUTHEASTERN MYOTIS
Also on the checklistDomestic Cat · FERAL HOG · Virginia Opossum · domestic dog
Activities
Activity guides for this park Camping in the national parks · Canoeing and kayaking in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks
Weather & climate
Check the forecast before getting on the road. Conditions can change rapidly within the park. Flooding can happen with little or no warning, so make sure to check water levels for Cedar Creek and the Congaree River.
Questions people ask
Does Congaree charge an entrance fee?
No. Congaree is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
Is Congaree open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Congaree?
Yes. The Park Service lists 2 campgrounds in Congaree: Longleaf and Bluff. 2 take reservations through Recreation.gov.
Do any Congaree campgrounds have hookups or showers?
No. None of the 2 listed campgrounds report showers, electric hookups, or a dump station.
Source: Campgrounds
Is anything closed at Congaree right now?
4 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: Flood Warning In Effect *10/12/2026; Paddling Conditions; and more.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Congaree?
287,833 recreation visits in 2025, number 153 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Congaree?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE and T-Mobile 5G. No reported coverage for AT&T. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is the weather like at Congaree?
Check the forecast before getting on the road. Conditions can change rapidly within the park.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
More in South Carolina
