Congaree National Park
National park · Richland County
South Carolina
Highlights
Explore vast old-growth forest, hike boardwalks, canoe creeks, spot wildlife.
South Carolina Get directions
Explore vast old-growth forest, hike boardwalks, canoe creeks, spot wildlife.
South Carolina Get directions
"A national park in South Carolina known for its large hardwood forest and diverse ecosystem." - Lydia Mansel Lydia Mansel Lydia Mansel is a writer with more than eight years of experience editing and writing for both brands and online publications—with a particular focus on travel, fashion, and lifestyle. She’s
"Given the fact that South Carolina has notoriously mild winters, Congaree National Park is open year-round — and travelers can plan their trip based on what they most want to see. Those visiting in the fall may miss the annual synchronous firefly mating season that occurs in the spring, but they will get to witness the foliage that peaks at the end of October and early November. Not to mention, the lower temperatures make paddling Cedar Creek or hiking Kingsnake Trail more palatable." - Travel + Leisure Editors
"Congaree National Park in South Carolina preserves the largest tract of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the U.S., offering unique biodiversity and floodplain ecosystems." - Travel + Leisure Editors
"One of the best places to witness synchronous fireflies, this 26,000-acre national park near Hopkins, South Carolina hosts an annual viewing event (May 16–25, 2024) for the Photuris frontalis—nicknamed Snappy Single Sync—whose individuals flash about every 0.65 seconds and fly low to the ground. Because demand has surged, entry is limited to 145 passes per night obtained through an online lottery (one household entry allowed; April 4–10 entry window; $1 nonrefundable lottery fee; $24 event fee per vehicle if accepted; applicants notified April 16), and accepted vehicles (one two-axle passenger vehicle, up to eight people) may enter on an assigned night between 7:00 and 8:30 p.m. Visitors must stay on the Firefly Trail, may only use red-filtered flashlights pointed at the ground, cannot use cell phones as cameras or lights, must avoid insect repellent, and must not catch or disturb the fireflies. During the event the park closes to daytime visitors at 4:30 p.m., backcountry permits are suspended, and areas including the Harry Hampton Visitor Center and boardwalk, Bannister Bridge Canoe Launch, parts of Cedar Creek, and Longleaf and Bluff campgrounds may be closed. Beyond the light show, the park is noted for enormous champion trees (the biggest of their kind), very large turtles, and hand-sized spiders, and drew about 250,114 visitors last year." - Rachel Chang Rachel Chang Rachel Chang is a travel and pop culture journalist who contributes to Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Lonely Planet, and more. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"Congaree is a haven for four-legged friends who want to meander through the country's largest old growth bottomland hardwood forest. The park is home to champion trees — that is, the largest in their species known to man — and was once a swampy hideout for bootleggers and runaway slaves. Take a walk along the park's 2.4-mile Boardwalk Loop trail, where bald cypress trees eerily jut out of the water – just keep a lookout for alligators." - Travel + Leisure Editors
