Congaree National Park
South Carolina
Tonight
🌗 46% moon
7.2 h fully dark
Crowds
low
Open today
Open
Entrance
Free entry
Being Prepared for Excessive Heat & Humidity
Congaree can be hot & humid from late spring through early fall. Be sure that you & your party (including pets) have adequate water & choose activities that fit your level of physical fitness. Consider visiting early in the morning when it is cooler.
Official NPS alert →Paddling 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.
Kingsnake Trailhead Closed for Bridge Replacement
The Kingsnake Trailhead at South Cedar Creek Canoe Landing is closed temporarily as Bridge "L" is being replaced. The South Cedar Creek Canoe Landing parking lot remains open and accessible. Kingsnake Trail may still be accessed from the Harry Hampton Visitor Center entrance. Please see linked trail guide for reference.
Official NPS alert →Backcountry Trail Conditions
GPS is necessary on backcountry trails: Oakridge, Boggy Gut (formerly River), and Kingsnake. These trails may be difficult to follow.
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.
Official NPS alert →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.
Activities
Topics
No entrance fee.
Hours & seasons
Congaree National Park is generally open 24 hours a day year-round. For visitor and staff safety, park operations and/or weather conditions may occasionally result in short term, temporary closures. Please review the park webpage and social media platforms for more information. The Harry Hampton Visitor Center is open 9-5, daily. It is closed New Year's Day, President's Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. Please check alerts prior to your visit.
Generally open:
winterspringsummerfallHours are reported by the park — verify before you go.
📞 8037764396
✉ cong_information@nps.govConditions
Quietest months (fewer crowds): Jan, Aug
Typical crowds: low
Weather now: ⛅ Partly cloudy, 89°F
🌦️ 93°/74°
🌦️ 90°/73°
☁️ 89°/73°
Typical monthly recreation visits · NPS avg 2023–2025 — orange months are the quietest by crowds.
Quietest months
Relative crowds by month — lighter is quieter; ringed months are the calmest by crowds.
Jan
46%
Feb
52%
Mar
100%
Apr
81%
May
100%
Jun
68%
Jul
60%
Aug
46%
Sep
56%
Oct
73%
Nov
74%
Dec
56%
Log a sky reading
Measured the sky with an SQM meter or app? Add your reading (16 = city glow … 22 = pristine). Opt in under “Travelers like you” to share it on the community leaderboard.
Campgrounds
Bluff Campground ↗ · 6 sites · first-come
Longleaf Campground ↗ · 14 sites · first-come
Visitor centers
Harry Hampton Visitor Center
Accessibility
2 accessible campground(s)
20 audio-described place(s)
Reported by the park — verify before you go.
Not an official safety source — always defer to NPS.gov and rangers for life-safety decisions.
By the numbers
A visual read on Congaree National Park — its character, trails, sky, and weather.
Park fingerprint
How this park scores across the dimensions travelers care about.
3-day forecast
Daily high and low temperatures (°F).
People & stories
Figures tied to Congaree National Park — each spans a cross-park journey.
Harry R.E. Hampton
— Conservation, South Carolina, Engaging With The EnvironmentPassport stamps
Mark the stamps you've collected — they show in your memory and along your routes.
🎫 Harry Hampton Visitor Center
Places to see
Congaree NP Park Store
Congaree Self Guided Boardwalk Tour Stop #1
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Congaree Self Guided Boardwalk Tour Stop #10
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Congaree Self Guided Boardwalk Tour Stop #11
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Congaree Self Guided Boardwalk Tour Stop #12
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Congaree Self Guided Boardwalk Tour Stop #13
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Congaree Self Guided Boardwalk Tour Stop #14
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Congaree Self Guided Boardwalk Tour Stop #15
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Congaree Self Guided Boardwalk Tour Stop #16
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Congaree Self Guided Boardwalk Tour Stop #17
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Congaree Self Guided Boardwalk Tour Stop #18
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Congaree Self Guided Boardwalk Tour Stop #19
audioAudio & media
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Learn more
This article is a review of a relatively recent publication, the "Framework for K–12 science education." "Information Crossfile" department articles synopsize selected publications relevant to natural resource management. Unless noted, articles are not reviewed by reference source author(s).
When you’re a dual-military couple, it can be a challenge to try to find things to do together, especially when you’re at separate duty stations or on deployment. For one Army couple, what started out as a simple idea to get out of the house turned into a five-year adventure.
First in a series of three "In Focus" articles that share insights into the near-universal and far-reaching effects of soils on the ecology, management, and enjoyment of our national parks.
Across the US, changes in water availability are altering which plants grow where. These changes are evident at a broad scale. But not all areas experience the same climate in the same way, even within the boundaries of a single national park. A new dataset gives park managers a valuable tool for understanding why vegetation has changed and how it might change in the future under different climate-change scenarios.
The primary objectives of the study are to (1) document the occurrence and distribution of EDC across a range of habitats, (2) document EDC impacts to local species, (3) document the potential for EDC reduction across a range of habitats by microcosm biodegradation experiments, and (4) identify possible methods to reduce EDCs at the source.
Meet Hannah Murray, a Cub Scout from Pack 743! She is also a youth volunteer with the National Park Service (NPS).
Read the abstract and get the link to a published paper on how dragonfly mercury studies uncover unexpected atmospheric delivery pathways: Janssen, S.E., C.J. Kotalik, J.J. Willacker, M.T. Tate, C. Flanagan Pritz, S.J. Nelson, D.P. Krabbenhoft, D. Walters, and C. Eagles-Smith. 2024. Geographic Drivers of Mercury Entry into Aquatic Foods Webs Revealed by Mercury Stable Isotopes in Dragonfly Larvae. Environmental Science & Technology. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c02436
The story of Forest Joe, the notorious maroon who led raids throughout lowcountry South Carolina.
How Congaree National Park connects
This park's activities, topics, location, and on-the-ground places — one hop in the graph. Drag to explore; click an activity, topic, or related park to follow it.
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