Congaree National Park is one of the country’s least visited and well-hidden national parks. Less than half an hour from Columbia, it runs along the Congaree River and is home to the country’s largest expanse of old-growth forest. It offers 25+ miles of hiking trails, trees as tall as 170 feet and even opportunities to canoe or kayak.
Our family was visiting Hilton Head when we decided to make a day trip to see this park. Unfortunately, it was during the coronavirus outbreak, so much of the park was closed. While the Visitor’s Center was not open, I was able to communicate with several of the Park Rangers before hand via email. They sent us copies of the Junior Ranger packet, as well as advice on what the best trails would be for our 13 year old and 8 year old.
When we arrived, we took the required picture with the sign at the entrance and headed to the Bates Ferry Trail. This trail is easy on the kids, just over 2 miles round trip, and offers some interesting looks at the local wildlife. Unfortunately for us, Tropical Storm Bertha had passed through recently, so we were only able to make it about a half mile before we reached the part of the trail that was flooded out.
From there, we made our way to the King Snake Trail. Of the two, this was by far the more impressive. As you enter the trail, you immediately come upon Cedar Creek, one of the best places to put in a canoe. This area was relatively flooded too, so we were not able to follow much of the trail. That said, our family was able to spend about an hour exploring this flooded out area, which was really interesting.
In terms of things to do with kids in this park, there’s not a ton. In terms of guided services, even if things were completely open, there are not a lot. This is the type of park that makes a nice one day hiking trip, but is not the type of park that requires several days to fully experience. If we lived nearby, I could definitely see camping overnight or bringing kayaks, but in our situation, that was not realistic.
Even though we didn’t get to fully experience Congaree, the family and I were all really glad that we went, and would definitely recommend it if you’re interested in some really unique back-country hiking. If you want a fun way to learn more about the park, check out this Sporcle quiz.