congaree national park
Did you even know that South Carolina has a national park!? It’s the Congaree National Park and its just a little southeast of Columbia, about 130 miles from Myrtle Beach. You don’t need a lot of time to explore this park because it’s relatively small compared to other national parks –– but still highly recommended.
WHERE: 100 National Park Road in Hopkins, SC (2 hours 45 minutes from central MB)
WHAT YOU’LL SEE: Congaree is a 26,000+ acre park featuring the largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest that remains in the USA.
BEST FOR: The whole Boardwalk Loop Trail is stroller-friendly so it would be good for families with kids of all ages.
DO NOT MISS: The two main things to do are explore the visitor’s center and walk the Boardwalk Loop Trail. There is a kids activity book to do on the trail and if they complete it they can be sworn in by a park ranger and receive their own ranger badge.
PAIR IT WITH: You’re only 18 miles out from Columbia so pair this with a visit to Riverbanks Zoo. That’s what we did. Read more about it here.
good to know info
VISITORS CENTER | It has some fun interactive elements for kids and lots of great info about the amazing and huge trees you’ll see. These loblolly pines are among the tallest in the eastern USA. There are also some great gifts in here –– we picked up a pair of binoculars and a new puzzle.
BOARDWALK LOOP TRAIL | This is the most popular trail in the park and can be completed in less than 2 hours. It’s all on a raised boardwalk that sometimes sits 20–30 feet off the ground and at other times it’s just inches off the ground. Some parts are wider than others but it is stroller-friendly throughout.
BUGGY | Definitely want to be prepared with insect repellant. We did not have issues in early June but it is a well-known issue for this environment.
IT MAY BE FLOODED | Check the conditions of the park and trail before going. This area floods, that is part of what makes it special. It’s the frequent flooding of these riverbanks that makes this ecosystem so unique and diverse.
DO THE KIDS ACTIVITY BOOKLET | This is a great little booklet. It has several activities in it. Kids can do a certain number (to correspond with their age) to receive a ranger badge and official swearing in as a junior ranger. It’s very cute and makes them feel very important.
LEARN ABOUT THE SYNCHRONOUS FIREFLIES | Congaree National Park is just one of a few places you can witness this spectacle. It happens annually from mid-May to mid-June. It has become a very popular activity so getting to enjoy it depends on luck –– a lottery system! Read more here.
what else to do nearby
Congaree is pretty isolated so bring some snacks until you can get back to Columbia or on your way back to Myrtle. We visited Congaree on our way into Columbia but it would work equally well as a stop on your way out of Columbia back to the Grand Strand.
Here is our post about Riverbanks Zoo and some other kid-friendly ideas for Columbia.