Congaree National Park

Congaree National Park

Why you should Visit Congaree National Park

It’s amazing how many people I meet in the Midlands who never have been to Congaree National Park. They have what they think are great excuses:

  • It’s so far away.
  • I don’t like to hike.
  • I can’t stand the bugs.
  • I’m scared of snakes.

I try to shoot down their reasoning. If the Grand Canyon was a half-hour drive from your home, would you stop by the big hole every once in a while? Sure, Congaree is a different level of awe-inspiring, but it’s nearly as special to nature-lovers.

Once, bottomland forests lined most of the rivers in the East Coast, with huge trees feasting on the nutrients flushed in by frequent floods. Timbering, development and dams wiped out that remarkable flood-plain habitat. The largest remaining example can be found in the 24,500-acre park southeast of Columbia.