Things To Do

Congaree National Park provides a sanctuary for plants and animals, a research site for scientists, and a place for you to walk and relax in a tranquil wilderness setting amidst giant hardwoods and towering pines.

Activities at Congaree National Park include hiking, primitive camping, bird watching, picnicing, canoeing & kayaking, Ranger guided interpretive walks and canoe tours, nature study, and environmental education programs.

Canoeing and Kayaking

Traveling by canoe or kayak is a great way to enjoy this primeval wilderness while floating past some of the tallest trees in eastern North America. Paddling is also a thrilling way to encounter the diverse wildlife of the park. Deer, river otters, turtles, snakes, raccoons, and wild pigs are a few of the animals that may be seen.

The park offers guided canoe tours on Cedar Creek every other Sunday. Canoes are provided for tour participants only. Individual canoeing at Congaree is a BYOC (bring your own canoe) experience. Canoes and kayaks can be rented from outfitters in Columbia.

There is a marked canoe trail on Cedar Creek, the largest channel that flows through the floodplain. The Congaree River can also be paddled, but there is no vehicle access to the river within the park boundaries.

Be aware of potential hazards such as poison ivy, mosquitoes, wasps, spiders, and snakes which inhabit the park in ample numbers. Bring insect repellent, a first-aid kit, life jackets, a compass, a map (available at the visitor center or on this website), and extra food and water. Remember to wear comfortable clothing, and be prepared to get muddy. A final caution: although marked, the Cedar Creek canoe trail may be hard to follow in places. When in doubt, keep a keen watch for the diamond-shaped markers. However, because of Wilderness designation regulations, canoe trail markers are limited.

Boardwalk Loop

This self-guiding walk is 2.4 miles long, and is an excellent introduction to the park.

Most of the park lies on the Congaree River floodplain, between 80 and 100 feet above sea level. During a flood in March of 1990, only the top railing was above the flood waters. The park is flooded an average of ten times per year. This provides nutrients from fertile soils that are deposited when flood waters recede. Floods usually occur after frequent and abundant rains to the north, but may also occur when water is released from upriver dams or after tropical storms or hurricanes. The replenished soil supports a great diversity of plant and animal life. The forest canopy stands high overhead, enhancing the illusion of perpetual twilight. Barred owls often call during daylight. In summer, a gentle rain is seldom felt except as a fine mist below the forest's canopy.

Changes made by Hurricane Hugo in September of 1989 are still evident. Congaree lost its national champion Shumard oak tree and a former champion overcup oak tree. A big tree survey completed in 1996 identified 4 national and 19 South Carolina state record trees within the park. More than 150 trees larger than 12 feet in circumference were located.

Hugo's winds uprooted and twisted apart many big trees. The canopy was opened in numerous places allowing sunlight to reach the forest floor. It is thrilling to see the regeneration of this great forest.

Trip Ideas

The marked canoe trail on Cedar Creek extends from Bannister's Bridge to the Congaree River. Vehicle access to Cedar Creek is provided at Bannister's Bridge and at Cedar Creek Landing, and the Congaree River is accessible outside the park at the bridge on Highway 601. Using these three access points, several different trips are possible:

CEDAR CREEK LANDING
Upstream or Downstream then Return
Distance: variable

Time required: variable

For canoeists with only one vehicle, the best option is to put-in at Cedar Creek Landing and to explore the creek either upstream of downstream of the parking area. This portion of Cedar Creek is beautiful and tranquil. Its banks are lined with cypress trees that form a graceful canopy over the creek's dark waters. While it is also possible to explore Cedar Creek downstream of Bannister's Bridge, the creek is wider, easier to paddle, and more scenic in the vicinity of Cedar Creek Landing.

BANNISTER'S BRIDGE TO CEDAR CREEK LANDING
Distance: 7 miles

Time required: 4-6 hours

For canoeists with two vehicles, this stretch of Cedar Creek makes for an enjoyable and satisfying day trip. The creek is narrow at first, twisting through brush and low forest, but it soon widens and flows past oaks and loblolly pines of near-record dimensions. At the halfway point, the creek drops under a bridge. Off to the right is Wise Lake, a former channel of the Congaree River. The lake can be visited, via a short channel, when water levels are high. After another 2-3 hours of easy paddling, the iron bridge at Cedar Creek Landing will come into view.

CEDAR CREEK LANDING TO THE 601 BRIDGE
Distance: 20 miles (7 miles on Cedar Creek, 13 miles on the Congaree River)

Time required: 12-14 hours

Canoeists with two vehicles may also explore the wilder, eastern section of the park and float down the brown-water Congaree River. This works best as an overnight trip, so stop by the Visitor Center for a free backcountry permit before undertaking this adventure. About two miles downstream from Cedar Creek Landing, an old, hand-dug canal provides a short-cut through the neck of one of the creek's meanders. Two miles later, Cedar Creek makes a hard bend to the left and is joined by Horsepen Gut, a prominent tributary. Mazyck's Cut, a short channel that leads to the Congaree River, is three miles further ahead on the right. Here a wooden sign points toward the river and three trail markers indicate the shortcut. Since the remainder of Cedar Creek is not cleared or marked, it is recommended that canoeists follow Mazyck's Cut to the river. Once on the Congaree, clear floating awaits the canoeist for the 13 miles to the 601 bridge.

Walks and Talks

Note: Please visit the Schedule of Events page to obtain exact date and time for each program.

Weekend Programs

Owl Prowls

Have you ever heard a barred owl hoot "Who cooks for y'all"? Talk to barred owls and look for foxfire, flying squirrels and fireflies on this 2 ½ - mile walk. These popular ranger-guided night walks are held in the spring and fall seasons each year. The programs are usually presented on Friday evenings just before dusk. They last two hours and are free of charge. Bring flashlights with red filters. Reservations are required two weeks in advance for these programs.

Harry Hampton Memorial Walk

This annual program is a 3 hour guided walk held in honor of the founding father of Congaree National Park. Hampton was an ardent conservationist and a writer for "The State" newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina. In his column "Woods and Waters" he promoted preservation of the Congaree floodplain forest. He started his campaign to protect Congaree in the 1950's. Not until the 1970's did others join Hampton in a grass roots effort to preserve the Congaree which resulted in park establishment on October 18, 1976 as Congaree Swamp National Monument. Call in advance to make reservations for this free November program.

Annual Spring Walk

Each spring season professor and naturalist Rudy Mancke leads several three hour walks through the Congaree forest. Mancke is renowned for this public television program "NatureScene". He has visited and promoted Congaree through the years and his efforts helped publicize the Congaree forest. Call in advance to make reservations for this free program.

Fishing

REGULATIONS

• Fishing is allowed within Congaree National Park with a valid South Carolina fishing license. All South Carolina laws pertaining to licensing, size, and creel limits apply.

• Violation of the below fishing regulations could result in fines and/or seizure of fishing equipment.

Fishing Areas

• Fishing is permitted in all areas of the park except for Weston Lake (located at the end of the elevated boardwalk), due to visitor safety concerns.

• Use the service road, NOT the boardwalks, for access to fishing areas.

Watercraft

• Do not use boats propelled by inboard/outboard motors.

Bait

• To avoid introducing new, nonnative and/or potentially diseased, species to the ecosystem, please do not use minnows, amphibians or fish eggs as bait.

• To preserve this natural environment for future generations, drugs, poisons, explosives, electrical devices or similar means in order to take or attract game and/or non-game fish are NOT allowed.

• To ensure the natural condition of the park, do not dig for bait or chum for fish.

• Game fish may be used to catch game fish but must be included in South Carolina regulated daily bag limit.

Equipment

• Fish only with closely attended hook and line, fly rod, casting rod, pole and line or hand line.

• Cast nets for catching bait fish may be used.

General Rules

• To preserve the quantity and biodiversity of the fish population, only recreational fishing is allowed. Catch and release sportsmanship is encouraged.

• Please return illegal or unwanted fish carefully and immediately to the water.

• Help maintain the natural beauty and health of the park by refraining from littering.

Guided Canoe Tours

Every other Sunday, rangers provide free guided canoe programs along Cedar Creek. You will experience this unique old-growth bottomland forest while paddling through large Baldcypress and Water Tupelo trees draped with Spanish Moss. You will be surrounded with the sounds of songbirds, owls, and woodpeckers as you paddle through Congaree's wilderness. White-tailed deer, otters, and raccoons may also be spotted along the banks of Cedar Creek.

To attend a ranger guided canoe trip, a phone reservation is required. Please call the park at 803-776-4396 ext. 0 to make a reservation. Reservations begin 2 weeks before the scheduled program. The park provides canoes, life jackets and paddles. Be sure to bring your lunch, water, insect repellent, a change of clothes, and wear shoes that attach to your feet (no flip-flops). Children must be at least 5 years old to attend.

This ranger guided canoe experience is ideal for beginners, and is an exciting way to experience the floodplain forest of Congaree National Park.

Canoe Trail Information

Cedar Creek is part of a dynamic floodplain wilderness area with floods and weather contributing to tree downfalls and log jams. The creek is cleared when resources (such as availability of park staff and volunteers and favorable weather conditions) are available but the park can not make any guarantees that the canoe trail will be clear at all times. Park staff invites you to report your canoeing/kayaking experiences so we can pass on up-to-date conditions to other paddlers.

Changing water levels may make paddling difficult. Occasionally, floodwaters from the Congaree River cover the park with a sheet of fast-moving water. Paddling upstream and following the marked canoe trail may be challenging during flooding events. Water levels can fluctuate by more than 10 feet. Canoe trail markers may be underwater and the trail may be indistinguishable from the rest of the floodplain. When water levels are very low or after significant flooding occurs, fallen trees may impede smooth travel, forcing canoeists to portage.

Before paddling, it is advisable to call the visitor center (803-776-4396) to ask about current conditions.

Links

USGS Real-Time Water Data for Cedar Creek

USGS Real-Time Water Data for the Congaree River