One of the items on our bucket list: visit every National Park in the continental United States. Or, maybe that’s 62 items? Either way, we finally have a couple of check marks on the list!

First up on our National Park Series: Congaree National Park.

A Little Bit About the Park:

Congaree National Park is one of the smaller national parks, at about 26,000 acres, but that’s no correlation to the biodiversity here. With its rich biome, Congaree is home to at least 1,220 taxa—including birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and so. many. plants. Officially designated as a national park in 2003, Congaree is also one of the newest parks to claim its title. This park is home to some of the tallest trees in the Eastern United States, and one of the highest canopies in the world!

Even with all Congaree has to offer, it is still rated as one of the “worst” national parks (perhaps due to its small size, frequent flooding, and high population of bugs). Of course, we did not let a few bugs or water stop us from basking in its beauty.

How We Spent Our Time:

We were only able to visit Congaree National Park for a short time, so we opted to do the most popular trail—Boardwalk Loop. On this trail, you follow a boardwalk around a 2.5-mile loop, where you can see a little bit of everything! The walk, considered very easy, is stroller or wheelchair accessible. Dogs are also allowed on the trail, but must remain on a leash at all times.

The park offers a brochure for a self-guided tour, listing out 20 stops along the trail from native plants to the tallest trees to even historic landmarks. This gives visitors a chance to learn more about the park while enjoying its scenery. Along the loop, we saw a ton of wildlife including snakes, alligators, lizards and an owl. We even had a deer cross the boardwalk path just a few feet in front of us!

Our Favorite Things:

My favorite thing about Congaree was the vast biodiversity. In only a 2.5 mile loop, the scenery around us seemed to change with each passing step. I felt like I was seeing something new at every turn. For Evan, his favorite thing about Congaree was the Loblolly Pines—the largest at the park being 170 foot tall with a circumference of 15 feet! We were completely mesmerized by their size and the stories they must hold from the last few hundred years. The whole park had so much of a story to tell, and we loved hearing it through the rustle of leaves and singing of birds.

When To Go:

We chose to visit the park in late May, which is certainly not the hottest time of year, but it was quite warm. Lucky for us, the mosquito meter was on “moderate” that day, so bugs were not a huge bother. While I think late May is possibly prime time to visit, I also think the best time to visit is very dependent on what you want to see. In late May, flooding has diminished, the animals are out and about, and the tree canopies are full of life.

If you prefer a lush green landscape, like we do, it is probably best to visit in Spring or Summer. The trees and plants will be in full bloom, but the bugs and critters will be more abundant. In the Spring, you run a risk of flooding, as it is part of the park’s natural cycle and is essential to the life there. If you prefer to avoid the heat and/or bugs, Fall or Winter may be more suitable. The Winter can be mild here, so the walk may be more enjoyable, but the wildlife sightings may be limited. In the Fall, you may be able to get the best of both worlds, but you might miss out on the glorious canopies if the leaves have begun to drop.

Our Tips:

1. No matter what time of year you go, bug spray is a must! Even on cool Winter days, the mosquitoes might be out. Be sure to spray these in the parking lot, though, as to not disturb the natural ecosystem.
2. The boardwalk trek is simple and does not require any special gear. Regular walking shoes or tennis shoes are fine on the flat terrain.  If you plan to do one of the other trails, check into the park’s website for more information: https://www.nps.gov/cong/planyourvisit/trail-information.htm
3. If you are interested in bird watching, I recommend bringing a pair of binoculars because the trees are super tall!
4. The visitor center is small, but very informative on native species. It is definitely worth a quick stop!

Conclusion:

Congaree National Park did not disappoint. In fact, we loved it! If we ever have more time to explore, I would love to kayak along Cedar Creek to see the park from a different point of view. I do think one full day would be enough to truly appreciate the park and what it has to offer. If you ever get the chance to visit, even for a few hours, DO IT!

Click the button below to visit the National Park Service website for information to get your trip started.