Congaree National Park
Congaree National Park is a 26,692.6-acre (41.7 sq mi; 108.0 km2) national park of the United States in central South Carolina, 18 miles southeast of the state capital, Columbia. On the map, it sits 5 mi south of Hopkins. It is run by the National Park Service. Footfall in 2025 was 288K.
A national park, 5 mi south of Hopkins
Visits hit a record in 2025
The National Park Service counted 287,833 visitors in 2025, the most in 10 years of counts. Visitors ↓
Summers are hot
July and August highs run 91–93°, and about 81 days a year reach 90°. When to go ↓
Cayce is the nearest base
Cayce is 15 miles northwest, with 11 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Charlotte
Charlotte is about 95 miles north (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Oct and Nov
March, April, May, October and November are the mild months, with highs of 67–84°. When to go ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
Visits and weather by month
Plan a visit to Congaree around the crowds and weather below.
Congaree National Park
Congaree National Park is a 26,692.6-acre (41.7 sq mi; 108.0 km2) national park of the United States in central South Carolina, 18 miles southeast of the state capital, Columbia. The park preserves the largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest left in the United States. The lush trees growing in its floodplain forest are some of the tallest in the eastern United States, forming one of the highest temperate deciduous forest canopies remaining in the world. The Congaree River flows through the park. About 15,000 acres (23.4 sq mi; 60.7 km2) are designated as a wilderness area.
The park received its official designation in 2003 as the culmination of a grassroots campaign that began in 1969. With 145,929 visitors in 2018, it ranks as the United States' 10th-least visited national park, just behind Nevada's Great Basin National Park.
- Type
- National Park
- Established
- 2003
- Area
- 41 square miles
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Listed
- Ramsar site (2012) · National Natural Landmark (1974)
- Wikipedia readers
- 48K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/cong
Hours, entry and address
Lodging near Congaree National Park
For a bed close by, look to Columbia (86) and Dentsville (24).
- 1Williams-Brice Stadium
- 2Alcohol and Drug Abuse Lake
- 3Colonial Life Arena
- 4Riverbanks Zoo
- 5Columbia Museum of Art
Columbia
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
147,035 people
15 mi north of Harry Hampton Visitor Center · 14 mi to the park
Dentsville
15,209 people
19 mi northwest of Harry Hampton Visitor Center · 17 mi to the park
West Columbia
18,489 people
19 mi northwest of Harry Hampton Visitor Center · 17 mi to the park
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 15 mi north | 25 min | 86 73 hotels · 5 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 147,035 | $264K | D |
| Dentsville | 19 mi northwest | 30 min | 24 20 hotels · 2 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 15,209 | $164K | — |
| Cayce | 15 mi northwest | 25 min | 11 8 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins | 13,680 | $167K | D |
| West Columbia | 19 mi northwest | 30 min | 15 10 hotels · 4 motels · 1 lodge or cabins | 18,489 | $202K | D− |
| Brookdale | 21 mi south | 30 min | 19 18 hotels · 1 motel | 4,291 | $97K | — |
| Sumter | 26 mi east | 40 min | 28 22 hotels · 1 motel · 4 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 43,094 | $199K | D− |
| Hopkins | 5 mi north | 10 min | 2 1 hotel · 1 inn or B&B | 1,985 | $99K | — |
| Orangeburg | 23 mi south | 35 min | 15 11 hotels · 3 motels · 1 inn or B&B | 13,383 | $164K | D− |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
Beyond Congaree
These well-known places are within 70 miles.
119 mi Stadium & arenaWilliams-Brice Stadium224 mi LakeAlcohol and Drug Abuse Lake
37 mi LakeLake Murray
38 mi LakeLake Marion
321 mi Stadium & arenaColonial Life Arena
423 mi Zoo & aquariumRiverbanks Zoo
521 mi MuseumColumbia Museum of Art
70 mi GardenCypress GardensPhoto credits
Williams-Brice Stadium: SRA MARVIN PRESTON, Public domain · Lake Murray: Greygh0st at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Lake Marion: http://www.terraprints.com, CC BY 2.5 · Colonial Life Arena: Dfscgt21, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Riverbanks Zoo: Carlo Giovannetti (Thief12), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Columbia Museum of Art: Akhenaton06, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cypress Gardens: ProfReader, CC BY-SA 4.0
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A record 287,833 visitors in 2025
Each bar is one year, from 2016 to 2025.
Know before you visit Congaree
What town is Congaree National Park near?
Hopkins, SC, about 5 miles north.
When is the best time to visit Congaree National Park?
March, April, May, October and November, with highs of 67–84°. May is the busiest month (about 30,081 visitors).
How many people visit Congaree National Park each year?
287,833 in 2025, according to the National Park Service.
How far is Congaree National Park from Charlotte?
About 95 miles north of Charlotte, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Congaree National Park?
Columbia Metropolitan (CAE), about 19 miles away. The nearest big hub is Charleston (CHS), about 79 miles.
Where should I stay near Congaree National Park?
Columbia (15 mi, 86 places to stay), Dentsville (19 mi, 24 places to stay) and Cayce (15 mi, 11 places to stay).
Ask people in Hopkins
What people nearby have posted about Congaree.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.