Congaree National Park Ranger-Guided Canoe Tours

About Congaree National Park Ranger-Guided Canoe Tours

Overview:Congaree National Park preserves the largest remaining section of old-growth bottomland forest in the United States. A federally designated wilderness area in the floodplain of the Congaree River, it is a landscape forever shaped by water. Here, visitors to the park can see some of the tallest trees east of the Mississippi and witness amazing biodiversity. Numerous waterways can be found throughout the park. Cedar Creek, the primary body of water in the park, flows 15 miles from the parks northern border to its confluence with the Congaree River. This creek flows through a magnificent old-growth forest, past breath-taking trees and is home to many types of wildlife. Congaree National Park offers a wide range of opportunities to explore and experience the great outdoors. Park visitors will find old growth forests teeming with wildlife, miles of hiking trails ranging from easy to moderately strenuous and miles of waterways in a canoe or kayak. The park offers advance reservations for guided canoe tours from April through November. Guided canoe tours will begin at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center. The park also offers first-come, first-served interpretive programs throughout the year including guided hikes and ranger presentations. Summary of Fees Tour Name Fee Reservation Fee (per ticket) Changes* Cancellations* Ranger Guided Canoe Tours $0.00 $1.50 (non-refundable) n/a $1.50 **Customers may request changes until midnight the day before the tour at no cost. *Customers who cancel a tour will forfeit the $1.50 reservation fee

How to Get There

From Columbia, Interstate 77:At Exit 5 turn onto SC Hwy 48 East/Bluff Road. Following Bluff Road, travel approximately 16.6 miles to South Cedar Creek Road and turn right. Follow South Cedar Creek Road approximately 2 miles to the canoe landing. From Charlotte - Take Interstate 77 South towards Columbia for approximately 95 miles (153 km) to Exit 5, Bluff Road. Follow directions above from Columbia, Interstate 77, Exit 5. (approximate travel time: 2 hours). From Augusta, Georgia - Follow Interstate 20 East towards Columbia for 65 miles to Exit 64B. Merge onto Interstate 26 and follow for 8 miles (13 km) to Exit 116, Interstate 77 North towards Charlotte (on the left). Follow Interstate 77 for 5 miles (8 km) to Exit 5, Bluff Road. Follow directions above from Columbia, Interstate 77, Exit 5. (approximate travel time: 1 hour 45 minutes).

Plan Your Visit to Congaree National Park Ranger-Guided Canoe Tours

Heading to Congaree National Park Ranger-Guided Canoe Tours? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)