Congaree National Park

🌊

Floods often

Boardwalk may close

💵

Entrance fee

✨

May 13–20

2026 firefly event

💧

Live

Congaree River gauge

🏕

Primitive

Longleaf/Bluff campsites

🌲

Champion trees

Some of tallest in East US

⚠️Flood & Wildlife SafetyBoardwalk floods▾

🌊 Congaree is a floodplain forest — the Boardwalk Loop and low trails flood roughly 10 times a year when the Congaree and Wateree Rivers rise, sometimes closing sections with little notice. Check current conditions before visiting after heavy rain. Venomous snakes (cottonmouths, copperheads) and alligators are present in the swamp; stay on the boardwalk or marked trails. Mosquitoes can be intense in warm months — the park even posts a "mosquito meter" for reference. NPS safety info ↗

🎫Park EntryFree, no gates▾

🚶 Congaree has no entrance fee — the Harry Hampton Visitor Center is the main starting point, with the Boardwalk Loop Trail beginning right outside. NPS fees info ↗

💧Congaree RiverLive USGS gauge▾

✨Synchronous FirefliesLottery event▾

🎟️ For about two weeks each spring (May 13–20, 2026), Congaree hosts one of the few places in the US where fireflies flash in synchronized bursts. Entry during the event is capped at 145 vehicles per night with a valid pass — passes are awarded through a Recreation.gov lottery that opens roughly a month ahead ($1 lottery entry, $24 event fee if selected). Firefly event details ↗

🏕CampingPrimitive, permit required▾

🎒 Longleaf and Bluff campgrounds offer walk-in, primitive tent sites — no RV hookups, no vehicle access to the sites themselves. Backcountry camping is also permitted along the Congaree/Cedar Creek corridor with a free permit. Full camping details on NPS.gov ↗

Park Contact Information

📞 Phone: (803) 776-4396 · Mailing Address: 100 National Park Road, Hopkins, SC 29061 · Official NPS contact page ↗