Congaree National Park with Toddlers – Tyler’s Top Tips

Intro to Congaree National Park with Toddlers

Hi everyone.  It’s Tyler here from TheTravelingToddler.com.  As you know from our recent articles, we took a short driving tour through the Southeastern United States and saw a number of attractions, including Biltmore House and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  One of the main attractions we visited was Congaree National Park outside of Columbia, South Carolina and I’m here to give you some tips on Visiting Congaree National Park (https://www.nps.gov/cong/index.htm) with Toddlers.

Background

Congaree National Park is one of the newest national parks in the National Park Service, designated in 2003.  It features the nation’s largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest.

Location

A short 30 minute drive from Columbia, South Carolina.

Cost

There is no fee for visiting.

Hours

The park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  The Visitor Center is open from 9am until 5pm every day except for federal holidays.

 

National Park Passport Stamps

Congaree National Park has one passport stamp and it can be obtained at the Visitor Center.

Attractions

The small visitor center has exhibits about the park.  There is also a 2.5 mile boardwalk loop trail which features much of the foliage of the park, as well as a lake (you cannot enter the lake though).

Additional unpaved trails are available and there is also tent camping allowed.  There is no food or lodging on site.

 

Toddler Tips

The visitor center and boardwalk loop trail are both interesting and accessible to toddlers.  If you plan on walking the whole 2.5 mile trail, I would recommend bringing a stroller.

In addition, pay attention to flood reports, as parts of the boardwalk trail flood sporadically throughout the year.  Mosquito repellent is a must during the summer.  The day we went, parts of the boardwalk trail were closed for repairs, so we ended up walking (or in my case, riding in my stroller) about 4 miles.

         

Summary

Congaree is a great way to get away from it all for a few hours.  Expect to spend about 3 hours touring the visitor center and walking the entire boardwalk loop trail.  If your little one isn’t used to walking long distances, a stroller is a must.

Related Content

I hope you enjoyed my article about Visiting Congaree National Park with Toddlers.  Click here for information on other national parks.

Thanks for reading.

Tyler@The Traveling Toddler

Have you ever visited Congaree National Park?  Do you have any tips about visiting Congaree National Park with Toddlers?  Leave your comments below.