If you’re looking for a way to get away from people, enjoy nature, and have an unbelievable experience right here in South Carolina, look no further than kayaking in the state’s only national park near Columbia at Congaree National Park.
This park is new to the free incentive program to get kids exploring the outdoors! Learn all about it in our review of the Kids in Parks Program
The landscape at Congaree National Park looks like something other-worldly with its huge trees scraping the clouds, dense green brush, and still, dark water that mirrors the forest. While the park has plenty of hiking trails, the Cedar Creek Canoe Trail is a must-do for the sheer unique experience alone.
I first heard of Congaree National Park when flipping through a beautiful book on national parks and saw a photo of a person floating through the trees in a kayak. I was instantly captivated. It didn’t even look real.
Congaree is the only national park in South Carolina and has really, really old trees, which are fed by the nutrients in the floodplains, which is where the canoe trail is located. There’s also no admission fee.
Cedar Creek Canoe Trail
I’ve never been on any kind of boat trail so this was instantly fascinating for me – a canoe trail? Like a trail, but of water? Pretty much. There are even trail markers on the trees.
The trail encompasses more than 15 miles of waterways with the smaller waterways that branch off the larger trail and dumps into the Congaree River. It’s easy to get lost if you head the wrong way so grabbing a map, or screenshot is ideal.
There are a couple of entry points to the canoe trail (I know it says canoe but a kayak may be easier to maneuver and that’s what I used although we did see some people with canoes). We used the trailhead at Kingsnake Trail, which was a small gravel parking lot with pit bathrooms and trash cans. You can also drop in at Bannisters Bridge off Old Bluff Road.
The Cedar Creek Road access point at Kingsnake Trail is a great spot to drop in but you’ll need to walk your boat down a gravel path, maybe 100 feet or so. It’s not as easy as other lakes where they have boat ramps right at the water.
Enchanting and Magical Experience
Once we got on the water, though, it was magical. We went upstream for 2.5 miles until a large tree blocked our path. We turned around and headed back, stopping on the banks for a quick snack and watching for wildlife – we saw a bunch of snakes and tons of animal tracks. It took us about three hours on a tandem kayak with myself and two kids (one of which wasn’t paddling).
The National Park Service does take care of that particular part of the trail upstream and will clear out debris and downed trees as needed if the government isn’t shutdown or the nation isn’t dealing with a pandemic.
The park is home to hundreds of animals including more than a dozen different kinds of snakes (most are non-venomous), wild hogs, bobcats, and even alligators. The biodiversity of Congaree is just incredible.
And it’s quiet and peaceful and serene. We saw maybe a dozen other people during the three hours we paddled down the creek. It’s ideal for getting out in nature and a way to practice social distancing.
Guided Tours at Congaree National Park
When the park is open, they offer paid ranger-guided canoe tours during spring and fall months but you need to reserve ahead of time. Children ages 6 and up are able to go on the tours, which are limited to 12 people. The park provides life vests, paddles, and canoes. Tickets are $70/person. America the Beautiful passholders get 50% off their tickets.
A handful of local outfitters also offer guided tours and are small enough where they are not currently restricted by government and state regulations regarding the pandemic, although that could change.
While I went with my kids alone and not part of any tour group, I did get to meet the owner of Carolina Outdoor Adventures, an outfitter that operates in the Columbia area, Billy Easterbrooks. He was nice enough to help me with getting my tandem kayak down to the water and give me some tips. We passed his tour on the way back to the landing and the people he was guiding were having a blast! He’s an expert on the area as well as a paddler with years of experience so you know you’re in good hands. He runs out and back kayak trips on Cedar Creek, which are two to three hours and include all the gear. The cost is $75 a person.
Tips for Paddling in Congaree National Park
There’s a lot to consider when taking a trip through the park by way of the floodplain.
- Check the water levels before you go. It’s really important to know if the creek is flooded (8+ feet) because paddling is not recommended at that level because of the unpredictability of currents. And if the water is too low, you won’t be able to get a boat down the creek.
- Bring bug spray. Congaree is not technically a swamp but the bugs think it is and they are relentless. During the winter of course, bugs aren’t an issue. But any other time, you’ll be dealing with nasty mosquitoes.
- You don’t need to do the whole trail in one day. In fact, many paddlers will take a two-day trip and camp along the river. The currents can make paddling more challenging at some points so allow extra time if you’re paddling downriver and then need to go upstream on the way back.
- Try to stay in the middle of the river for two reasons: 1) the water is deeper and it’s easier to maneuver a boat and 2) you’ll have less of a chance of accidentally hitting a tree branch overhead and having a snake drop in your boat. Billy told me this rarely happens unless you shake a branch with a snake in it!
- Watch for downed trees and branches in the water and allow enough room to go around them. I didn’t want to get caught in a situation where I would have to get in the water to maneuver my kayak so I left a lot of space to get around trees – also, those larger branches are where snakes and spiders like to hang out so another reason to avoid them.
- Bring a couple towels, change of clothes, water, first aid kit, and lunch/snacks. Always be prepared in the wild and the extra clothes and towels will help since you’ll likely get wet from the paddles.
- Wear old sneakers or water shoes because it’s muddy and you don’t want to lose your footing. Don’t wear flip flops or shoes that will easily slide off your feet.
- Enjoy the silence of the forest. With so much stress and uncertainty today, Congaree has the power to really transport you to a completely other world, one of beauty and awe. My kids loved it and had a blast finding snakes and checking out animal tracks and just being blown away by the novelty of the place.
Have you been to Congaree National Park?
Congaree National Park
100 National Park Road, Hopkins, SC
803.776.4396