Congaree National Park Camping - South Carolina

Congaree National Park camping includes two small front-country campgrounds and backcountry camping with a permit.

 Congaree National Park Camping

 What makes Congaree National Park special is that the park protects the largest intact expanse of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States. The campgrounds provide easy access to the park. The Longleaf Campground parking lot is on the park entrance road between the park's entrance and the Harry Hampton Visitor Center. The Longleaf Trail can be accessed near campsite #1 in the Longleaf Campground to the visitor center. Primitive is the best way to describe camping at this park, which offers tent camping only. The park does not have RV Parking sites or running water, but stay alert, as an occasional southern fox squirrel may appear!

The bathrooms in the Longleaf Campground are vault toilets, and there are no restrooms in the Bluff Campground. There is an excellent open field between the campsites and the parking area in the middle of the Campground. Campfires are permitted in the designated fire rings in the Longleaf and Bluff Campgrounds.

• You can collect dead wood in the campgrounds and surrounding area
• Do not cut live trees for firewood.
• Firewood is not allowed to be brought into the park unless it has been either
  • purchased from a local supplier and has proof of purchase along with the packaging material
  • Certified by  the USDA as pest free and the user has the packaging material

Please practice leave-no-trace principles when camping here.

Congaree National Park Entrance Fee

Congaree National Park does not charge an entrance fee! If you plan on visiting numerous sites on a National Park trip, you may consider buying an America the Beautiful/National Park Pass before your trip.

$80.00 For the America the Beautiful/National Park Pass. The pass covers entrance fees to all US National Park Sites and over 2,000 Federal Recreation Fee Sites for an entire year and covers everyone in the car for per-vehicle sites and up to 4 adults for per-person sites.

Buy your pass at this link, and REI will donate 10% of pass proceeds to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation, and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities.

National Park Free Entrance Days  -Mark your calendars with the five free entrance days the National Park Service offers annually.

Longleaf Campground Fees

Make sure to check with the park for the most updated camping fees

Longleaf Campground Reservations

Are Campground Reservations Available? Yes

Phone Number? 1-877-444-6777

Online? Click here to book your stay at Longleaf Campground.

How Far Ahead can you make a reservation? 6 months for individual sites, 12 months for group sites.

Longleaf Campground Information

Season: Open year-round

Number of Sites: 10 individual and 4 group camping sites

Check-in Time: 12:00 PM on the day of arrival

Check-out Time: 11:00 AM on the day of departure

Location in the park: Between the park's entrance and the visitor center.

Phone Number: (803)776-4396

Campground Address: 
100 National Park Road
Hopkins, SC 29061

Latitude/Longitude: 

Latitude 33° 50' 9.0600" N, Longitude 80° 49' 40.8000" W

Accessible Sites:  No

Parking: All campers must park in the gravel parking lot and walk into their campsites with their gear. No vehicles are allowed into the campground.

 Longleaf Campground Amenities

Potable Water: The campground does not have water. However, water is available 24 hours a day at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center.

Bear Boxes/ Food Storage Lockers Available: No

Flush Toilets: No, Two vault toilets

Laundry: No

Showers: No

Payphone: No

Is Wi-Fi available? Yes, Free Wi-Fi is available inside and immediately outside of the Harry Hampton Visitor Center.

Is Cellular Service Available? Yes

Is there a camp host available on-site? No

Is firewood available for purchase? There is no firewood for sale in the campground.

Amphitheater: No 

Are fire pits/fire rings available at each site? Yes

Are Picnic Tables available at each site? Yes

Longleaf Campground Group Campsites

Group sites must have a minimum of 9 individuals and no more than 24, with a maximum of 10 tents per site.

RV Camping at Longleaf Campground

Hookups Available: No

RV Length: No RVs

Generators: N/A

Dump Station: N/A

Bluff Campground Fees

Make sure to check with the park for the most updated camping fees

Bluff Hike In Camping Reservations

Are Bluff Campground Reservations Available? Yes

Phone Number? 1-877-444-6777

Online? Click here to book your stay at Bluff Campground.

How Far Ahead can you make a reservation? 6 months for individual sites

Bluff Campground Information

This is a hike-in campground located on the Bluff and Firefly Trails. It is approximately one mile from both the Longleaf Campground and the Harry Hampton Visitor Center. The campground is at a higher elevation than the floodplain and is not subject to flooding events that occur in other areas of the park. There is no trash or recycling available in the campground, and everything is pack-in, pack-out.

Season: Open year-round

Number of Sites: 6 individual sites

Check-in Time: 12:00 PM on the day of arrival

Check-out Time: 11:00 AM on the day of departure

Location in the park: This hike-in site requires a one-mile hike from either the Longleaf Campground (hiking on the Bluff and Longleaf Trails), or by parking at the parking lot or the Harry Hampton Visitor Center (Hiking the Firefly Trail).

Phone Number: (803)776-4396

Campground Address: 
100 National Park Road
Hopkins, SC 29061

Latitude/Longitude: 

Latitude 33° 49' 55.5888" N, Longitude 80° 48' 55.8216" W

Accessible Sites:  No

Parking: This is a hike-in campground. Campers must park at the Longleaf Campground parking lot or the Harry Hampton Visitor Center.

Bluff Campground Amenities

The Bluff Campground is a primitive hike-in campground; the only amenities are listed below.

Are fire pits/fire rings available at each site? Yes

Are Picnic Tables available at each site? Yes

Campground Regulations

The maximum number of people in a campsite: Eight people per site

The number of cars per campsite: All vehicles must park in the gravel parking lot. Cars are not allowed within the campground.

The maximum number of tents per campsite: three tents per individual site

Camping Limits: No more than 14 consecutive days or for more than 28 days in a six-month period.  

Quiet Hours: 10 PM to 6 AM

Park Ranger John Pro Tip
Bug spray/insect repellent can be your lifeline at Congaree, but make sure to only apply insect repellent before entering the park. This will help the firefly habitat. You may not see them, but the synchronous fireflies are not migratory and are very localized.

Are Pets Allowed? Congaree is a pet-friendly park, and you can easily take your dog for a walk on a leash on the boardwalk trail.

Remember the B.A.R.K. Principles!
B - Bag your pet's waste and dispose of it properly.
A- Always leash your pet, leashes may be no longer that six feet in length, under your control and not left unattended.
R- Respect Wildlife - keep you and your pet plenty of distance from park wildlife.
K- Know where you can go; pets are welcomed throughout Greenbelt Park, except inside the Ranger Station.

Camping near Congaree National Park

There are two great South Carolina State Parks nearby, both with camping, including RV camping. I visited Sesquicentennial State Park, and it was very nice! The grounds were well kept up, and the front country campground looked nice. It has several RV sites with options.

Poinsett State Park is 35 miles, 47 minutes from Congaree National Park. It has 5 cabins available, both one- and two-bedroom cabins. The campground has 24 RV sites with individual water and electrical hookups and 26 tent sites with individual water. Reservations can be made by calling 1-866-345-PARK or online.

Sesquicentennial State Park is 28 miles and 43 minutes from Congaree National Park, near Columbia. It has nine full hookup sites with electricity, sewer, and water and another 69 sites with electricity and water. Reservations can be made by calling 1-866-345-PARK or online.

Additional RV Parks in the area include Big Rig Friendly RV Resort, which is open year-round and is 21 miles and 25 minutes from Congaree National Park and 3 miles from the I 77 and I 26 Interchange and offers RV Camping near Congaree National Park.

They have large 70 to 120-foot RV Sites, mostly pull-throughs and all hookups. They have lots of amenities, including a clubhouse, laundry room, dog park, playground, gym, 4 pickleball courts, and a swimming pool. Reservations can be made by calling (803)708-5122 or online.

• Hiking - There are over 25 miles of hiking trails in Congaree, and the 2.4-mile boardwalk loop trail behind the park's visitor center is the visitor's favorite.
• Canoeing/Kayaking - Take a canoe or kayak on the 15-mile Cedar Creek Canoe Trail from Bannister's Bridge through the Congaree wilderness to the Congaree River.  You paddle through a primeval old-growth forest and pass by some of the tallest trees in the Southeastern United States.
• Fishing - Fishing is allowed in all areas of Congaree National Park. The only places where fishing is not permitted are within 25 feet of any man-made structure, including bridges, boardwalks, and overlooks. Remember to have a valid South Carolina fishing license and follow all rules and limits.
• Wildlife Viewing—Congaree is an excellent place for bird-watching. Of course, the synchronous fireflies steal the show when they are in season! Several species are also in the park, like river otters, deer, newts, spiders, turtles, and occasional alligators.

Activities in Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia's Civil War & Street Art: A Self-Guided Audio Tour - This 2.5-hour tour uses your smartphone to self-guide you to explore pre-Civil War homes, learn about the city's art scene, and much more!

Stops include the South Carolina State House, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, First Presbyterian Church, Woodrow Wilson Family Home, Robert Mills House & Gardens, Mast General Store Columbia, Columbia Museum of Art, and much more!

Capital City Heritage Walk Guided Tour - A 2.5-hour guided tour overviews Columbia's rich history, architectural beauty, and cultural landmarks. The tour has a dozen stops, including the South Carolina State House, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Town Theatre, University of South Carolina, Tunnel Vision Mural, Nickelodeon Theatre, Mast General Store, the Arcade Building, and more!

Lodging options near Congaree National Park

There are no National Park Lodges, cabins, or glamping tents available inside Congaree National Park. Camping is also extremely limited, but there are plenty of great lodging options in Columbia, South Carolina (approximately 15-30 minutes away).

Hotel Trundle—I stayed at Hotel Trundle and loved it! It is a fun, quirky hotel with nice rooms and amenities. It is located in downtown Columbia, a beautiful college town with numerous incredible restaurants, breweries, museums, and more! This made a great combination with Congaree National Park!

 Click here to book your stay at Hotel Trundle.

Click on the map below for vacation rentals and lodges near the park.

Additional Congaree National Park, Columbia, South Carolina, and area Articles

Complete Guide to Congaree National Park

Things to do in Congaree NP

Columbia Sc, and Congaree National Park Trip Report Come read about our long weekend in Columbia, South Carolina, and Congaree National Park. Includes great restaurants, area attractions, and much more!

Pimento Cheese Recipe - You will find Pimento Cheese everywhere in Columbia, SC. It is something not to miss if you travel to Congaree!

National Park Sites Near Congaree

Ninety-Six National Historic Site

Charles Pickney National Historic Site

Reconstruction Era National Historical Park

Fort Pulaski National Monument

Check out more articles on South Carolina National Parks, Tennessee National Parks, Georgia National Parks, and North Carolina National Parks.