A visit to Congaree National Park in South Carolina requires some driving – possibly flying too, depending upon where you live.

Area map around Congaree National Park (red box) / Google Maps screenshot

Flying

• The nearest commercial airport to this national park is Columbia Metropolitan Airport which is located approximately 30 minutes from the park.
  
  
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport, located in Charlotte, North Carolina, has flights from most major national and international carriers and is about a 2-hour drive from the park.
  
  
• Charleston International Airport in Charleston, South Carolina also has flights from most major carriers and is approximately 2 hours from the park.

Driving

Once you land, you’ll be driving. Note: your GPS device may not send you to where you want to go if you simply use “Congaree National Park” as the destination. Instead, use the following address: 100 National Park Road, Hopkins, SC 29061

• From Spartanburg - Follow Interstate 26 East towards Charleston for 92 miles and then take Exit 116 for Interstate 77 North towards Charlotte (on the left). Follow Interstate 77 for approximately five miles to Exit 5, Bluff Road. Follow directions below from I 77, Exit 5. (Approximate travel time: 2 hours)
  
  
• From Charleston - Take Interstate 26, Exit 145B. Take U.S. Highway 601 North to SC 48 (Bluff Road). Follow SC 48 (Bluff Road) West. Turn left on South Cedar Creek Road then right on Old Bluff Road to the park entrance.
  
  
• From Charlotte - Take Interstate 77 South towards Columbia for approximately 95 miles to Exit 5, Bluff Road. Follow directions below from Interstate 77,Exit 5. (Approximate travel time: 2 hours)
  
  
• From Augusta, GA - Follow Interstate 20 East towards Columbia for 65 miles to Exit 64A. Merge onto Interstate 26 and follow for 8 miles to Exit 116, Interstate 77 North towards Charlotte (on the left). Follow Interstate 77 for 5 miles to Exit 5, Bluff Road. Follow directions below from Interstate 77, Exit 5. (Approximate travel time: 1 hour 45 minutes)
  
  
• From Interstate 77, Exit 5 - At Exit 5 turn onto SC Hwy 48 East/Bluff Road. Drive approximately 8 miles and then take a slight right onto Old Bluff Road. Follow Old Bluff Road for 4.5 miles to the park entrance sign, which will be on the right. Proceed one mile to the Harry Hampton Visitor Center. Parking lots will be on the right.

Public Transportation

The COMET offers regularly scheduled bus service to and from the park via Bus Route 47. The bus stop is located outside of the Harry Hampton Visitor Center near the middle parking lot. Visitors to Congaree National Park can utilize this service to connect to other bus routes that can take them to many locations and points of interests throughout the metropolitan Columbia area and the Midlands region.

Other Information

RVs, Trailers and Other Oversized Vehicles: Visitors arriving in larger vehicles should be aware that parking is limited, especially on busy days. If you are towing a car from your RV, you may need to unhook the towed vehicle in order to turn around in a parking lot on busy days. The main parking area at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center has limited parking for larger vehicles (approximately half the parking stalls in the third parking lot are designated for oversized vehicles). The Bates Ferry Trail and Fork Swamp Trail parking areas cannot accommodate RVs, trailers and other oversized vehicles.

Camping in Vehicles is Prohibited in Congaree National Park: Visitors are prohibited from sleeping overnight in vehicles anywhere in the park, including in the park's frontcountry campgrounds. For information on places outside the park that allow vehicle camping, please contact park staff at 803-776-4396.

Ride Share Services: For visitors considering using ride share services such as Uber or Lyft, please be aware that these services may not provide pick up service from Congaree National Park. For those visiting the park who do not have a rental car or other mode of personal transportation, please see information on the COMET bus service above.

The Columbia, South Carolina metropolitan area is the closest place to fuel up your vehicle. There are small, rural communities around Congaree National Park but they may not provide fueling options. The same holds true if you are looking to charge your electric vehicle (EV).