River Trail - Congaree NP - Member Hike

Hike Name: River Trail - Congaree NP
Country: United States
State: South Carolina
Nearby Town: Hopkins
Rating: 3 stars
Directions: Near Columbia, SC. From either east or west on I 26, take I 77 north from I 26 to exit 5, then follow signs. From the north - follow I 77 to exit 5, etc.
Total Hike Distance: 10.50 miles
Hike Difficulty: Moderate
Permit Required: No
Hike Type: In & Out, Backtrack Hike
Hike Starts/Ends: Visitor Center
Trails Used: Low Boardwalk, Westin Loop, Oakridge Trail, River Trail
Backcountry Campsites: No
Backcountry Water Sources: Streams, Rivers
Management: National Park Service
Contact Information: Congaree NP
100 National Park Rd.
Hopkins, SC 29061
Best Season: Winter, Spring, Fall
Users: Hikers
Road Conditions: Primary Paved Roads, Secondary Paved Roads
Hike Summary: Not a bad hike in the only NP in SC. Used part of several loop trails to get to the River trail which is also a loop, then a backtrack. A longer hike could very easily be made using the rest of the other loops. A portion of the River trail parallels the Congaree River which is pretty neat - but you only get glimpses of the river. Lots of low country swampy scenes. All level hiking. Mosquitoes are BAD. Even in November. Can't imagine what they would be like in the summer. Saw a wild boar along the river at the 'Sand Bar' where we ate lunch. Lots of evidence of them rooting along the trails. All in all not a bad hike - and for us it was good to get the only NP in SC under our belts.

Hiker:

NationalParkHiker


7,050 points


Recommended


Trip Reports

  Date Rating Duration Hiker
River Trail - Congaree NP - March 8, 2010 March 8, 2010 5 stars 8 hours SCguide1

Comments

2 replies on “River Trail - Congaree NP - Member Hike”

I just saw ten wild boar in the Cohutta Wilderness (North Georgia) last weekend. About half were adults and the remainder were tiny piglets. I’ll post a link to the trip report when I finish it. I guess the animal is thriving these days.

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