Ask any national park enthusiast, and they ll tell you the same thing there s nothing like a hidden gem. While there s no denying the majesty that made Yosemite or Yellowstone household names, there s a unique allure to stumbling upon one of our nation s lesser known wonders and not seeing any other visitors for miles.
Though incredibly close by just 18 miles from Columbia, South Carolina Congaree National Park has managed to stay under the radar since its national park designation in 2003. One step inside the nearly 27,000-acre park and visitors are transported much further back in time. Here, Spanish moss drapes from bald cypresses in the largest expanse of old-growth hardwoods in the United States. The vast floodplain is covered by a towering canopy of ancient pines, elms, oaks, hickories, maples, and cypresses more than 100 feet tall–higher than the Amazon rainforest.