Longleaf Campground — Congaree National Park

Me and my wife had a great time on the trail. Close to 4 miles long, and pretty easy. Great for a day adventure, or excercise. There is also a nature facility located at the trail head that provides knowledge of the area, and the wildlife.

Beautiful quiet place to camp, hike, or canoe/kayak. You've gotta check out the boardwalk trail!!

The sites are a short sandy walk from parking lot. Bring a wagon if you have coolers and such. Sites are pretty large and about 10-20 yards away from each other. Had a really nice time. Most camp sites were empty on Saturday night.

I’m used to back country camping so the trash deposits and pit toilets were a bonus.

We were about 3 days early for the synchronized fire flies.

It’s a great location and very quiet. Walk in campsites and pretty secluded. You can see you neighbor, but a decent amount of space in between and not many campers overall. No electricity, but there’s LTE connection. Also only one pit toilet for each gender and no running water at the site.

Would have been nice to have water within walking distance of the campsite. Get sight 1 of Longleaf campground, otherwise it's a long way to drag your stuff unless you are set up for back packing. Hiking was decent but not spectacular. If you Kayak put in at South Cedar Creek and it will be worth it. Banister Bridge has too many downed trees to get around and not as nice of views.

The weather was the only thing unbearable. That and the bugs, but it’s expected.

This is a decent no frills campground. Park in the lot and the sites are a quick walk. Vault toilets were clean, no lights at night. We made reservations UTI there was really no need,maybe one other person in the small campground and no check in or anyone to validate our reservation. Hiking is good, a fancy boardwalk most of the way due to 8 feet of mud! We saw a snake, an owl, and other critters.

Definitely bring a wagon for packing your stuff in and prepare to be eaten alive by deer flies everywhere you go! The heat in June is also pretty bad, so having to go back and forth out to your vehicle to bring your stuff in and out is very difficult even though the path is flat and very short. If you don’t want to walk far, get campsite #1. It’s right next to the parking lot and closest to the bathrooms. On the plus side, the hiking trails are pretty cool, and the fireflies at night almost make it all worth it!

Good amount of space between all spaces. Sites 1-3 are the easiest to get to. We were at site 7, it took about 250 steps from the parking lot to our site. All sites have lots of shade. The campground is next to a pond that gets rather loud at night. I never knew frogs/toads could be so loud. Easy walk to visitor center from campground. On the path after crossing the road, we saw the synchronous fireflies! There were even a few at our site. There is vault toilet at the parking lot. Only yucky smelling hand sanitizer to clean your hands and poor air circulation.

Hike in and tent camping only. No amenities.

It was a pleasant stay at Congaree. As a SC resident I was surprised to learn we had our very own National Park and just had to take the short drive from Charleston to experience it - glad we did! The sites did not have water or power but were a decent size. We stayed at tent site 1 which was right at the beginning of the Bluffs Trail. We took our 2 dogs hiking to the boardwalk trail which led back to the Visitor Center.. this was a decent 3+ mile hike our dogs were pooped! Overnight guests should be prepared to gather your own wood as none is sold on site. You can also get water from the Visitor Center (which is a better drive than walk if carrying a large or multiple jugs). The bathrooms on the campground part were essentially glorified port-o-potties (a building surrounding a hole in the ground). The Visitor Center was a better bathroom experience. Overall, I would return here to camp. The hikes were not too challenging but the boardwalk provided a unique experience!

Unfortunately only walk-in sites - individual and group. However site #1 is only 100 yards from the parking lot. Sites are well spaced with an easy path/trail to them.

I was very happy to see all the prescribed burning in different areas. It’s still beautiful and it will be so much healthier.

Visitor center is a short drive or east hike from the campsites. Right now Covid has most of the exhibits closed, but they are still open with some souvenirs and drinks for sale.

A boardwalk makes for an easy way to take a comfortable look into the swampy forest and if that is too removed for you, trails are available as well. If you take the trails it’s a good idea to check in with the ranger station at the visitor center and get the daily conditions and advisories.

Loved the park despite the very cool and misty weather. There was a symphony of bird sounds!

We had at least one bar of Verizon service at both camp and the visitor center.

Stayed here in late April 2017 and loved the experience. The "drive up" campground still requires a small hike from the lot to the individual camping location. The primitive campground can be quite possibly one of the quietest places you ever camp depending on the season. Going in the spring, the bugs were practically non-existent, and we stayed out all night taking pictures of the night sky and talking around the camp fire. The experience is every bit what camping should be. We also met some great people at the campsites near the parking lot. Campgrounds are right off of the hiking trails, and there are no RV or camper sites. A backpacker's paradise!

Pristine, but organized trails near the Consgree river and Swamp. Lots of wildlife and ancient trees on the trails. Small campsite to include group camping. 40 miles from downtown Columbia SC. A rare treat to go back in time like this.

About 300 feet from the parking lot so easy to walk into and make trips back to the car or motorcycle in my case. It’s lowlands so it floods easily in heavy rains...learned this the hard way! Picnic table available at each site.

There are two campgrounds at Congaree.  You park at Longleaf parking lot, where there are walk-in sites and vault toilets (clean but terrifying to squat over the abyss). We then walked 1 mile to our campsite at Bluff, where there are 6 sites available.  The sites are situated around a large, grassy area, and there isn't much privacy. (From what I saw, Longleaf sites offer more privacy.)  But you can't beat $5/night.

The walk to Bluff is not difficult but there are lots of tree roots.  We brought a beach cart to help tote our stuff, and we had to navigate those roots.  You will be packing light!

The very nice and air-conditioned Harry Hampton Visitors Center has a water fountain for filling bottles.  You will need lots of water if you are camping during the summer months.  It's also 1 mile to the visitors center.

The trails are well-marked, which is great when you're trying to find your way back to your site in the dark.

There is lots of hiking (easy and difficult) and good fishing in Weston Lake.  Canoeing and kayaking are completely dependent on the water levels at the time, which fluctuate greatly.

There is nothing in the way of swimming, which is a bummer in the summer.

We stayed in Longleaf site 1 and site 2 in April. Site 1 is the closest to the parking lot- like 20m away. It’s very public and right beside the trail for all the other Longleaf sites. Site 2 is a further walk down the trail and then a walk into the bush. So it’s more private but there’s a lot more plants everywhere. These sites are more for smaller tents and not massive ones. There are a lot of tree roots which it tough if you have a huge tent. There is one washroom open at the visitor centre and a potable water tap available all night long- but drive there walking is too far. There is a vault toilet at the parking lot for Longleaf.

If you like seclusion this campground is for you. The campground is primitive. There are 10 single sites that you have to walk into from the parking lot. Not a very long walk but just enough to feel secluded from traffic and other people. It has no showers, vault toilets and no running water. There is potable water at the visitor center and also flush toilets. The trails are very nice and well kept. Depending on when you go you may be the only ones on the trail. The wildlife is very neat it makes you feel like you are in a mini rainforest. There are snakes, skinks, lots of birds, insects and fox squirrels.

We stayed in Longleaf campground at Congaree National Park for a stop-over on our way back north from a family trip in Florida. The campsites at Longleaf each had a fire ring and picnic table, and were pretty good sized. The key thing to know about Longleaf is that you need to be prepared in several ways:

1. You have to make a reservation online. The ranger at the visitor's center told us to make sure we had some kind of documentation of our reservation. Reception can be spotty, so printing your reservation ahead of time might be a good idea.
2. There is one parking lot, and you'll be walking with your stuff into your campsite. It isn't far, but be prepared to carry things. (Note: The walk into Bluff campground is further than Longleaf)
3. There is no potable water at either campground. Bring your own. (Relatedly, there are only vault toilets at the campground)

We stayed in campsite 6 at Longleaf, which was great. Campsites 1-3 are closer to the lot, but also closer to the walk that everyone takes from their cars to their sites. For a little more space/privacy, opt for campsites 4 and above.

Although the campground is barebones, it had everything we needed and made for a great stop for us. Most of the park trails were underwater when we were there after a recent flood. It seemed like paddling would have been an optimal way to see the park and surrounding areas, but even so, we had a great time. There were lots of people out on the boardwalk trails, including lots of kids and dogs. Before you hit the trails, stop in the Visitor's Center and pick up the interpretive brochures on the types of trees/wildlife - they have kid versions and grown-up versions. Both were helpful in understanding the unique environment of the floodplain.

there is no running water or electric. Take the 2 mile hike and head to Longleaf sites.It's only $5!

There plenty of trails and the kayaking is fantastic, one of my favs.

We camped here to see the synchronous fireflies, and loved our stay! The group site was plenty big enough for all of the children, the hiking was excellent, and the fireflies were one of the most magical things I've ever seen!

Congaree is one of my favorite parks to visit. I love walking around the boardwalk doing the self guided nature tour. Every time you go the landscape is a little different because of the flood plains. You can see the effects of hurricanes and fires from the past. Great place for kayaking or canoeing. For two weeks in may, it is one of the best places in the United States to see the fireflies migration. There are lots of great hiking trails for all skill levels.

Sites 2,10 and 8 are private or not to close to other sites. It a easy walk in from the parking lot. Bathroom are clean but no water anywhere next the campground. The sites were clean but the tree roots are horrible, it night you will trip over them and there will be some under your tent. Very nice park office,young ranger a bit rude but the volunteers nice.

Campground was very clean, but also provides very close quarters. We stayed over a Saturday and Sunday night and at least half of the spots were taken each night. One group spot was claimed Saturday night, which unfortunately made for a somewhat loud experience. Sound travels very far in this environment, and we could hear every word our neighbors were saying at 7am. However, the pit toilet was kept very clean, as were the camping spots and trails. Easy walk into the campsites from the parking lot, making this more of a "car camping" than primitive camping experience. There is easy access to all of the trails in the park, which are open 24/7. We took advantage of the Full Super Moon and did the boardwalk trail through the swamp at night, an experience I would HIGHLY recommend to anyone!

This spot was one of many on a fall paddling vacation, but this stop didn't go as planned. The campground only has a few sites and they are first come, first serve. There is a group campsite across the field from where the other sites are located. While the setting is incredible and the park itself a true gem, we did not feel safe enough to stay at the campground.

As soon as we got to the campground (after we went to the Visitor's Center for our permit) we were approached by a man with an axe by his side. Our dog didn't like him either, he immediately began growling. He asked a lot of questions and hung around the entire time we were unloading our car. FYI, you cannot drive up to these sites.

After trying to shake the feeling this guy gave us we decided to load everything up and find a hotel for the evening. We re-visted the VC and let the rangers know about our encounter. The next day we returned to the park to paddle and received a call from a law enforcement ranger saying they dealt with the other individual and apologized for our inconvenience.

All that being said, I would absolutely attempt to stay here again. Why? Well because it's an incredible park with a lot to explore. I also appreciated how responsive the rangers were regarding our concern. The reality is, this is a very secluded campground and has a lot of potential.

Having been on the road for about three months before coming to Congaree, we were happy to arrive to such a quiet and tucked-away campground. For $5 per night, Bluff Campground was the perfect spot to hole up for a few days and relax surrounded by the old growth forest of Congaree National Park.

Our time at Congaree was different from the other national parks we visited, because South Carolina had just undergone major flooding and much of Congaree -- especially its trails -- were under water.

With no crowds and not much to explore, our three days in the park was very relaxing. We chose Bluff Campground -- a one-mile walk-in campground near the visitor center -- because we knew it would be less popular than Longleaf Campground, and we knew we’d be spending a lot of time there. The one mile hike seemed further than we thought because of our heavy loads, but once we arrived at our camp, set up our tent, chairs, hammocks, and slack line, we were able to just make the easy walk in and out each day.

The campground itself has no facilities; its only amenities are the fire ring and picnic table at each site. We encountered only one other camper in our two nights here. We did encounter many mosquitoes, though, so don’t forget bug spray!

At Congaree, there are several hiking trails and kayaking trails that we would have liked to do, but with our plans foiled by rain, we spent time at the visitor center, around the short boardwalk trail adjacent to the visitor center, and kayaking through the flooded plains, straight off the boardwalk.

You can read much more about our three days in the park on our blog: Switchback Kids (Congaree)

While there are two campsites here, a quick backwoods camping trip (which is free with a permit you get from the visitors center) is the way to go and experience this wilderness right outside of Columbia