Congaree National Park protects the largest intact expanse of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States. The Boardwalk Loop is the park’s signature trail: a 2.4-mile elevated wooden boardwalk that winds through a cathedral of champion trees, some over 300 years old and 150 feet tall.
The forest floods regularly, which is what keeps it wild and what makes it so extraordinary. The floodplain creates habitat for an astonishing diversity of life: 170 species of birds, 54 species of reptiles and amphibians, and more species of fireflies than anywhere else on Earth.
The boardwalk is fully wheelchair accessible and stroller-friendly. The Harry Hampton Visitor Center at the trailhead has exhibits, restrooms, and helpful rangers who can tell you what is blooming, nesting, or moving through the park on any given day.