Congaree National Park

Congaree National Park, 21,888 acres (8,862 hectares), central S.C., est. as Congaree Swamp National Monument 1976, designated a national park and renamed 2003. Located along the north bank of the meandering Congaree River, the park contains the largest tract of old-growth floodplain forest in North America, a remnant of the southern bottomland forests once found in the SE United States. The diverse, episodically flooded wilderness contains more than 75 species of trees and a variety of animal life, including bobcats, white-tailed deer, wild pigs, flying squirrels, barred owls, eight woodpecker species, and many snake and turtle species. See also National Parks and Monuments (table).

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Congaree National Park

Natural area, central South Carolina, U.S. Authorized as a national monument in 1976 and as a national park in 2003, it covers 35 sq mi (90 sq km) of alluvial floodplain on the Congaree River. It contains the last significant tract of virgin Southern bottomland hardwoods in the southeastern U.S., including loblolly pine, water tupelo, hickory, and oak, some of record size.