Note that this trip has been canceled due to an issue with river access in the park.
This overnight trip is down the section of the Congaree River that borders Congaree National Park and covers approximately 25 river miles over two days. This section of the river is remote and includes the Congaree Bluffs. Many of the park's largest trees are along this section which does not have hiking trails, which makes paddling the best way to access this area. We will camp overnight by the river in the park which will be primitive camping with no facilities so you need to bring enough food, drink, and supplies for two days. Be prepared for possible inclement weather such as rain and consider bringing insect repellent in case it is a warm day and some mosquitoes are still around from summer. High-cut boots are recommended since areas of the riverbank and park can be muddy. We will also do some (optional) hiking in the park. This section of the river is generally free of obstructions and therefore the paddling is non-technical. The trip report from the March 18-19, 2006 trip is still on the website if you want to check it out. We will meet at the Congaree National Park Visitors Center at 8:30 AM on Saturday. After obtaining our backcountry permits we will shuttle our boats to the put-in and then park our vehicles at the overnight parking lot outside the park entrance road gate. The take-out will be at the Hwy. 601 bridge late Sunday afternoon.

E-mail me at docedb@sc.rr.com if you plan on coming or if you have any questions. I am also needing volunteers who are not going on the trip (spouses, significant others, other club members ??) to meet us at the Hwy. 601 Bridge take-out on Sunday around approximately 3 to 5 PM to shuttle us back to our vehicles in the park after which we will retrieve our boats.