We visited Columbia in November 2024 as part of our two-week Carolinas in November trip.

The main reason we wanted to go to Columbia on our way from the coast to the mountains was Congaree National Park. Yes, there’s a national park hidden away in central South Carolina! Columbia is also the state capital, is the home of the University of South Carolina, and has several breweries, so we figured it would be a fun stop. Initially we’d planned on two nights in Columbia, but since we loved our spot in Hilton Head so much, we stole a night from Columbia to give to Hilton Head. We did a good job cramming activities into our one night in town and don’t feel like we need to rush back.

Campground

We stayed at Magnolia Campground, somewhat convenient to both Congaree and downtown Columbia, and had an overall negative experience there. It’s split in two pieces on either side of a little pond, but if you follow the Google directions AND the campground’s signage, you might turn at the wrong place and have to back your trailer out onto a pretty busy road. The proprietors said they were supposed to have instructed us ahead of time to go to a different entrance, but they did not. So make sure you’re clear on where you’re supposed to turn.

Fortunately we had our side of the campground to ourselves, because while it’s described as having two campsites, it’s very small and we would have had a lot of trouble turning around to leave with a neighbor. The ground was very sandy and covered in bird-doo, and we weren’t able to get level as our blocks just sank into the soft ground. The birds were fun to watch, however–at the back of the campground was a large coop structure with peacocks, wacky chickens, and guinea fowl, and ducks and swans roamed free. The birds were quiet overnight. Bonus: there’s an egg dispenser for campers to take an egg or two. We did not, but I loved that it was there.

So anyway, Magnolia was adequate for location, entertaining birds, and free eggs, but we won’t stay there again. If you go, make sure you verify with the office where to turn for your campsite, and consider taking a smaller RV (our Airstream is 28″).

Exploring

Congaree National Park

Congaree National Park was our 44th national park, which is crazy, because it’s the third-closest national park to our home in Central VA, behind Shenandoah and New River Gorge, and barely edging out Cuyahoga Valley National Park. What took us so long to get there?

The NPS calls Congaree “the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States.” The forest floor is often covered with flood water from the Congaree and Wateree Rivers (is there a better name for a river than Wateree??) which brings nutrients to the trees–including some of the tallest Loblolly pines alive and 500-year-old bald cypresses.

The park offers hiking, paddling, fishing, and tent camping (no RVs) opportunities, while protecting a rare and rich ecosystem that was once common across the Southeast. If you’re in the park from mid-May to mid-June, and you win a firefly viewing lottery ticket, you might get to experience synchronous fireflies. Congaree is free to access, and dogs are allowed on hiking trails!

The oversize vehicle parking at the visitor center was not really made for the likes of us, but since it was a rainy weekday in November, we were able to fit the Airstream in. Advice from a ranger sent us hiking the Sims Trail, adding on half the Boardwalk loop (be sure to pick up the self-guided nature brochure for the Boardwalk in the visitor center). At the time of our visit (and of this writing), the Boardwalk loop was blocked in the middle, making it two out-and-backs. Our hike was a fun, flat walk through interesting trees and we enjoyed it!

Downtown

In the morning, we drove 20 minutes into downtown Columbia to explore. After a delicious breakfast, we wandered around the South Carolina State House. The building and grounds are beautiful… but there sure are a lot of monuments to the Confederacy sprinkled around.

Then we walked a couple blocks away to the University of South Carolina campus. The historic Horseshoe section is the oldest part of the school, originally called South Carolina College, established in 1801.

Eating and drinking

Savage Craft Brewing in West Columbia had an awesome outdoor space and rooftop seating, but in the rainy weather we sat in the busy taproom. My sour beer was green! Very pretty to look at, but not my favorite to drink.

Columbia Craft Brewing Co had another great outdoor space and a small rooftop with heaters. We liked their beer better, and appreciated the cozy rooftop bar.

For dinner, we had a salad at the bar at Motor Supply Co Bistro, then took fried rice home to eat in the Airstream. Motor Supply has a sustainable, farm-to-table focus, and it was a very cool spot.

We fueled up for walking downtown with breakfast at Immaculate Consumption, a cute but slooow little coffee shop on Main Street. Our lattes were tiny, but our breakfast sandwiches were wonderful and kept us full until lunch in Greenville.

To do

Not sure we’ll go back, unless we find a better campground situation. But if we do, here’s what’s on our to do list:

• Steel Hands Brewing and Hunter-Gatherer Alehouse the other two breweries we earmarked
• The Riverwalk looks neat: Riverfront Park & Columbia Canal or Cayce/West Columbia Riverwalk
• In Congaree: if there on a Saturday, do the ranger hike to the biggest trees
• In Congaree: visit the General Greene tree
• In Congaree: rent a kayak and paddle Cedar Creek