Congaree National Park
🇺🇸 United States
🐊 American Alligator Shadows Congaree FloodplainCongaree National Park is a protected wetland in central South Carolina, featuring a landscape of towering bottomland hardwood trees and winding creeks. Visitors walk through lush floodplain forests along elevated boardwalks and dirt trails that weave past ancient cypress and tupelo trees.
33.794° N 80.789° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
American Alligator
Alligator mississippiensis
★ 
Southern Toad
Anaxyrus terrestris
★ 
Marbled Salamander
Ambystoma opacum
★ 
Three-lined Salamander
Eurycea guttolineata
📊 Most Spotted
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
Tufted Titmouse
Baeolophus bicolor
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Carolina Chickadee
Poecile carolinensis
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
Green Anole
Anolis carolinensis
Northern Cottonmouth
Agkistrodon piscivorus
Plain-bellied Water Snake
Nerodia erythrogaster
Pine Warbler
Setophaga pinus
Brown Watersnake
Nerodia taxispilota
📊 Most Spotted
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
Common Raccoon
Procyon lotor
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger
Northern River Otter
Lontra canadensis
Virginia Opossum
Didelphis virginiana
American Beaver
Castor canadensis
Coyote
Canis latrans
Eastern Cottontail
Sylvilagus floridanus
Eastern Red Bat
Lasiurus borealis
Hispid Cotton Rat
Sigmodon hispidus
Mexican Free-tailed Bat
Tadarida brasiliensis
📊 Most Spotted
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
Tufted Titmouse
Baeolophus bicolor
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Carolina Chickadee
Poecile carolinensis
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
Pine Warbler
Setophaga pinus
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
White-eyed Vireo
Vireo griseus
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Regulus calendula
Barred Owl
Strix varia
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Green Anole
Anolis carolinensis
Northern Cottonmouth
Agkistrodon piscivorus
Plain-bellied Water Snake
Nerodia erythrogaster
Brown Watersnake
Nerodia taxispilota
Common Five-lined Skink
Plestiodon fasciatus
Banded Water Snake
Nerodia fasciata
Pond Slider
Trachemys scripta
Broadhead Skink
Plestiodon laticeps
Snapping Turtle
Chelydra serpentina
North American Racer
Coluber constrictor
Common Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina
Eastern Copperhead
Agkistrodon contortrix
⭐ Iconic Species
★ Southern Toad
Anaxyrus terrestris
★ Marbled Salamander
Ambystoma opacum
★ Three-lined Salamander
Eurycea guttolineata
📊 Most Spotted
Green Treefrog
Dryophytes cinereus
Southern Leopard Frog
Lithobates sphenocephalus
Cope's Gray Tree Frog
Dryophytes chrysoscelis
Squirrel Tree Frog
Dryophytes squirellus
Green Frog
Lithobates clamitans
Spring Peeper
Pseudacris crucifer
Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad
Gastrophryne carolinensis
Pine Wood Treefrog
Dryophytes femoralis
American Bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus
Atlantic Coast Slimy Salamander
Plethodon chlorobryonis
Southern Two-lined Salamander
Eurycea cirrigera
Eastern Spadefoot
Scaphiopus holbrookii
Recent sightings in Congaree National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Chorus of Southern Toads
Male Southern Toads gather in floodplain wetlands at dusk, creating a loud, trilling chorus that echoes through the forest after heavy rains.
2Marbled Salamander Migrations
Marbled Salamanders migrate to floodplain breeding pools on rainy nights in late fall and early spring, often crossing park trails.
3Floodplain Bullfrog & Snake Activity
American Bullfrogs and Northern Cottonmouths congregate along the Congaree River’s floodplain, where bullfrogs chorus at night and cottonmouths hunt along muddy banks.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Chorus of Southern Toads
- 2Marbled Salamander Migrations
- 3Floodplain Bullfrog & Snake Activity
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
We saw 3 snakes, a raccoon, a handful of turtles, a huge fishing spider, and a river otter devouring a fish (which was probably the highlight of my entire trip) A river otter enjoys some sushi.
We saw one of my favorites, an anhinga, stretching out its wings in the sun on the edge of a pond.
It’s not home to sweeping vistas or stunning landforms like some national parks, but it’s home to an incredible assortment of plant and animal species, from big ol’ alligators to the tiniest frogs I’ve ever seen!
No gators today, but we found a cool rock that looks like a turtle.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Congaree National Park?
The most likely sightings are Carolina Wren (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Northern Cardinal (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Red-bellied Woodpecker (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Tufted Titmouse (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Pileated Woodpecker (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers) — among 504 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Congaree National Park for wildlife?
April has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see American Alligator in Congaree National Park?
Yes — about 50% of wildlife watchers report a American Alligator sighting in Congaree National Park, based on 121 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Southern Toad in Congaree National Park?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Toad sighting in Congaree National Park, based on 94 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Marbled Salamander in Congaree National Park?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Marbled Salamander sighting in Congaree National Park, based on 57 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Three-lined Salamander in Congaree National Park?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Three-lined Salamander sighting in Congaree National Park, based on 59 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
