SC’s Congaree National Park sets a record

South Carolina’s only national park drew a record number of visitors in 2016, thanks to a variety of special programs and events.

The park exceeded past numbers with 143,843 visitors last year, a nearly 40 percent increase over 2015, according to a park news release Monday. Visitors participated in a variety of park activities, from guided walks to paddling trips, and turned out for special events including a Bioblitz, National Park Service Centennial programs, and Congaree’s 40th anniversary. Special programs connected area youth to the park as part of the nationwide Every Kid in a Park initiative.

Park Superintendent Tracy Stakely called 2016 “a phenomenal year.”

“The increase in visitation here and at National Park Service sites throughout the country is a testament to the value that these special places hold for the public,” Stakely said in a statement.

Congaree National Park, in Lower Richland, was established as a national monument in 1976 and designated a national park in 2003. Annual park visitation has increased steadily throughout the years, with 2016 setting a record.

About the park: www.nps.gov/cong

This story was originally published March 13, 2017 at 11:24 AM with the headline "SC’s Congaree National Park sets a record."