Start of the Bluff Trail near the Bluff Campground in Congaree National Park

See the Hiking Trails web page for a trail map, tips on hiking in Congaree National Park, and a link to reviews of the other trails in the park.

Length:  .6 mile
Time:  15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

The Bluff Trail in Congaree National Park runs between the walk-in Bluff Campground and the Longleaf Trail, and there is also a short connecter to it from the Harry Hampton Visitor Center. The trail is mainly used by campers to travel between the campground and one of the two parking lots. For those parking at the Visitor Center, take the .1-mile connector trail that starts on the opposite side of the main park road to the Bluff Trail, then hike a half mile east on the Bluff Trail to the campground. People also park at the Longleaf Campground and hike .3 mile on the Longleaf Trail and then .6 mile on the Bluff Trail. I started my hike near the Bluff Campground at the intersection of the Bluff and Firefly trails and headed west, and this report is written from that perspective.

The Bluff Trail covers level ground and passes through a forest of loblolly and longleaf pine trees. The canopy is high up, so a good bit of light gets in. The trail is narrow in places, so brushing up against vegetation where ticks like to hide is inevitable. For the record, I did not get any on me anywhere in Congaree National Park, and I hiked every trail during my mid-October visit. However, they are a known nuisance, so be sure to check yourself for the pests on a regular basis.

The connector to the Visitor Center comes a tenth of a mile from the Longleaf Trail intersection. Keep straight if you are hiking to the Longleaf Campground parking lot.

The National Park Service website and trail map claims the Bluff Trail is .9 mile long, but that’s not what my GPS unit came up with, nor is it the milage reported by various hiking apps and Google Earth. In fact, my GPS differs greatly with all official trail milage. I can only report what my findings are, and I could be off. Regardless, .6 or .9 mile, the Bluff Trail is an easy hike.