Located about twenty miles south of the city, Congaree National Park, the nation’s newest, doesn’t even have admission gates yet, leaving you the pleasure of federally-protected landscape without the price. One of the last old-growth forests in the southeast, the swamp actually isn’t a swamp at all, but a floodplain of the nearby Congaree River. Wild pigs, deer, turkey, alligators, and other wildlife abound, the largest cypresses in the world are located here. The cypress knees and tupelo trees create something that looks like a set of Lord of the Rings. The boardwalk is several miles long and handicapped accessible, the park contains great hiking trails and even the opportunity for canoeing (rent in Columbia). The visitor’s center has useful information and a helpful staff, but if you’re planning on returning to your car after five, be sure to leave it in the overnight parking lot near the entrance of the park.