“Discover the beauty and diversity of America’s protected wilderness with a comparison of two national parks: Congaree and Wrangell-St. Elias. One, a lush, towering forest of towering trees, the other, a vast expanse of glistening glaciers and towering peaks. Both offer unique experiences, but which one will you choose for your next adventure? Will it be the stillness of a forest echoing with the songs of insects and birds, or the thundering roar of glaciers calving into the sea? Whichever you choose, you’ll be sure to leave with unforgettable memories.”
Hiking Trails in Congaree National Park and Wrangell – St Elias National Park & Preserve
Congaree National Park and Wrangell – St Elias National Park & Preserve both offer scenic and challenging hiking trails. Congaree is known for its boardwalk trails, which are easy to navigate and provide stunning views of the park’s old-growth bottomland hardwood forest. The most popular trail, the 2.4-mile Boardwalk Loop, is an easy hike and showcases the park’s unique ecosystem. On the other hand, Wrangell – St Elias is a bigger park with more rugged terrain and offers longer and more strenuous hikes. The park’s most challenging hike is the 17-mile round trip trek to the summit of Mount Wrangell, an active volcano. For easier hikes, the Root Glacier Trail is a popular 2-mile round trip hike that leads to the face of the glacier. Both parks have something for every level of hiker, with Congaree offering a more accessible and less challenging option and Wrangell – St Elias offering more strenuous and remote hikes.
Most Popular Hiking Trails in Congaree National Park
Name | Length | Elevation | Type | Difficulty | Visitor Ratings |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Boardwalk Loop Trail | 3862.416 | 3.9624 | Easy | loop | 4 |
Weston Lake Loop Trail | 7402.964 | 4.8768 | Easy | loop | 4 |
Oakridge Trail | 10138.842 | 5.7912 | Easy | loop | 4 |
Congaree River Trail | 15932.466 | 15.8496 | Easy | loop | 4 |
Kingsnake Trail | 11909.116 | 6.7056 | Easy | out and back | 3.5 |
Congaree Bluff Trail | 3379.614 | 5.7912 | Easy | loop | 3.5 |
Congaree River Blue Trail | 75317.112 | 1.8288 | Moderate | point to point | 5 |
Most Popular Hiking Trails in Wrangell – St Elias National Park & Preserve
Name | Length | Elevation | Type | Difficulty | Visitor Ratings |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rankin Ridge Interpretive Trail | 1609.34 | 72.8472 | Moderate | loop | 4.5 |
Wind Cave Canyon Trail | 6115.492 | 64.9224 | Easy | out and back | 4 |
Lookout Point Trail and Centennial Trail Loop | 8368.568 | 156.972 | Moderate | loop | 4 |
Cold Brook Canyon Trail | 4506.152 | 60.96 | Easy | out and back | 4 |
East Bison Flats Trail | 16254.334 | 445.9224 | Moderate | out and back | 4.5 |
Boland Ridge Trail | 7724.832 | 248.7168 | Moderate | out and back | 4 |
Centennial Trail: Highway 87 to Highlander Rd | 13035.654 | 286.8168 | Moderate | point to point | 4.5 |
Elk Mountain Interpretive Trail | 4023.35 | 99.9744 | Easy | out and back | 3.5 |
Prairie Vista Loop | 1609.34 | 31.6992 | Easy | out and back | 4 |
Highland Creek Trail to Centennial Trail Loop | 21887.024 | 443.7888 | Hard | loop | 4.6 |
Wildlife in Congaree National Park and Wrangell – St Elias National Park & Preserve
Congaree National Park in South Carolina is known for its diverse plant and animal life including woodpeckers, deer, river otters, and over 80 species of trees. Wrangell – St Elias National Park & Preserve in Alaska is home to a wide range of wildlife including grizzly bears, moose, caribou, wolves and over 170 species of birds. Both parks also offer opportunities to see various species of fish and other aquatic life. However, Wrangell – St Elias is larger and more remote, offering a greater chance to see large mammals in their natural habitats. Both parks offer a unique and diverse array of wildlife, but Wrangell – St Elias offers the chance to see a wider range of large mammals in their natural habitats.
Below are lists of the most commonly spotted wildlife at Congaree National Park and Wrangell – St Elias National Park & Preserve. However, you can see a full list of wildlife at each national park here.
Birds
Congaree National Park | Wrangell – St Elias National Park & Preserve |
---|---|
Peregrine Falcon | Peregrine Falcon |
Northern Harrier | Northern Harrier |
Sharp-Shinned Hawk | Sharp-Shinned Hawk |
Osprey | Osprey |
Tree Swallow | Tree Swallow |
Mallard | Mallard |
Canada Goose | Canada Goose |
Lincoln’s Sparrow | Lincoln’s Sparrow |
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet | Ruby-Crowned Kinglet |
American Robin | American Robin |
Great Horned Owl | Great Horned Owl |
Red-Tailed Hawk | Red-Tailed Hawk |
Northern Flicker | Northern Flicker |
Merlin | Merlin |
Barn Swallow | Barn Swallow |
Savannah Sparrow | Savannah Sparrow |
Great Blue Heron | Great Blue Heron |
Hermit Thrush | Hermit Thrush |
American Kestrel | American Kestrel |
Bald Eagle | Bald Eagle |
Song Sparrow | Song Sparrow |
European Starling | European Starling |
American Wigeon | Northern Pintail |
Green-Winged Teal | American Wigeon |
American Pipit | Green-Winged Teal |
Mammals
Congaree National Park | Wrangell – St Elias National Park & Preserve |
---|---|
Coyote | Coyote |
American Beaver | American Beaver |
Muskrat | Muskrat |
Big Brown Bat | Little Brown Bat |
Bobcat | Black Bear |
Striped Skunk | Porcupine |
Raccoon | Red Fox |
Black Bear | Puma |
Red Fox | Mink |
Mink | Mule Deer |
Common Gray Fox | Wolf |
North American River Otter | Short-Tailed Weasel |
White-Tailed Deer | Snowshoe Hare |
Virginia Opossum | Land Otter |
Eastern Red Bat | Common Shrew |
White-Footed Mouse | Water Shrew |
Eastern Cottontail | Red Squirrel |
Eastern Fox Squirrel | Montane Shrew |
Eastern Gray Squirrel | Long-Tailed Vole |
Feral Hog | Lynx |
Northern Short-Tailed Shrew | Wolverine |
Least Shrew | American Marten |
Northern Flying Squirrel | |
Grizzly Bear | |
Meadow Vole |
Reptiles
Congaree National Park | Wrangell – St Elias National Park & Preserve |
---|---|
Racer | |
Ringneck Snake | |
Common Garter Snake | |
Common Kingsnake |
Insects
Congaree National Park | Wrangell – St Elias National Park & Preserve |
---|---|
Alfalfa Sulphur | Silvery Blue |
Monarch | Clouded Sulphur |
American Painted Lady | |
Red Admiral | |
Mourning Cloak | |
Cabbage Butterfly | |
Checkered Skipper | |
Variegated Fritillary | |
Buckeye | |
Commom Wood Nymph | |
Gray Hairstreak |
Fish
Congaree National Park | Wrangell – St Elias National Park & Preserve |
---|---|
Largemouth Bass | Steelhead |
Green Sunfish | Longnose Sucker |
Bluegill | Lake Trout |
Golden Shiner | Northern Pike |
European Carp | Burbot |
Yellow Bullhead | Silver Salmon |
Graceful Catfish | King Salmon |
Black Crappie | Slimy Sculpin |
Mosquitofish | Threespine Stickleback |
Brown Bullhead | Sockeye Salmon |
Pink Salmon | |
Chum Salmon | |
Dolly Varden | |
Cutthroat Trout | |
Arctic Grayling |
Amphibians
Congaree National Park | Wrangell – St Elias National Park & Preserve |
---|---|
Wood Frog |
Beautiful Landscapes in Congaree National Park and Wrangell – St Elias National Park & Preserve
Congaree National Park is known for its towering old-growth hardwood trees, including some of the tallest in the Eastern US, standing up to 160 ft. The park’s unique bottomland swamp forest ecosystem is home to diverse wildlife.
Wrangell – St Elias National Park & Preserve is the largest national park in the US, boasting an expansive landscape of glaciers, snow-capped peaks, and valley glaciers, including Mount St. Elias, the second-tallest peak in the US. The park is also home to the Wrangell Mountains, one of the largest volcanic fields in North America.
Things To-Do and Activities in Congaree National Park and Wrangell – St Elias National Park & Preserve
Congaree National Park is popular for activities such as kayaking, canoeing, and fishing in the Congaree River, as well as hiking and camping. In contrast, Wrangell – St Elias National Park & Preserve offers a wider range of experiences, including backpacking, mountaineering, and glacier trekking, in addition to traditional activities like camping, fishing, and hiking. Both parks offer scenic drives and ranger-led programs. However, Wrangell – St Elias is known for its diverse landscapes of glaciers, mountains, and forests which attract more adventurous visitors, while Congaree’s swamp forests and old-growth hardwoods attract those interested in eco-tourism and wildlife viewing.
Best Time to Visit Congaree National Park and Wrangell – St Elias National Park & Preserve
Congaree National Park in South Carolina has a humid subtropical climate with hot summers & mild winters. The park experiences maximum rainfall in the late spring & early summer. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve in Alaska, on the other hand, has a subarctic climate with long, harsh winters & short, cool summers. The park receives most of its precipitation as snow.
Due to the hot, humid weather, the best time to visit Congaree National Park is during fall & winter, when temperatures are mild and comfortable for outdoor activities. In contrast, Wrangell-St. Elias is best visited in the summer months, when snow has melted, allowing access to its glaciers and peaks.
Family Friendliness of Congaree National Park and Wrangell – St Elias National Park & Preserve
Congaree National Park is generally considered more family-friendly than Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve. Congaree offers many activities suitable for families with children, such as hiking on boardwalks through its old-growth forest, kayaking and canoeing on Cedar Creek, and ranger-led programs. On the other hand, Wrangell-St. Elias is a more remote and rugged wilderness, with fewer amenities and developed trails. It is a better option for families seeking a more backcountry experience and who are comfortable with the challenges of remote travel.