Congaree National Park covers more than 26,000 acres in Richland County. It was initially preserved in 1976 as Congaree Swamp National Monument. It was redesignated as a national park in 2003. (Photo by Skylar Laird/SC Daily Gazette)
Beginning in 2026, the days when visitors can visit national parks and monuments for free is changing, the U.S. National Park Service announced this month.
The Department of the Interior eliminated almost all the existing free-pass days listed for 2025, only keeping one of the eight designated days: Veterans Day (Nov. 11)…