# Lowcountry oaks, Ashley River plantations and Congaree

> 3-day road trip of about 299 km (186 mi) with 7 stops, from Charleston to Columbia. About 3 h 19 min of driving in total.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b20-ashley-river-congaree/

**At a glance:** 3-day road trip of about 299 km (186 mi) with 7 stops, from Charleston to Columbia. About 3 h 19 min of driving in total. From Edisto Beach and the Angel Oak along the oak-lined Ashley River Road to the old-growth swamp forest of Congaree National Park.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 299 km (186 mi) |
| Driving | 3 h 19 min |
| Suggested days | 3 |
| Stops | 7 |
| Route | Charleston → Columbia |
| States | SC |
| Updated | May 3, 2026 |

## Route description

Leave Charleston on US-17 south and turn onto SC-174, a road shaded by live oaks and Spanish moss, for the drive across the ACE Basin marshes to Edisto Beach, about 1.5 hours. Edisto has no high-rises and few chain stores, and the state park has campsites both behind the beach and in the maritime forest. Walk the trail to the Spanish Mount shell midden, then look for fossils and shark teeth along the tide line.

Return toward Charleston and cross onto Johns Island for the Angel Oak, a live oak whose huge limbs rest on the ground. It stands in a small city park with limited parking and opening hours, so avoid midday on weekends. From Johns Island head back through West Ashley to the Ashley River Road, SC-61, which runs northwest past the old plantations under a canopy of oaks.

Drayton Hall and Middleton Place lie a few miles apart on SC-61, with Magnolia Plantation between them. Each needs two to three hours, and each explains how the rice fortunes behind these houses depended on enslaved Africans. SC-61 is narrow and winding with few shoulders, so drive it slowly, especially in a motorhome, and use the parking areas at each site rather than stopping on the road.

From Middleton continue up SC-61 and I-26 toward Columbia, then follow SC-48, Bluff Road, southeast to Congaree National Park, about two hours in all. The 2.6-mile boardwalk loop crosses a floodplain forest of giant cypress and loblolly pines; after heavy rain parts of it may flood. Entry is free, and the synchronous fireflies draw crowds in late May and early June. Finish in Columbia, the state capital.

## Stop-by-stop itinerary

1. **Charleston** (SC)
2. **Edisto Beach State Park** (Edisto Island, SC): A quiet beach of shells and fossils at the end of the ACE Basin road, with campsites by the sea and in maritime forest and a trail to a 4,000-year-old shell midden. Park fee; there are no high-rises on the island.
3. **Angel Oak** (Johns Island, SC): A Southern live oak thought to be several hundred years old, with limbs sprawling over a canopy of about 17,000 square feet. Free, fenced city park with a small parking lot and limited opening hours.
4. **Drayton Hall** (Charleston, SC): A Palladian plantation house from the mid-1700s on the Ashley River, preserved but never restored. Guided tours cover the house and the lives of the enslaved people who worked the land; admission is charged.
5. **Middleton Place** (Charleston, SC): Formal gardens begun in 1741, with grass terraces and butterfly-shaped lakes above the Ashley River and a stableyard with craft demonstrations. Admission is charged; the house museum tour costs extra.
6. **Congaree National Park** (Hopkins, SC): The largest intact old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the southeastern US, with giant loblolly pines and bald cypress seen from a 2.6-mile boardwalk loop. Free; bring insect repellent from spring to autumn.
7. **Columbia** (SC)

## FAQs

**How long is Lowcountry oaks, Ashley River plantations and Congaree?**
3-day road trip of about 299 km (186 mi) with 7 stops, from Charleston to Columbia. About 3 h 19 min of driving in total.

**How many days do you need for Lowcountry oaks, Ashley River plantations and Congaree?**
We suggest 3 days: about 3 h 19 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.

**Where does Lowcountry oaks, Ashley River plantations and Congaree start and end?**
It starts in Charleston and ends in Columbia.

**Which states does Lowcountry oaks, Ashley River plantations and Congaree pass through?**
South Carolina.