Not to speak disparagingly of any of our National Parks but in 214 we had visited all of the National Parks sincw we married 56 years ago and we have talked to many rangers, naturalists etc at the parks and in the last ten years there has been a trend to ensure that each state has a NP. Congaree is an example of something we are not in short supply of and of no significant historical or environmental significance.
That is not to say swamps are not important and truly vital but what sets Congaree apart from the other swamps, by the way it is a seasonal swamp.
Great Basin in NV is much older than 2015, much older. The problem with notoriety there is that it is not on a well traveled road to somewhere else. You have to want to go to GBNP, take a look at it on a map, Ely NV is the only site close by. A few years back we set off for GBNP and thanks to the failure of a waste pipe in the kitchen we made a detour to MVNP and every park within a four hour drive of Blanding UT. We left Blanding for GBNP after a week or so and the drive was spectacular. It was just after Memorial Day and the wild flowers wer in great bloom. Some canyons and aluvial planes were awash with Mountain Mallow. It was as though someone spilled paint on the area. But back to GBNP, it appears on maps as though it is in the middle of the desert but it is basically a mountain a very lovely mountain. Some parts have winter closures and some are actually moderately warm in the late spring early summer. Pretty Spectacular.
Most of our NPs and NMs are worth the drive but some have appeal to a very specific group and I for one would like it to remain that way, it's others loss and our gain for having visited them.
Many parks are well known regionally but not widely.
