Eastern Region National Parks
Florida
Biscayne
Located in Biscayne Bay, this park at the north end of the Florida Keys has four interrelated marine ecosystems: mangrove forest, the Bay, the Keys, and coral reefs. Threatened animals include the West Indian manatee, American crocodile, various sea turtles, and peregrine falcon. Within sight of downtown Miami, yet worlds away, Biscayne protects a rare combination of aquamarine waters, emerald islands, and fish-bejeweled coral reefs. Outdoors enthusiasts can boat, snorkel, camp, watch wildlife…or simply relax in a rocking chair gazing out over the bay. We visited Biscayne National Park in December 2017 including a stop at the Dante Fascell Visitor Center and a boat tour to the Boca Chita Key. We were staying at the Keys Palms RV Resort on Key Largo which is less than an hours drive.
National Parks Website: Biscayne National Park
Dry Tortugas
Located 70 miles west of Key West and only accessible by boat or seaplane, the islands of the Dry Tortugas, at the westernmost end of the Florida Keys, are the site of Fort Jefferson, a Civil War-era fort that is the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere. With most of the park being remote ocean, it is home to undisturbed coral reefs and shipwrecks. The two main attractions once you arrive on Garden Key are snorkeling and visiting Fort Jefferson. The fort was originally built in the mid 1800’s to protect the United States nautical and shipping interests in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s the third largest fort the US ever built, and it was never completed and never fired upon. We took a day trip to the Dry Tortugas in December 2017. We spent a couple of hours exploring Fort Jefferson and walked on the beaches of Garden Kay. We were enthralled with the gorgeous shades of blue of the gulf. We were staying at the Grassy Key RV Park on Marathon.
National Parks Website: Dry Tortugas National Park
Everglades
The Everglades are the largest tropical wilderness in the United States. This mangrove and tropical rainforest ecosystem and marine estuary is home to 36 protected species, including the Florida panther, American crocodile, and West Indian manatee. The Everglades is a great place to view birds, including herons, egrets, anhingas, and wood storks. We visited the Everglades in December 2011 and January 2018. Both times we road bikes past sunning alligators on the 12 mile paved loop in Shark Valley. We also visited the eastern section of the park accessed from Homestead, from the entrance to the Flamingo Visitor Center. In the harbor area of Flamingo, we spotted manatees and crocodiles. We hiked several trails including: Anhinga, Gumbo Limbo, Mahogany Hammock, and West Lake. A trip to the Everglades should include a visit to next door neighbor Big Cypress National Preserve. We visited the eastern region while staying at the Keys Palms RV Resort on Key Largo and Shark Valley/Big Cypress from the Naples Motorcoach Resort in Naples, Florida.
National Parks Website: Everglades National Park
Indiana
Indiana Dunes
We have not visited Indiana Dunes since its February 2019 National Parks designation. Karla has previously visited the dunes.
Located in northern Indiana, previously designated a national lakeshore, the dunes run for nearly 25 miles (40 km) along the southern shore of Lake Michigan. The sandy beach adjoins a grassy prairie, bog, and wetlands home to over 2,000 species.
National Parks Website: Indiana Dunes National Park
Maine
Acadia
Covering most of Mount Desert Island and other coastal islands, Acadia features the tallest mountain on the Atlantic coast of the United States, granite peaks, ocean shoreline, woodlands, and lakes. There are freshwater, estuary, forest, and intertidal habitats. We visited the Acadia area for a week in July 2012. We stayed at the Narrows Too RV Camping Resort. We enjoyed hiking numerous trails, taking in the gorgeous scenery, checking tidal pools, and visiting nearby Bar Harbor. This is another park we are looking forward to visiting in the future for more hiking and exploration.
National Parks Website: Acadia National Park
Ohio
Cuyahoga Valley
We have not visited Cuyahoga Valley.
This park along the Cuyahoga River has waterfalls, hills, trails, and exhibits on early rural living. The Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail follows the Ohio and Erie Canal, where mules towed canal boats. The park has numerous historic homes, bridges, and structures, and also offers a scenic train ride.
National Parks Website: Cuyahoga Valley National Park
South Carolina
Congaree
Congaree is the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States. Waters from the Congaree and Wateree Rivers sweep through the floodplain, carrying nutrients and sediments that nourish and rejuvenate this ecosystem and support the growth of national and state champion trees. We spent several days visiting Congaree in December 2017, while staying at the Barnyard RV Park in Lexington. This is a beautiful setting worth the trip to this out of the way National Park. We spent two days hiking the boardwalk loop and the Weston and Oakridge trails.
National Parks Website: Congaree National Park
Virginia
Shenandoah
Shenandoah’s Blue Ridge Mountains are covered by hardwood forests that teem with a wide variety of wildlife. The Skyline Drive and 105 miles of the Appalachian Trail run the entire length of this narrow park, along with more than 500 miles (800 km) of hiking trails passing scenic overlooks and cataracts of the Shenandoah River. We lived in the Metropolitan Washington DC area for our first five years together and Shenandoah, a two hour drive, was the nearby national park for hiking on weekends. We’ve hiked numerous trails in the region.
National Parks Website: Shenandoah National Park
