As the weather heats up, make plans to discover the natural wonders and historic sites protected along U.S. shorelines.
June 2011
By Lowell & Kaye Christie, F47246
As we approach the summer season, our travels often take us toward open water, preferably areas that include sand dunes and ocean breezes. Some of our favorite places are managed by the National Park Service, but rather than being national parks, they are called national seashores and national lakeshores. There are 14 in all, most of them barrier islands on the Atlantic coast or scenic areas along the shores of the Great Lakes. We’ve been to the majority of these watery reserves, and they are all worth exploring.
1. Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland & Virginia. Assateague is a 37-mile-long barrier island off the Virginia and Maryland coasts. Bridges at both ends give access to the island, but no road travels its length. The area is probably best known for its wild horses, with approximately 150 of the animals making their home at the national seashore. The southern portion of the island is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and also contains a herd of wild ponies made famous by the classic children’s book Misty of Chincoteague.
2. Canaveral National Seashore, Florida. Located on a 43-mile-long barrier island, Canaveral National Seashore has the longest undeveloped beach (24 miles) along the east coast of Florida. To accommodate its more than 1 million visitors each year, 18 parking lots with boardwalks lead across the island’s fragile dune community to the beach area. Sharing the island with the seashore is the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and the John F. Kennedy Space Center.
3. Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts. From Cape Cod-style historic buildings to 40 miles of beachfront, Cape Cod National Seashore has something for everyone. Eleven hiking trails take you through various habitats on the Cape. Five lighthouses are open to the public. If you go at the right season, you can take a cranberry bog tour and pick your own samples. And you can explore the site where Guglielmo Marconi made the first two-way transatlantic wireless communication transmission in 1903.
4. Cape Hatteras National Seashore And Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina. Cape Lookout National Seashore extends across three islands and is accessible only by ferry. Farther north is Cape Hatteras National Seashore, whose northern entrance is accessible by road. Both give a glimpse of the natural habitats that exist on barrier islands, and each has a lighthouse that is open seasonally.
5. Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia. Cumberland Island is another national seashore that requires boat access. Reservations are needed for the passenger-only ferry, which departs from the visitors center in the town of St. Marys. The island was once the playground of the wealthy, and you can see some of the mansions (many in ruins) that they built. More than 50 miles of hiking trails traverse the island.
6. Fire Island National Seashore, New York. There are two bridges from Long Island to Fire Island, but they lead to parking lots, and there is no connecting road. That’s why most visitors arrive via ferry. Unlike most national seashores, Fire Island contains 17 pre-existing communities within its borders. A lighthouse is open for tours.
7. Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida, Mississippi. Gulf Islands is the largest of the national seashores, located in Mississippi and Florida. It is divided into 12 units, some on the mainland and others on barrier islands. All of the Florida sections are accessible by car, while all but one of the Mississippi areas requires boat access. In addition to the brilliant white sand beaches, you’ll see historic forts (Fort Pickens is the largest), nature trails, and wildlife sanctuaries.
8. Padre Island National Seashore, Texas. This national seashore is located on North Padre Island, the longest undeveloped barrier island in the world. The beach area within the seashore runs for more than 70 miles, and much of it is accessible only by four-wheel-drive vehicles. Home to approximately 350 species of migratory and resident birds, the seashore is also a nesting area for the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. In an effort to increase the number of turtles in the wild, seashore personnel gather eggs from the local nests, incubate them, and release them back into the wild between June and August. Some of the release events are open to the public.
9. Point Reyes National Seashore, California. Point Reyes is the only national seashore on the West Coast, but it includes 100 square miles of beaches and forests, meadows and marshes. Located just north of San Francisco, the seashore contains the largest number of bird species (nearly 500) of any area managed by the National Park Service. It features more than 150 miles of trails to hike; historical structures, such as the Point Reyes lighthouse; and a large population of tule elk.
10. Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin. All four of the national lakeshores are on either Lake Superior or Lake Michigan. Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, on Lake Superior, offers the largest collection of lighthouses anywhere in the National Park System. There are 21 islands in the group, and although the main visitors center is on the mainland, all of the islands require boat access.
11. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Indiana. Indiana Dunes is one of our favorite birding areas in spring and fall. The national lakeshore actually surrounds Indiana Dunes State Park, and the combined area has an extremely varied habitat, with sand dunes, marshes, bogs, oak savannas, and swamps. It is home to more than 1,100 species of plants and 350 species of birds. During migration the birds use the area as a resting spot, either before or after crossing Lake Michigan.
12. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan. Pictured Rocks stretches along more than 40 miles of the Lake Superior shoreline. The colorful cliffs are made of 500-million-year-old sandstone, where the reds, whites, yellows, pinks, and greens come from stains left by minerals. As the sandstone eroded, it left behind shallow caves, arches, and formations that resemble castle turrets. The lakeshore contains 90 miles of trails, from short nature trails to a 42-mile section of the popular North Country Trail.
13. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan. Sleeping Bear Dunes was largely set aside for its natural beauty, featuring forests, beaches, and dune formations. But it also includes the Port Oneida Rural Historic District, which contains 18 farmsteads and 113 structures typical of the late 19th century in the upper Great Lakes region. You can explore the varied habitats of Sleeping Bear on 13 maintained hiking trails that stretch for more than 100 miles.