Our national parks system includes 10 national seashores and 3 national lakeshores.
Each is unique and beautiful in its own way, and if you love the beach but prefer more nature and less development, these units may be just the thing for you.
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
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The famous beaches here aren’t all that there is to see and enjoy. Hiking trails allow you to see the plants and animals living in bogs and marshes, and there are historic lighthouses to visit.
Fire Island, New York
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You’ll find two historic lighthouses here, and you’ll also have wetlands and forests to see and learn about. This barrier island off Long Island on the Atlantic coast has 17 communities on it as well, so it’s more developed than some other national seashores are.
Assateague Island, Maryland-Virginia
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This barrier island has long, pristine stretches that you can only reach via a designated off-road vehicle route. Known also for the huge snow geese migration that occurs here annually, the island is perhaps best known for its wild horses that inspired the children’s classic Misty of Chincoteague.
Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
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In places, Hatteras Island is so narrow that as you drive along its highway, you can see the ocean on one side and a sound on the other. The surf here is often rougher than you typically experience on the sandy beaches of the East Coast, and surfing and windsurfing are among the many activities that are popular here. The waters and shoals here are notoriously treacherous here and have historically caused numerous shipwrecks, earning the nickname “The Graveyard of the Atlantic.”
Cape Lookout, North Carolina
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Only accessible by boat, the barrier islands here have a wilder, more pristine feel than the rest of the Outer Banks, which includes Cape Hatteras, does. The island is also known for its wild horses, lighthouse, and great shelling.
Cumberland Island, Georgia
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Like Cape Lookout, Cumberland Island is only reachable by boat. There’s a community here, as well as historic buildings, but most of the island is a nature preserve. In addition to the beautiful beaches and sand dunes, the island also has marshes, forests, and freshwater lakes.
Canaveral, Florida
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Often associated with the Kennedy Space Center, which is adjacent to it, Canaveral National Seashore is its own entity. It includes the longest undeveloped beach on Florida’s Atlantic coast, and there’s also an ancient Native American mound there. Oh, and that undeveloped beach surrounds a lagoon that’s home to dolphins, manatees, and sea turtles.
Gulf Islands, Florida-Mississippi
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Across seven islands here, there are four historic forts built by American and Spanish settlers, and they were points of defense during the War of 1812 and the Civil War. On the natural side, you can enjoy swimming, hiking, snorkeling, biking, and wildlife viewing on these islands.
Padre Island, Texas
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Padre Island has the distinction of being the longest undeveloped barrier island in the world. It’s also a key habitat for sea turtles and migrating birds. With a four-wheel-drive vehicle, you can drive far down the length of the island to get away from the daytime crowds.
Point Reyes, California
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The only national seashore not on the Atlantic or Gulf Coast, Point Reyes is probably the most visually spectacular of them all for its tall, steep cliffs that the Pacific pounds relentlessly.
Apostle Islands, Wisconsin
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The Apostle Islands are in Lake Superior, the deepest of the Great Lakes and their largest in surface area and volume. The highlight features are their sea caves, which you can see on boat tours and closer to and even paddle through with sea kayaks. You can also go scuba diving among shipwrecks and tour as many of the eight lighthouses here as you want to.
Pictured Rocks, Michigan
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Named for the colorful sandstone cliffs rising from the lakeshore, the Pictured Rocks are also on Lake Superior. There are sea caves here as well, and frozen waterfalls in winter become destinations for ice climbing. And if you like sand dunes, check out the Grand Sable Dunes, which rise 300’ above the lake’s waters.
Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan
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Boasting the East’s tallest sand dunes at up to 450’, the Sleeping Bear Dunes are along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. The islands, wetlands, and forests of this national lakeshore are habitat for over 1500 animal and plant species.
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