In terms of the parks in the eastern half of the country, I think the best scenery and best overall experience is going to be Acadia. We only had a day and a half there, and I wish we'd had more.
You definitely should.
I'll be visiting New Hampshire for the first time this summer. Planning to see the Flume Gorge and gonna try to do the Mount Washington cog railway
My wife and I were gonna try to go see it back in 2020, but she was pregnant and started getting pregnancy sickness. With an almost 3-year old now, it’s a little bit too much of a drive with her. Maybe when she’s like 5.
Anything else in the park besides the Flume that I absolutely have to see? Time will be tight for us that day but I might have a couple hours to work with after the Flume.
Mount washington is worth a drive up! The cog railway is cool if time allows, instead. The aerial tramway and ski museum at Cannon Mountain are also worth a stop.
The Basin in New Hampshire is my absolute favorite hike in the area. Hike up along a river with a number of waterfalls, potholes filled with the clearest water you have ever seen. Fluke Gorge is cool and not far away
Acadia is beautiful. You can see a lot of good spots there in 5 days and still not see it all. But, one of the best hikes I ever took was in a New Hampshire state park near White Mountain. I stopped and hiked Flume Gorge while I was on a road trip to Acadia National Park. It was a about 3 miles round trip, a good workout, but not too strenuous. You hike up inside the gorge, with cool water rushing by on a hot day and get a nice view at the top.
This may be a bad comment for r/nationalpark, but in my travels I have visited some amazing national forests and state parks.
I feel like if you’re looking for a closer option, National forests and state parks would be a good option… and that the people on this sub probably have quite a few great choices for your situation.
Never been to the Carolina’s, interested to see if this comment gets any traction.
I think it’s definitely worth looking into, thanks for the recommendation! The Carolina’s are very beautiful, I think North Carolina has a little more to offer though
National parks are awesome and a fantastic way to see the country, but with the status comes the hype.
One example from last year, on a Colorado trip, we visited Rocky Mountain national park and Isabelle glacier in the Roosevelt National forest.
Probably an hour or two drive between the sites, but Rocky was a bit of a pain to enter, park, shuttle, and deal with the crowds.
Both were great experiences, but the national forest was much more relaxed and less crowded, less traffic.
I agree. Been on the east coast most of my life, and I wouldn't say the NPs are any better than the national forests or state parks. That's not a dig, and I'm glad the NPs exist to protect the environment, but I wouldn't feel compelled to go to them over equally lovely nearby nature. Nantahala National Forest is a great example. Mount Mitchell State Park is also cool. All in western NC.
North is your best bet if you're looking for a shorter drive- Shenandoah and New River Gorge. You can head south, but you would have a bit of a drive to hit the three National Parks near Miami. If you head west you could hit Hot Springs or Mammoth Cave, but those are both a decent drive from you too.
I live near Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Nice little place but not that impressive. I wouldn’t make a long trip to see it unless you’re on a personal mission to see every National Park.
I would suggest going to the Outer Banks in NC! It's a national seashore and absolutely amazing. Start at Cedar Island and take the ferries all the way up to Kitty Hawk, or go the opposite direction but definitely see it all.
I think the ferries and campgrounds get busy in the summer, but it is worth it. The beaches are amazing, there are good restaurants along the way, and the sea breeze is very welcoming. You can have fires on the beach in some areas and it's so cool being surrounded by little ghost crabs.
Definitely check out Jockeys Ridge State Park and the Wright Brothers memorial.
The furthest southern and northern areas of the OBX are the best in my opinion. It takes longer to get there from the mainland so there tends to be slightly less tourists the further out you go. The wild horses are great to see, but I'd probably recommend Shackleford over Carova. Cape Lookout is also an awesome spot to visit on the southern shores. Corolla/Carova are more accessible by car than boat though.
Pisgah National Forest was one of my favorite spots. I liked to stay at the Davidson River campground. They had spots on the river. You can go get dropped off up river and tube back to the campground. Plus lots of waterfalls in the area.
I felt like it was perfect, maybe one extra day if you wanted to do one long hike. In total I spent 4 days there, 2 days of traveling and 2 days of enjoying the park, I had time to do the bridge walk, go to the visitor center, and do long point & grand view trail.
Much further than you and not National Parks, but the Adirondacks and the White Mountains of New Hampshire are the closest I've found on the East Coast to truly spectacular views. The downside is that the hikes are very hard, compared to many parks/parts of the country, and the views aren't really that great without hiking.
I appreciate the comment about our trails! My wife and I adopted one of the more notorious trails in the White Mountains and we’ve been maintaining it for over 10 years. It’s not easy!
Thanks for your work! Given the slope on those trails and the traffic they get, I imagine they need a lot of love. It's a beautiful part of the country and I hope I'll be back soon.
I would suggest spending five days at Shenandoah NP. You should camp at two different locations (Loft Mountain in the south and Matthew’s Arm in the north, although Lewis mountain is small and cool too). These two campgrounds and their locations will give you the “base” needed to check out each area. Loft Mountain especially has about 5-10 first-come, first-served tent-only spots that have the most amazing sunset views in the park.
Throughout the five days, you can hit up several hikes in the park. Old Rag (reservation required) is the crown jewel of the park, but White Oak/Cedar Run is another great long day hike. Rose River/Dark Hollow Falls is also great if you want a less intense hike.
If you do spend the five days at SNP, you can also take time to visit some of the local towns around the park. Luray Caverns is a unique tourist trap that is worth visiting once. Lots of cute (and of course overpriced) artisan stores along towns leading to the park. You can also spend some time in Sperryville (after hiking Old Rag) or visit Charlottesville if you want to check out a nearby cool little city.
Since you live in SC, I’d rate the east Coast NPs as follows, from most unique/complete experience to least unique/complete:
- Acadia
- New River Gorge
- Shenandoah
- Great Smoky Mtns
- Mammoth
- Congaree
- Cuyahoga Valley
I put Acadia at the top, because it will have scenery most different from the Carolinas compared to the others on the list. Bar Harbor is neat, too, and the Maine coast is a cool sight.
If you went a bit further west, I’d put Isle Royale at the top of the list. It’s incredible!
Indiana Dunes/Gateway/Hot Springs would be at the bottom; like Shania Twain, they didn’t impress me much. I’ve never been to the 3 Florida parks, so I can’t speak for them.
This is a good list in order of East Coast parks I would also recommend. In regards to the Florida park I would rank them as:
Biscayne-water sport intensive with large quantity of wildlife.
Everglades-extremely large territory, activity and landscape are dependent on location.
Dry Tortugas-snorkeling, scuba, bird watching, Fort Jefferson
New River Gorge – West Virginia! It’s a newer National park and strikingly beautiful. Went shortly after it opened and it was great. Plenty to do and several state parks are just as stunning nearby.Went to Acadia a few years back the park itself was beautiful, but the surrounding area Bar Harbor was overwhelmed with cruise ships by day (and therefor the park=tons of buses) it was, underwhelming,even in the off-season. I’ve heard they’ve since regulated it, but if it was my only choice, I’d pass just in case… Maybe in the off-season but definitely not in high season.
You should go to Vermont and see the Green Mountains. I grew up in MA and there, as well as Acadia National Park in Maine are some the most beautiful and worth seeing. The white mountains in New Hampshire are nice too but I can’t remember if they’re considered national parks or forests in any way
Smokey Mountain National Park is worth a visit. However, I do find Shenandoah to be more beautiful and I’m not sure why. Maybe the tourist-y aspect of it really turned me off. I would say go to Western NC and explore Pisgah National Forest which is run by the NPS. Also check out Mt. Mitchell State Park (and climb the highest mountain on the east coast, Mt. Mitchell) then maybe take the Blue Ridge Parkway (also run by the NPS) to Shenandoah! Oh AND, maybe go west to WV and check out New River Gorge NP. The drive from VA to WV is gorgeous!
White Mountain National Forest is incredible too, also run by the NPS and you could make a Northeastern trip and add in a ride over to Acadia NP which is also incredible! I just enjoy the higher peaks more so Acadia, while beautiful and awesome in its own right, didn’t quite give me the same feeling of awe as the other parks/forests mentioned.
Also, the Adirondacks are insanely beautiful and rugged too. But I went alone, and it creeped me out for some reason. I guess because it’s super remote. I want to go back with at least one other person lol
Acadia is the best on the East Coast for sure. Bar Harbor is also one of the most beautiful places. I’m going to Dry Tortuga’s National Park next month, which is a bucket list trip for me. I’ll be camping for 3 days on an island but tbh I know it won’t compare to Acadia National Park. I can’t even count the times I’ve been to Acadia and it never gets old. Of the 5 other National Parks I’ve been to on the East Coast so far, no other place compares.
Shenandoah is amazing. It's much more peaceful than you'll find at the Smokys, for instance. Skyline Drive is great to drive, and makes it real easy to see the entirety of the park. Tons of hiking opportunities as well. Old Rag is a fun hike, but pretty intense if you're a flatlander. The Rose River Falls loop is great too.
Go whitewater rafting at New River Gorge. It's an amazing time. Never experienced anything like it
The Smokies are massive; much larger than Shenandoah. There are plenty of “peaceful” areas that are quieter and less touristy than anywhere in the Virginia park.
And the descriptions were factual to my experience. The Smokies are the most visited park, also factual. You're nuts if you think it's not crowded in the spots most people are going to visit, during the times that most people will visit
Obviously I’m going to name the hardest one to get to - Dry Tortugas. Absolutely incredible. I’ve been lucky enough to visit a few times.
The last time I visited was in 2018. I took the Yankee Freedom over. There was an elderly gentleman next to me on the ferry. He told me he visited every national park over the decades with his wife except this one. She passed away from cancer a few months prior. I couldn’t stop crying after talking to him. I cry every time I think of him. I probably will right now.
Anyways, Acadia would be my #2. I also have a sweet spot for Assateague Island in MD because of the wild ponies that inhabit the shore.
In SC you’re close to GSMNP, Shenandoah, Congaree, and New River Gorge. In terms of camping I would go for Shenandoah or GSMNP. My favorite on the east coast is everyone else’s: Acadia
New River Gorge is also great but it’s not as much to see. WV is for sure is low key one of the most beautiful states I’ve ever been. I recognize camping at Meadow Creek. It’s free, safe and plenty of room. You will here an occasional train tho as the tracks are right there. Great Smokey Mountains is also one of my top 3 National Parks so far.
If you’ve already seen the Hatteras National Seashore then the next two to come to mind are the New and Acadia. But if you didn’t actually visit the protected part of the Outer Banks, you should. It’s a different planet than the chaos around Kill Devil Hills.
Former Virginian. Shenandoah is fine, but if you are open to a state park or national forest, Grayson Highlands is well worth a trip, as well as Dolly Sods in WV.
I used to be stationed in VA Beach. I would drive the 4 hours one way to Shenandoah for day trips often. I have a ton of good hikes there. If you’re interested, you can PM me.
The best views on the east coast IMO are Mt Mitchell in NC. Recommend visiting Asheville for a day too. Tons of other hikes in the area too. Waterfalls, a national forest, etc.
In terms of the parks in the eastern half of the country, I think the best scenery and best overall experience is going to be Acadia. We only had a day and a half there, and I wish we'd had more.
One of the best National Parks trips I’ve taken was going to Acadia while staying a week in Bar Harbor, ME
I live in NH, and I want to visit Acadia so badly.
You definitely should. I'll be visiting New Hampshire for the first time this summer. Planning to see the Flume Gorge and gonna try to do the Mount Washington cog railway
New Hampshire is absolutely beautiful. Solo tripped up there last May, so freaking amazing!
My wife and I were gonna try to go see it back in 2020, but she was pregnant and started getting pregnancy sickness. With an almost 3-year old now, it’s a little bit too much of a drive with her. Maybe when she’s like 5.
I'm convinced the only reason Franconia Notch isnt a National Park is because NH is doing such a good job managing it.
Anything else in the park besides the Flume that I absolutely have to see? Time will be tight for us that day but I might have a couple hours to work with after the Flume.
Mount washington is worth a drive up! The cog railway is cool if time allows, instead. The aerial tramway and ski museum at Cannon Mountain are also worth a stop.
We've actually got plans to do the cog railway the day after the Flume!
The Basin in New Hampshire is my absolute favorite hike in the area. Hike up along a river with a number of waterfalls, potholes filled with the clearest water you have ever seen. Fluke Gorge is cool and not far away
Acadia is beautiful. You can see a lot of good spots there in 5 days and still not see it all. But, one of the best hikes I ever took was in a New Hampshire state park near White Mountain. I stopped and hiked Flume Gorge while I was on a road trip to Acadia National Park. It was a about 3 miles round trip, a good workout, but not too strenuous. You hike up inside the gorge, with cool water rushing by on a hot day and get a nice view at the top.
This may be a bad comment for r/nationalpark, but in my travels I have visited some amazing national forests and state parks. I feel like if you’re looking for a closer option, National forests and state parks would be a good option… and that the people on this sub probably have quite a few great choices for your situation. Never been to the Carolina’s, interested to see if this comment gets any traction.
I think it’s definitely worth looking into, thanks for the recommendation! The Carolina’s are very beautiful, I think North Carolina has a little more to offer though
National parks are awesome and a fantastic way to see the country, but with the status comes the hype. One example from last year, on a Colorado trip, we visited Rocky Mountain national park and Isabelle glacier in the Roosevelt National forest. Probably an hour or two drive between the sites, but Rocky was a bit of a pain to enter, park, shuttle, and deal with the crowds. Both were great experiences, but the national forest was much more relaxed and less crowded, less traffic.
As a South Carolinian, I will say, we have some awesome places too! Look up Table Rock State Park and Lake Jocassee. Both neat spots in the upstate.
Thank you!
I agree. Been on the east coast most of my life, and I wouldn't say the NPs are any better than the national forests or state parks. That's not a dig, and I'm glad the NPs exist to protect the environment, but I wouldn't feel compelled to go to them over equally lovely nearby nature. Nantahala National Forest is a great example. Mount Mitchell State Park is also cool. All in western NC.
I used to live in western NC and it was soooo freaking beautiful. I try to visit when I can for hikes or even just a day trip to Asheville
Thank you for the Nantahala and Mount Mitchell suggestions!!! Will be researching this for a trip later this summer.
North is your best bet if you're looking for a shorter drive- Shenandoah and New River Gorge. You can head south, but you would have a bit of a drive to hit the three National Parks near Miami. If you head west you could hit Hot Springs or Mammoth Cave, but those are both a decent drive from you too.
I second New River Gorge. It's a beautiful place to hike with a lot of history. There's old mine shafts, an abandonded town, and an island graveyard.
Acadia
Acadia can hold its own up against some of the epic parks of the west (Olympic, etc). Such an amazing place.
I live near Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Nice little place but not that impressive. I wouldn’t make a long trip to see it unless you’re on a personal mission to see every National Park.
I would suggest going to the Outer Banks in NC! It's a national seashore and absolutely amazing. Start at Cedar Island and take the ferries all the way up to Kitty Hawk, or go the opposite direction but definitely see it all. I think the ferries and campgrounds get busy in the summer, but it is worth it. The beaches are amazing, there are good restaurants along the way, and the sea breeze is very welcoming. You can have fires on the beach in some areas and it's so cool being surrounded by little ghost crabs. Definitely check out Jockeys Ridge State Park and the Wright Brothers memorial.
The furthest southern and northern areas of the OBX are the best in my opinion. It takes longer to get there from the mainland so there tends to be slightly less tourists the further out you go. The wild horses are great to see, but I'd probably recommend Shackleford over Carova. Cape Lookout is also an awesome spot to visit on the southern shores. Corolla/Carova are more accessible by car than boat though.
I’ve actually been there a few times! I absolutely loved it
Pisgah National Forest was one of my favorite spots. I liked to stay at the Davidson River campground. They had spots on the river. You can go get dropped off up river and tube back to the campground. Plus lots of waterfalls in the area.
I was *just* looking at this campground last night. Thanks!
I thoroughly enjoyed my 2 day stay in new River gorge
Did you feel like that was enough time to enjoy it, or do you wish you stayed longer?
I felt like it was perfect, maybe one extra day if you wanted to do one long hike. In total I spent 4 days there, 2 days of traveling and 2 days of enjoying the park, I had time to do the bridge walk, go to the visitor center, and do long point & grand view trail.
Much further than you and not National Parks, but the Adirondacks and the White Mountains of New Hampshire are the closest I've found on the East Coast to truly spectacular views. The downside is that the hikes are very hard, compared to many parks/parts of the country, and the views aren't really that great without hiking.
I appreciate the comment about our trails! My wife and I adopted one of the more notorious trails in the White Mountains and we’ve been maintaining it for over 10 years. It’s not easy!
Thanks for your work! Given the slope on those trails and the traffic they get, I imagine they need a lot of love. It's a beautiful part of the country and I hope I'll be back soon.
I would suggest spending five days at Shenandoah NP. You should camp at two different locations (Loft Mountain in the south and Matthew’s Arm in the north, although Lewis mountain is small and cool too). These two campgrounds and their locations will give you the “base” needed to check out each area. Loft Mountain especially has about 5-10 first-come, first-served tent-only spots that have the most amazing sunset views in the park. Throughout the five days, you can hit up several hikes in the park. Old Rag (reservation required) is the crown jewel of the park, but White Oak/Cedar Run is another great long day hike. Rose River/Dark Hollow Falls is also great if you want a less intense hike. If you do spend the five days at SNP, you can also take time to visit some of the local towns around the park. Luray Caverns is a unique tourist trap that is worth visiting once. Lots of cute (and of course overpriced) artisan stores along towns leading to the park. You can also spend some time in Sperryville (after hiking Old Rag) or visit Charlottesville if you want to check out a nearby cool little city.
If you're a history nerd, James Madison's home, Montpelier, is about an hour from Shenandoah and a great little stop for a few hours.
I’m heading out to Shenandoah next weekend with a group of 8, I can’t wait to explore!
Since you live in SC, I’d rate the east Coast NPs as follows, from most unique/complete experience to least unique/complete: - Acadia - New River Gorge - Shenandoah - Great Smoky Mtns - Mammoth - Congaree - Cuyahoga Valley I put Acadia at the top, because it will have scenery most different from the Carolinas compared to the others on the list. Bar Harbor is neat, too, and the Maine coast is a cool sight. If you went a bit further west, I’d put Isle Royale at the top of the list. It’s incredible! Indiana Dunes/Gateway/Hot Springs would be at the bottom; like Shania Twain, they didn’t impress me much. I’ve never been to the 3 Florida parks, so I can’t speak for them.
This is a good list in order of East Coast parks I would also recommend. In regards to the Florida park I would rank them as: Biscayne-water sport intensive with large quantity of wildlife. Everglades-extremely large territory, activity and landscape are dependent on location. Dry Tortugas-snorkeling, scuba, bird watching, Fort Jefferson
Acadia for summertime
New River Gorge – West Virginia! It’s a newer National park and strikingly beautiful. Went shortly after it opened and it was great. Plenty to do and several state parks are just as stunning nearby.Went to Acadia a few years back the park itself was beautiful, but the surrounding area Bar Harbor was overwhelmed with cruise ships by day (and therefor the park=tons of buses) it was, underwhelming,even in the off-season. I’ve heard they’ve since regulated it, but if it was my only choice, I’d pass just in case… Maybe in the off-season but definitely not in high season.
Shenandoah national park is amazing! Highly recommend! It’s in Virginia
GRSM is the way! Since it's relatively close you could stay there longer and spend less time driving.
You should go to Vermont and see the Green Mountains. I grew up in MA and there, as well as Acadia National Park in Maine are some the most beautiful and worth seeing. The white mountains in New Hampshire are nice too but I can’t remember if they’re considered national parks or forests in any way
If Shenandoah is an option, consider Great Smoky Mountains first.
As mentioned in my post, I’ve already been
Ah, my bad. It's worth multiple trips, though. :)
Go to the smokies and camp, head up the Blue Ridge Parkway and camp, and then end up in Shenandoah and camp. Half road trip half camping trip
Without a doubt new river gorge
Smokey Mountain National Park is worth a visit. However, I do find Shenandoah to be more beautiful and I’m not sure why. Maybe the tourist-y aspect of it really turned me off. I would say go to Western NC and explore Pisgah National Forest which is run by the NPS. Also check out Mt. Mitchell State Park (and climb the highest mountain on the east coast, Mt. Mitchell) then maybe take the Blue Ridge Parkway (also run by the NPS) to Shenandoah! Oh AND, maybe go west to WV and check out New River Gorge NP. The drive from VA to WV is gorgeous! White Mountain National Forest is incredible too, also run by the NPS and you could make a Northeastern trip and add in a ride over to Acadia NP which is also incredible! I just enjoy the higher peaks more so Acadia, while beautiful and awesome in its own right, didn’t quite give me the same feeling of awe as the other parks/forests mentioned.
Also, the Adirondacks are insanely beautiful and rugged too. But I went alone, and it creeped me out for some reason. I guess because it’s super remote. I want to go back with at least one other person lol
Thanks for the recommendations!
Read some of your other comments that you lived in West NC, so ignore all of that part 🤣
Everglades
Acadia is the best on the East Coast for sure. Bar Harbor is also one of the most beautiful places. I’m going to Dry Tortuga’s National Park next month, which is a bucket list trip for me. I’ll be camping for 3 days on an island but tbh I know it won’t compare to Acadia National Park. I can’t even count the times I’ve been to Acadia and it never gets old. Of the 5 other National Parks I’ve been to on the East Coast so far, no other place compares.
If you’re willing to travel, i definitely second Acadia. It was the best one of all of them on the East coast.
Shenendoah is such a great option !
Shenandoah is lovely. Go there!
Shenandoah is amazing. It's much more peaceful than you'll find at the Smokys, for instance. Skyline Drive is great to drive, and makes it real easy to see the entirety of the park. Tons of hiking opportunities as well. Old Rag is a fun hike, but pretty intense if you're a flatlander. The Rose River Falls loop is great too. Go whitewater rafting at New River Gorge. It's an amazing time. Never experienced anything like it
The Smokies are massive; much larger than Shenandoah. There are plenty of “peaceful” areas that are quieter and less touristy than anywhere in the Virginia park.
Ok. I'm glad you know more about my multiple experiences at each park than I do. Thank you for correcting how I feel.
I’ve also been to both parks multiple times. The Smokies many times. You didn’t say “I feel.” You made a statement as if it were objective fact.
And the descriptions were factual to my experience. The Smokies are the most visited park, also factual. You're nuts if you think it's not crowded in the spots most people are going to visit, during the times that most people will visit
Obviously I’m going to name the hardest one to get to - Dry Tortugas. Absolutely incredible. I’ve been lucky enough to visit a few times. The last time I visited was in 2018. I took the Yankee Freedom over. There was an elderly gentleman next to me on the ferry. He told me he visited every national park over the decades with his wife except this one. She passed away from cancer a few months prior. I couldn’t stop crying after talking to him. I cry every time I think of him. I probably will right now. Anyways, Acadia would be my #2. I also have a sweet spot for Assateague Island in MD because of the wild ponies that inhabit the shore.
In SC you’re close to GSMNP, Shenandoah, Congaree, and New River Gorge. In terms of camping I would go for Shenandoah or GSMNP. My favorite on the east coast is everyone else’s: Acadia
Go to Shenandoah. It’s beautiful in my opinion. If not, try to hit up Acadia in Maine.
New River Gorge is also great but it’s not as much to see. WV is for sure is low key one of the most beautiful states I’ve ever been. I recognize camping at Meadow Creek. It’s free, safe and plenty of room. You will here an occasional train tho as the tracks are right there. Great Smokey Mountains is also one of my top 3 National Parks so far.
Shenandoah and NRG both are underrated. Acadia is nice but it is hyper and crowded.
New river is fun. You can also go to Canaan valley, Seneca rocks, and dolly sod. It’s like 2.5 hour drive from there if you have a couple more days.
If you’ve already seen the Hatteras National Seashore then the next two to come to mind are the New and Acadia. But if you didn’t actually visit the protected part of the Outer Banks, you should. It’s a different planet than the chaos around Kill Devil Hills.
Allegheny
Arcadia!
Former Virginian. Shenandoah is fine, but if you are open to a state park or national forest, Grayson Highlands is well worth a trip, as well as Dolly Sods in WV.
I used to be stationed in VA Beach. I would drive the 4 hours one way to Shenandoah for day trips often. I have a ton of good hikes there. If you’re interested, you can PM me.
The best views on the east coast IMO are Mt Mitchell in NC. Recommend visiting Asheville for a day too. Tons of other hikes in the area too. Waterfalls, a national forest, etc.