Month: February 2020

6 Must-See National Parks on the East Coast

6 Must-See National Parks on the East Coast

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When it comes to beauty, nature never disappoints. The United States is full of natural wonders that inspire travelers looking for adventure. This is especially true of the nation’s national parks.

If you’ve never experienced the national parks on the east coast, you’re in for a treat. After all, the east coast is packed with amazing natural scenery that will keep you exploring year after year.

This article takes a look at the best national parks to visit on the east coast. Keep reading to discover places that should be at the top of your list of destinations as you plan your next vacation.

1. Everglades National Park (Florida)

This is one of the most amazing destinations in the country, featuring wild and natural wetlands that will take your breath away. A vast 1.5 million acres of mangroves and sawgrass is like nothing you’ve ever seen. Everglades National Park also protects & provides an important habitat for numerous rare and endangered species like the manatee, American crocodile, and the elusive Florida panther.

2. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

Mammoth Cave National Park features 10 miles of caves that are open for public exploration. This park features a limestone labyrinth that slowly formed over billions of years. This park preserves the longest known cave system on earth (400+ miles), as well as 53,000 acres of beautiful forest.  With nearly a dozen miles of cave trail below ground, there are also nearly 70 miles of surface trails, 13 backcountry campsites, three campgrounds, and over 20 miles of navigable river for visitors to explore and enjoy. It really is two worlds in one.

3. Appalachian National Scenic Trail

If you love to hike, Appalachian National Scenic Trail ranks among the most fabulous hiking destinations anywhere in the world. This trail covers 2,190 miles across 14 states.

4. Statue of Liberty National Monument

This ranks as one of the smallest national parks on our list, and yet it’s also among the most historically significant. In May of 2019, Lady Liberty’s legacy expanded with the opening of the Statue of Liberty Museum. Housed within the Statue of Liberty Museum are three interactive galleries that tell the statue’s history in thought-provoking ways. Each gallery is designed to inspire visitors. And your National Park Pass is not needed here, National Park passes are valid at parks that charge an entrance fee. Liberty and Ellis Islands are fee-exempt by law. The price of the ferry ticket covers the cost of transportation by the concessionaire.

5. Shenandoah National Park

Located just outside Washington D.C., Shenandoah National Park offers the kind of beauty only great poetry could adequately describe. With over 500 miles of hiking trails, this is a destination you could easily spend a lifetime exploring. This fall-favorite is great to visit any time of year for lots of fantastic hikes, views, and memorable drives.  If you are looking for an RV park in the area, our friends at RVShare have a great list to get you started.

6. Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Great Smoky Mountains rank among the oldest mountains found anywhere on earth. Featuring over 100 species of native trees, this is the ultimate destination for any nature lover.  Did you also know that Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a world-renowned preserve of wildflower diversity? Over 1,500 kinds of flowering plants are found in the park, more than in any other North American national park! You can see where to find many of these flowers on the Species Mapper. In fact, the park is sometimes referred to as the “Wildflower National Park.” So blooming flowers can be found year-round in the park!

Trip-Worthy National Parks on the East Coast

Traveling the country by RV and exploring everything our national parks have to offer is a great way to create fond memories that will last a lifetime. This list of national parks on the east coast will help get your next trip started.

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Four Mississippi Parks You’ll Want to Visit in Your RV!

Four Mississippi Parks You’ll Want to Visit in Your RV!

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The Southern US is home to some of the prettiest state parks in the U.S.  If you have not added a swing through Mississippi to your plans, you will want to after reading about some of these idyllic settings for outdoor fun!  Be sure to check out the on-line portals for these state parks to stay up to date on camp ground options & conditions.

1. Tishomingo State Park, Tishomingo

This breathtakingly beautiful park has won numerous awards, including being listed in Reserve America’s “Top 100 Campgrounds.”

This park offers seven hiking trails that range in length from ¾ to 3 miles and in difficulty from easy to moderate. The trails feature scenic natural springs, waterfalls, rocky creeks and streams, cliffs, rock walls and huge outcrops. Rock climbing, which requires a helmet and a free permit (available at the park office), is a popular activity on the trails, particularly at the formation known as Jean’s Overhang. Bear Creek crosses a number of points along the trail system and can be explored by canoe on one of the float trips offered at the park.

Three popular disc golf courses are also available, and an Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pool is open during late spring and summer. The park offers 62 developed RV campsites, which have both water and electricity.

The park’s Nature Center, which re-opened in 2016, offers displays of Tishomingo county heritage, nature, art, animals, arrowheads and memorabilia from the Civilian Conservation Corps.

2. Buccaneer State Park, Waveland

Buccaneer State Park’s beautiful restoration was completed in 2013, after hurricane Katrina devastated this area in 2005.  Located on the beach in Waveland, Buccaneer is in a natural setting of large moss-draped oaks, marshlands and the Gulf of Mexico. Use of this land was first recorded in history in the late 1700’s when Jean Lafitte and his followers were active in smuggling and pirating along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Today this area is centrally located to numerous family-friendly attractions such as Stennis Space Center / NASA, Old Town Bay St. Louis, Beauvoir Jefferson Davis Shrine, World War II D-Day Museum, Aquarium of Americas, and more!

3. Davis Bayou Area/Gulf Islands National Seashore, near Ocean Springs

Part of the national seashore, there’s never a shortage to see or do at this 51-site campground. From a two-mile nature trail that traverses the coastal forest to saltwater fishing, visitors to Davis Bayou are in for a real treat. This park maintains several facilities for visitors to enjoy. Such as the William M. Colmer Visitor Center which enables travelers to  explore indoor exhibits about the shore and the islands. There is also a Visitor Center Fishing Pier which is an excellent site to cast a line. There are also several short hiking trails through the area.
For a small fee, visitors may also launch their boat and park a vehicle for a day on the water.
Or if your crew just prefers to hang out, there is a large area for picnics including five picnic shelters.

Gulf Islands National Seashore officials announced plans to conduct small controlled burns within the Davis Bayou Area near Ocean Springs, Mississippi. The planned burns are scheduled to be conducted between early February and early March so be sure to check their website and/or call ahead for updates.

4. Sardis Lake Recreation Area, Lafayette, Panola, and Marshall Counties

Sardis was built as a flood control facility in the 1930s and recreation was not mentioned in the original plans.  Soon after the Dam’s construction, however, visitation skyrocketed.  Today, the employees of Sardis Lake take great pride in building and maintaining some of the top recreation facilities in the country.

Whether planning a one-day outing or an extended camping trip, you can find a wealth of activities to fill your days and nights.  Camp in one of the modern campgrounds, or picnic, or swim, or rent a pavilion for a family reunion or find a spot somewhere on our 98,000 acres to boat, hunt, fish, go birding, or walk a trail. There’s an abundance of natural beauty at Sardis Lake and plenty of activities for all campers to enjoy.

Mississippi is often referred to as “The Hospitality State” and with so many great parks to choose from we can see why!  If you haven’t visited Mississippi in your RV, you will definitely want to add this state to your travel plans.  With awesome parks, fantastic food, and friendly people, you are sure to make some marvelous memories in Mississippi!

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