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Atlantic Coast Ocean and Coastal National Parks
Maine
Saint Croix Island International Historic Site
- 1.4 Shoreline Miles
- 28 Marine Water Acres
- Grab your paddle and your longing for adventure and head to the St. Croix and Namekagon rivers! Together they form the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, offering over 200 miles of clean water that glides and rushes through a forested landscape. Paddle, boat, fish, and camp among this wild and scenic beauty. Hiking and historic towns also beckon, if you can bear to leave the cool water.
Acadia National Park
- 74.1 Shoreline Miles
- 72.1 Marine Water Acres
- People have been drawn to the rugged coast of Maine throughout history. Awed by its beauty and diversity, early 20th-century visionaries donated the land that became Acadia National Park. The park is home to many plants and animals, and the tallest mountain on the U.S. Atlantic coast. Today visitors come to Acadia to hike granite peaks, bike historic carriage roads, or relax and enjoy the scenery.
Massachusetts
Salem Maritime National Historic Site
- 1.1 Shoreline Miles
- When the United States was young, ships from Salem, Massachusetts helped to build the new nation's economy by carrying cargo back and forth from the West to Asia. The historic buildings, wharves, and reconstructed tall ship at this nine-acre National Park tell the stories of the sailors, Revolutionary War privateers, and merchants who brought the riches of the world to America.
Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site
- 0.1 Shoreline Miles
- In the 1600's, on the banks of the Saugus River, something extraordinary happened. Explore the place where European iron makers brought their special skills to a young Massachusetts colony. This nine-acre National Park includes working waterwheels, hot forges, mills, an historic 17th century home and a lush river basin.
Boston National Historical Park
- 0.7 Shoreline Miles
- 7.5 Marine Water Acres
- Discover how one city could be the Cradle of Liberty, site of the first major battle of American Revolution, and home to many who espoused that freedom can be extended to all.
Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
- 40.8 Shoreline Miles
- Here is a place where you can walk a Civil War-era fort, visit historic lighthouses, explore tide pools, hike lush trails, camp under the stars, or relax while fishing, picnicking or swimming-all within reach of downtown Boston. Youth programs, visitor services, research, wildlife management, and more are coordinated on the park's 34 islands and peninsulas by the Boston Harbor Islands Partnership.
Cape Cod National Seashore
- 148 Shoreline Miles
- 17,382.8 Marine Water Acres
- The great Outer Beach described by Thoreau in the 1800s is protected within the national seashore. Forty miles of pristine sandy beach, marshes, ponds, and uplands support diverse species. Lighthouses, cultural landscapes, and wild cranberry bogs offer a glimpse of Cape Cod's past and continuing ways of life. Swimming beaches and walking and biking trails beckon today's visitors.
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
- "The town itself is perhaps the dearest place to live in, in all New England..nowhere in all America will you find more patrician-like houses, parks and gardens more opulent, than in New Bedford…all these brave houses and flowery gardens came from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. One and all, they were harpooned and dragged up hither from the bottom of the sea." -H. Melville, "Moby-Dick"
New York
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
- 0.7 Shoreline Miles
- 1.3 Marine Water Acres
- Sagamore Hill was the home of Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States, from 1885 until his death in 1919. During Roosevelt's time in office, his "Summer White House" was the focus of international attention. Explore the natural surroundings and become inspired by the legacy of one of America's most popular presidents.
Fire Island National Seashore
- 94 Shoreline Miles
- 14,292 Marine Water Acres
- Immerse yourself in an enchanting collage of coastal life and history. Rhythmic waves, high dunes, ancient maritime forests, historic landmarks and glimpses of wildlife, Fire Island has been a special place for diverse plants, animals and people for centuries. Far from the pressure of nearby big-city life, dynamic barrier island beaches offer both solitude and camaraderie, and spiritual renewal.
Gateway National Recreation Area
- 144.4 Shoreline Miles
- 17,540.9 Marine Water Acres
- There are three geographic units: Sandy Hook, New Jersey; Jamaica Bay and Staten Island, New York City. The NYC units include Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Fort Tilden, Riis Park in Queens, Floyd Bennett Field and Canarsie Pier in Brooklyn. Staten Island has Great Kills Park, Miller Field and Fort Wadsworth. These sites and others make up the 27,000 acres of Gateway, one national park.
Governors Island National Monument
- 0.1Shoreline Miles
- From 1794 to 1966, the U.S. Army on Governors Island was part of the social, political, and economic tapestry of New York City. Today the island is vibrant summer seasonal venue of art, culture and performance against the backdrop of two centuries of military heritage and the skyline of one of the great cities of the world.
Statue of Liberty National Monument
- 1.8 Shoreline Miles
- "The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World" was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States and is recognized as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886. It was designated as a National Monument in 1924. Employees of the National Park Service have been caring for the colossal copper statue since 1933.
Maryland
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
- 0.7 Shoreline Miles
- O! say can you see, by the dawn's early light, a large red, white and blue banner? Whose broad stripes and bright stars . . . were so gallantly streaming! over the star-shaped Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore, September 13-14, 1814. The valiant defense of the fort inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument
- Harriet Tubman was a deeply spiritual woman who lived her ideals and dedicated her life to freedom. She is the Underground Railroad’s best known conductor and in the decades before the Civil War, repeatedly risked her life to guide nearly 70 enslaved people to new lives of freedom in the North.Tubman would recognize the landscapes protected in this new national monument on Maryland’s Eastern Shore
Assateague Island National Seashore
- 357 Shoreline Miles
- 32,409 Marine Water Acres
- Want to live on the edge? Visit a place recreated each day by ocean wind and waves. Life on Assateague Island has adapted to an existence on the move. Explore sandy beaches, salt marshes, maritime forests and coastal bays. Rest, relax, recreate and enjoy some time on the edge of the continent.
Virginia
George Washington Birthplace National Monument
- 5 Shoreline Miles
- 22 Marine Water Acres
- In the heart of the Northern Neck of Virginia stands a tribute to America’s founding father, George Washington. Although only here a short time, the ideas that Washington learned here, helped shape the man he would become and forever alter the destiny of the United States of America.
Colonial National Historical Park
- 60 Shoreline Miles
- On May 13, 1607, Jamestown was established as the first permanent English settlement in North America. Three cultures came together – European, Virginia Indian and African–to create a new society that would eventually seek independence from Great Britain. On October 19, 1781, American and French troops defeated the British at Yorktown in the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War.
Fort Monroe National Monument
- Fort Monroe National Monument spans the American story through the 21st century: American Indian presence, Captain John Smith's journeys, a safe haven for freedom seekers during the Civil War, and a bastion of defense for the Chesapeake Bay. A public planning process will determine future public services and programming at this new national park with a centuries-old tradition.
North Carolina
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
- 1 Shoreline Mile
- Fort Raleigh National Historic Site protects and preserves known portions of England's first New World settlements from 1584 to 1590. This site also preserves the cultural heritage of the Native Americans, European Americans and African Americans who have lived on Roanoke Island.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore
- 276 Shoreline Miles
- 7,690 Marine Water Acres
Cape Lookout National Seashore
- 343 Shoreline Miles
- 12,063 Marine Water Acres
- A boat ride three miles off-shore brings you to the barrier islands of Cape Lookout National Seashore. Horse watching, shelling, fishing, birding, camping, lighthouse climbing, and touring historic villages--there’s something for everyone at Cape Lookout. Be sure to bring all the food, water, and supplies you need (and carry your trash out of the park) when visiting these remote beaches.
South Carolina
Charles Pinckney National Historic Site
- 0.2Shoreline Miles
- Charles Pinckney was a principal author and a signer of the United States Constitution. This remnant of his coastal plantation is preserved to tell the story of a "forgotten founder," his life of public service, the lives of enslaved African Americans on South Carolina Lowcountry plantations and their influences on Charles Pinckney.
Fort Sumter National Monument
- 1.2Shoreline Miles
- 147 Marine Water Acres
- Decades of growing strife between North and South erupted in civil war on April 12, 1861, when Confederate artillery opened fire on this Federal fort in Charleston Harbor. Fort Sumter surrendered 34 hours later. Union forces would try for nearly four years to take it back.
Georgia
Fort Pulaski National Monument
- 65.7 Shoreline Miles
- 595.2 Marine Water Acres
- For much of the 19th century, masonry fortifications were the United States’ main defense against overseas enemies. However, during the Civil War, new technology proved its superiority to these forts. The Union army used rifled cannon and compelled the Confederate garrison inside Fort Pulaski to surrender. The siege was a landmark experiment in the history of military science and invention.
Fort Frederica National Monument
- 2.5 Shoreline Miles
- Georgia's fate was decided in 1742 when Spanish and British forces clashed on St. Simons Island. Fort Frederica's troops defeated the Spanish, ensuring Georgia's future as a British colony. Today, the archeological remnants of Frederica are protected by the National Park Service.
Cumberland Island National Seashore
- 176 Shoreline Miles
- 10,613 Marine Water Acres
- St Marys is the gateway to Cumberland Island, Georgia's largest and southernmost barrier island. Here pristine maritime forests, undeveloped beaches and wide marshes whisper the stories of both man and nature. Natives, missionaries, enslaved African Americans and Wealthy Industrialists all walked here. Cumberland Island is also home to over 9,800 acres of Congressionally designated Wilderness.
Florida
Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve
- 632 Shoreline Miles
- 11,958 Marine Water Acres
- Visit one of the last unspoiled coastal wetlands on the Atlantic Coast. Discover 6,000 years of human history and experience the beauty of salt marshes, coastal dunes, and hardwood hammocks. The Timucuan Preserve includes Fort Caroline and Kingsley Plantation.
Fort Caroline National Memorial
- 1.1 Shoreline Miles
- Fort Caroline memorializes the short-lived French presence in sixteenth century Florida. Here you will find stories of exploration, survival, religious disputes, territorial battles, and first contact between American Indians and Europeans.
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
- 0.3 Shoreline Miles
- A monument not only of stone and mortar but of human determination and endurance, the Castillo de San Marcos symbolizes the clash between cultures which ultimately resulted in our uniquely unified nation. Still resonant with the struggles of an earlier time, these original walls provide tangible evidence of America’s grim but remarkable history.
Fort Matanzas National Monument
- 5 Shoreline Miles
- Coastal Florida was a major field of conflict as European nations fought for control in the New World. As part of this struggle, Fort Matanzas guarded St. Augustine’s southern river approach. The colonial wars are over, but the monument is still protecting—not just the historic fort, but also the wild barrier island and the plants and animals who survive there amidst a sea of modern development.
Canaveral National Seashore
- 308 Shoreline Miles
- 37,825 Marine Water Acres
- Since ancient times, this barrier island has provided sanctuary to both people and wildlife. Many threatened animals find refuge here, including sea turtles who nest on its shores. Like Indians and early settlers, you too can find tranquility. Swim in the ocean. Fish in the lagoon. Stroll down a wooded trail. Or reflect on the longest expanse of pristine shore in Florida - the way it used to be.
Biscayne National Park
- 133.4 Shoreline Miles
- 166,463.2 Marine Water Acres
- Within sight of downtown Miami, yet worlds away, Biscayne protects a rare combination of aquamarine waters, emerald islands, and fish-bejeweled coral reefs. Here too is evidence of 10,000 years of human history, from pirates and shipwrecks to pineapple farmers and presidents. Outdoors enthusiasts can boat, snorkel, camp, watch wildlife…or simply relax in a rocking chair gazing out over the bay.
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