new england — Blog — Sunbird Soul Adventures

Okay, well not all of them. I haven’t been to the Florida National Parks, and I promised when I started this blog that I’d never write about a place on here that I haven’t personally been to. Instead, this is everything north of Florida. There aren’t a ton of National Parks on the East Coast of the United States, but there are definitely a lot of great qualities about the ones that do call these states home.

I’ve been to all of the National Parks along the East Coast that aren’t located in Florida, so I’m so excited to share my love for them with all of you. They’re all so unique. On the East Coast, we’ve got swamps. We’ve got mountains. We’ve got waterfalls. The East Coast is incredibly green, and is home to so much wildlife, from armadillos in the south to moose in the north.

This is every National Park on the East Coast (except Florida), ranked.

I do want to clarify that this list only contains NPS sites recognized as having Park status. There are so many more NPS sites on the East Coast that are also worth visiting.

6: Cuyahoga Valley, OH

I decided to throw two non-coastal states on this list because, let’s face it—there just aren’t a lot of National Parks on the East Coast. Most of the countries parks are out west, but that doesn’t mean these parks don’t deserve some love too! And Ohio and Kentucky are most certainly eastern states, so let’s get on with it.

I did really like Cuyahoga Valley, but it has to sit at #6 because it is a small park. There isn’t too much to do and it’s built within a neighborhood. That doesn’t mean it’s not absolutely gorgeous though! Cuyahoga Valley is amazing for waterfall chasing, and has a few good hiking trails as well! Don’t miss Brandywine Falls, and make the little trek out to Bridal Veil Falls—both are gorgeous!

Brandywine Falls, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, OH

5: Mammoth Cave, KY

This was super hard to put this low on the list because I genuinely loved my time in Mammoth Cave. Its campground was amazing (honestly up there with my favorite campgrounds, and it would’ve made this list if the list was longer), and the people were so nice. It was a nice cross between a small and big park (no entrance fee, but so much to do, and it’s all contained in itself). Mammoth Cave is the largest cave in the world, at over 600 miles long. The cave itself is awesome, but the park didn’t have a ton of hiking available to me because the ferry was closed when I was there, so I couldn’t access part of the park. Definitely get there early and book a cave tour. They don’t cost very much, and it’s spectacular. I wish I got to take a tour, but they were all sold out by the time I decided to do it. But honestly, Mammoth Cave is an absolutely gorgeous area—definitely add it to your list.

From inside the largest cave in the world, Mammoth Cave National Park, KY

4: Congaree, SC

Okay, this feels like an unfairly low rank for this park because it’s actually one of the most unique places I’ve been. I promise this list keeps getting better! Congaree is genuine swampland. It’s home to tons of amazing insects and spiders, owls, armadillos, and even an invasive crocodile. It’s free to enter, but is also a contained park, so it had a similar vibe to Mammoth Cave. This is one of the most kid friendly parks I’ve been to, and I actually took my little cousins. We did the boardwalk loop, and they became junior rangers, which was so much fun, so definitely do that while you’re there (or in any park for that matter). Take this park in slowly. There’s so much to see that you’ll miss if you’re moving too fast.

The unique landscape of Congaree National Park, SC

3: Shenandoah, VA

Alright, so I genuinely love Shenandoah National Park. I had an absolutely beautiful, nearly spiritual experience here, and it’s such an absolutely gorgeous park full of so much wildlife (aka, my favorite thing about camping). I saw deer, bears, frogs, and even had a butterfly land on me for about 10 minutes. I met another empath here who taught me to listen to the forest. I had an entire campground to myself in the rain. But more than anything, this park has everything you could need. There’s showers and laundry available, gorgeous hikes, and super nice people.

I personally did two hikes in the park, and not the one I came to do. I originally planned on hiking Old Rag but it was going to be the hottest day of the year, so I opted for one that was closer to camp. My first day, I hiked Doyle River Falls, which has three waterfalls, some small creek crossings, and plenty of time to play and swim in the falls. It is super steep heading back though, so be ready for that incline! The second hike I did was Rip Rap, a ten mile loop trail with an ice cold, blue swimming hole in the middle. This hike is a must-do, but hike it backwards: downhill 7 miles first, swim, and then uphill for 3 miles!

Waterfall #3 of the Doyle River Falls hike, Shenandoah National Park, VA

2: Great Smoky Mountains, TN and NC

The Smokies are the most visited National Park in the country. They’re located across two states, Tennessee and North Carolina, and they’re so, so pretty. The Smokies get their name from the thick fog that rests on the mountains every day, and they’re a great place to see wildlife, and tons of biodiversity in the plants. It’s also worth driving part of the Blue Ridge Parkway if you get the chance. I hiked Charlie’s Bunion while I was there and it was so pretty, I made it my profile picture on basically every social media platform I use. The only reason this one is #2 instead of #1 on this list is because of the crowds. There are tons of people in the Smokies, so prepare for tourists, and hit the road early if you can! This park has free entry, but it’s definitely a big park, so give yourself time to drive through and see the sights!

This picture: me at Charlie’s Bunion, aka my profile pic everywhere. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN/NC

1: Acadia, ME

Acadia was on my list of my favorite places I visited in 2019, so it’s only natural that it was #1 on this list. Acadia is the perfect mix of mountains and ocean: my two favorite landscapes on this planet. You’ve got pine trees, rocky cliffs, mountains to climb, and rocks to boulder. Acadia is located on an island, so there are plenty of opportunities to see the ocean. If you go in the summer, make sure you get there early in order to do famous attractions like Sand Beach, but if early isn’t exactly your speed, just show up and enjoy the ride (around the gorgeous loop road of course).

My favorite spot in Acadia National Park, ME. If you can find it, it’s yours.

The East Coast is full of big cities and gorgeous landscapes. While there aren’t a lot of America’s Best Idea’s floating around back east, the ones that do call the East Coast their home are stunning, and definitely shouldn’t be missed.

To add these to a larger road trip, consider downloading my ebook: Around the States in 90 Days.

I’ve seen a lot of lakes in my travels, to the point where I started jokingly calling my Instagram “bodies of water I find.” Lakes are everywhere in the US, especially the northern US, and the mountains are full of them. While I visited so many, and stayed waterfront on a lot of them thanks to some vanlife secrets, there are some that stand out to me as the prettiest I’ve seen this year.

I grew up visiting Big Bear Mountain during the winters and going to summer camp near Lake Arrowhead. Back then, lakes were no big deal, but now that my connection with nature is as its strongest, lakes have truly become a special type of oasis for me.

There are too many to name my favorites of all time, but most of these would make that list too. So, in no particular order, here are my favorite lakes I visited in 2019, and why you should visit in 2020.

Grinnell Lake, Glacier National Park, MT

Crater Lake

Since Oregon’s on the mind lately, this one made sense to start the list off. Crater Lake is the country’s deepest lake. At almost 2,000 feet deep, it is a dark blue color most of the year and has an island on one side called Wizard Island. Crater Lake is a National Park with two campgrounds, tons of hiking opportunities, and awesome wildlife. It was incredibly cold when I was there though, so make sure you have a 0 degree sleeping bag handy!

Jenny Lake

Jenny Lake is the famous lake of Grand Teton National Park, WY. Jenny Lake is about 7 miles around, and is home to the most popular campground in the park (walk up only, so make sure you’ve got your tent camping gear ready). Hiking around Jenny Lake is an amazing experience that completely blew me away. You get pretty constant views of the Tetons, and the chance to hike up to Inspiration Point. There’s a waterfall a few miles into the trail, and tons of chance to see wildlife. Just remember, this is grizzly country!

Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario feels a bit like the ocean to me, which is why it’s so spectacular! It was the first of the Great Lakes I’d ever seen, and it’s so huge it creates its own weather patterns. You can’t see the other side (hello, Canada!), and it’s a bit offputting if you’re used to the ocean, because it doesn’t smell like salt. But really, any of the Great Lakes is a good bet for some stunning beauty!

Lake Crescent

I got to camp in the Lake Crescent area of Olympic National Park for two nights, and it was awesome. Right from Fairholme campground, you can take a little walk down to the boat dock to relax by the lake, and it’s truly so beautiful. There’s a special type of calm around this lake. Even if you don’t stay, the drive by the lake is supposedly one of the prettiest in the state.

Be careful though! This is apparently the only section of Olympic National Park where there is Poison Ivy.

Lake Crescent, Olympic National Park, WA

Sterling Pond

Okay, it’s a pond, not a lake, but wow it is so beautiful. Sterling Pond is located at the peak of the Sterling Pond Trail in Smuggler’s Notch State Park, VT. It’s a super tough, almost vertical 2 miles total trail, but the views from the top are phenomenal. This is also one of the only dog friendly spots on this list, so definitely check it out, and get there early! The parking fills up fast!

Walden Pond

Speaking of ponds, this one is actually a lake! It’s just called a pond. Walden Pond is located in a little park in Massachusetts, and it’s the place where Henry David Thoreau wrote his famous book Walden while he was living in solitude out in the woods by choice (hm, sounds familiar). Walden Pond is super beautiful, but has been modernized over the years. There are now lifeguards and admission fees, but as long as the weather’s good, it’s guaranteed to give you a great day by the water.

Lake Kabetogama

Lake Kabetogama is located within Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota. I’ve talked about Voyageurs a couple times, as it’s a place that made a huge impact on me while I was traveling this summer. Not only is the place incredibly beautiful, but it’s a super powerful feeling to look across the lake and see Canada. Sure, you know Canada’s on the other side of Lake Ontario, but you can’t see it like you can here. Lake Kabetogama is available for boating, SUPing, kayaking, and everything else you can think of, and you can catch views of it from most of the park’s hiking trails.

The lakes of Glacier National Park

Now, all of these have to be on here, and they also aren’t even close to all of the lakes in the park. But since Glacier National Park is my current favorite place on Earth, it had to take the cake on this one. I got to stay in Rising Sun Campground, which is one of my favorite campgrounds ever. Rising Sun is basically right across the street from Saint Mary Lake, which provides some of the first views you’ll get of the park’s stunning mountains. I passed by this lake many times while in Glacier, and spotted so much wildlife in the area, including black bears.

Saint Mary Lake in Glacier National Park, MT

Next up on this little Glacier section is Hidden Lake. Hidden Lake is located right behind the Logan Pass visitor center, and it’s a short, yet tough little hike to the overlook. The actual trail to the lake itself was closed when I was there due to bear activity, but the overlook was stunning and gave me my first mountain goat experience.

Now, my absolute favorite lake on this entire list is Grinnell Lake, which you might recognize from the home page. Grinnell Lake is a glacial lake of icy, bright blue water that’s melted off the still melting glacier. You can only reach Grinnell Lake at the peak of a 13 mile total (out and back) hike up a grueling mountain, but it is oh, so worth it.

Hidden Lake from the Hidden Lake Overlook, Glacier National Park, MT

While the ocean will always have my heart, lakes are a good middle ground when I’m land locked (or not!). The US has some amazing hidden gems, which can really map out the geology of the country for you. From the deepest lake in the states to ones of melting glacial water, get ready to relax next to the water, and add these to your itinerary for 2020.

To learn more about each of these destinations, check out my ebook, Around the States in 90 Days. Here, you’ll learn how it’s possible to drive to each of the continental 48 in one summer, and cross all of these lakes and more off your list in just 3 months. Check it out HERE!

All the National Parks on the East Coast, Ranked

The Prettiest Lakes I Visited in 2019