Top 10 National Park Sites of the Mid-Atlantic Region

The Mid-Atlantic region of the National Park Service is quite an interesting one. It feels more diverse than the North-Atlantic region (which is heavy on sites that honor history) with as many parks dedicated to nature as ones that are designated to history. Having completed visiting all of the sites in the region this past spring I can say that my top ten favorite parks in the region reflect that diversity.

10. Morristown National Historical Park

The Mid-Atlantic region has two parks that are quite similar in Morristown and Valley Forge National Historical Park. Both preserve winter camps of the Continental Army. Valley Forge is the more famous of the two, but it’s actually Morristown National Historical Park which makes for the better visit. Morristown has some great hiking opportunities and a pretty sizable collection of George Washington artifacts at its visitor center in the Washington Headquarters district of the park. This odd diversity makes for a memorable experience.

9. New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

Our newest national park comes in at #9 on the list. The park is a top-notch showcase of West Virginia’s landscape and scenery. With numerous lookouts to watch sunrises, waterfalls, and the park's famous bridge and gorge, there are a lot of places to spend your time. The park also has a pedigree for world class rock climbing and rafting opportunities so there are more than the usual experiences available here.

8. Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Nestled in between New Jersey and Pennsylvania is this popular recreation area. You can paddle down the Delaware River here, but all of my experiences have been walking the many incredible trails on both sides of the river. There are waterfalls aplenty here and the eponymous Water Gap is an impressive sight. It’s astonishing how much of nature is retained within this park with major cities encroaching right upon it.

7. Colonial National Historical Park

A surprising amount of Virginia’s vast history is based in this coastal park. The park has two districts: Jamestown and Yorktown. Both are connected by the park run Colonial Parkway. Most historical parks you can get away with visiting for only one day. This isn’t one of them. Yorktown has two auto tour roads that preserve the experience in a fashion that would make you think that the Battle of Yorktown (the final blow to Great Britain’s attempt to win the American Revolutionary War) happened much later than the two centuries plus range that it actually did. A scenic drive over to Jamestown reveals a biologically diverse slice of Virginia that also does a great job of preserving America’s first lasting colony.

6. Richmond National Battlefield Park

This is another park that may not come with the National Park label but is absolutely one you will need more than a day to get the most of. With multiple districts preserving Civil War era history around Richmond and its suburbs there is a lot to see and do. While the park certainly follows the Lost Cause infected retelling of the Civil War era that many mainstream sources go along with, the park does not feel like a stronghold of Confederate nostalgia. The park also has what resulted in one of the most surprising experiences in a park when we discovered that there was a monument for one of my family’s ancestors in the park’s Cold Harbor district.

5. Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

This is another park with a lot of things to see and do. The park has multiple districts and I have visited districts in Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia making it one of the more expansive parks out there. The highlight of the park has to be the Great Falls district where you can take an easy stroll through the area on the actual canal or take the potentially ankle breaking, exhilaration fest that is the Billy Goat Trail.

4. Assateague Island National Seashore

Assateague is one of the first park sites I ever visited, and I’ve never really stopped visiting. Being smack dab in the middle of the Delmarva Peninsula means it’s an easy detour whenever you find yourself in the area. There’s more than just a good location to this park, though. The park’s famous wild ponies give the park a unique feel. Besides hanging out on the beach there are also numerous opportunities to kayak, paddleboard and hike. Three well maintained but diverse nature trails are a real highlight.

3. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Harpers Ferry is probably my favorite National Historical Park I have visited yet. Being situated between three states (Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland) as well as two famous rivers (the Shenandoah and the Potomac) gives the park a unique feel. The rocky terrain makes it picturesque. The park has some world class hiking, especially at Maryland Heights. However, it's the park’s history that is the real highlight of the park. Its history ranges from Washington and Jefferson who both left their mark on the area to the Civil War (one of the buildings in the park is allegedly the only room in the world that both Grant and Lee slept in) all the way to the Civil Rights movement.

2. Shenandoah National Park

Until recently, Shenandoah was the Mid-Atlantic’s only national park, and for good reason: it’s an absolute highlight of the region. The park has great food, top notch hiking, wildlife and waterfall viewing opportunities, and auto touring opportunities galore. I’ve been to the park three times now and there’s always something new to explore in the park. My most recent trip ended with a fun stay in the park’s Lewis Mountain Cabins, one of the very few opportunities to sleep in an actual national park on the east coast.

1. Appalachian National Scenic Trail

A long, sprawling park. So much so that this park appeared at number two on my top ten favorite parks of the North Atlantic Region. Without an absolute banger of a park like Acadia, it marches up to number one here. As I said on that list, the park is a hiker’s paradise. The diversity of hiking opportunities is immense, and its proximity to my home makes sure that it holds a special place in my heart. If you ever get an opportunity to take even a step on this famous trail, please take that opportunity up.