Assateague Island National Seashore was created 22 years after neighboring Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge was established to protect migratory birds, like the greater snow goose. In combination with Assateague State Park, they protect a 37-mile stretch of undeveloped barrier island that crosses the border of Maryland and Virginia (and is very close to Delaware). The National Park Service (NPS) manages the National Seashore and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages the National Wildlife Refuge, each with their own visitor center.
Highlights
Museum, film, wild ponies, camping, kayaking, swimming, beachcombing, Life of the Dunes Trail, Life of the Forest Trail, Life of the Marsh Trail
Must-Do Activity
Stop by the Assateague Island Visitor Center before driving over the Verrazano Bridge onto the barrier island. The beach is the big draw here, and there also are nice hiking trails and kayak rentals are available. The over-sand vehicle (OSV) zone requires a permit for four-wheel drive vehicles to drive on the beach and camp. Keep an eye out for wild ponies, the subject of the classic children’s book Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry (which made our Top 10 NPS Novels list).
Best Trail
Life of the Dunes Trail is a three-quarter-mile loop just inland from the beach, while half-mile Life of the Forest Trail and Life of the Marsh Trail offer boardwalks on the bayside of the barrier island. The best hike may be simply walking down the beach.
Instagram-worthy Photo
Assateague Island’s most renowned residents are its wild ponies, purported to have swum ashore from a wrecked Spanish galleon.
The access roads are paved, but with a permit you can drive 13 miles of beach on the Maryland side and five miles on the Virginia side. It takes about 1.2 hours to drive the highways between the north and south bridges to Assateague Island.
Camping
On the Maryland side, the NPS operates two campgrounds with cold showers, but the one in Assateague State Park offers hot showers. Two oceanside backpacking camps and four bayside kayak-in camps are also available by permit.
Jointly managed with Sequoia National Park since 1943, Kings Canyon does not often receive the individual accolades that it deserves. The separate Kings Canyon area was added in 1940 to keep this 8,200-foot-deep valley from being dammed. Much of the park is a mountain wilderness, which can be most easily seen from 7,520-foot Panoramic Point on the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway. Unlike Yosemite National Park, there is no road over the Sierra Nevada to access the east side.
General Grant Tree, Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, Panoramic Point, Cedar Grove, Roaring River Falls, Zumwalt Meadow, Mist Falls, Redwood Canyon, John Muir Trail, Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail
Must-Do Activity
Kings Canyon Scenic Byway is a curvy road that offers plenty of great views as its winds from the General Grant Grove through Giant Sequoia National Monument to dead end at Cedar Grove. One must-do stop before you reach the park boundary is Grizzly Falls, which also has a picnic area. Another inside the National Park is Roaring River Falls, an easy half-mile walk down the River Trail near the end of the road. Between the two sections of the park along the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, the U.S Forest Service manages Boyden Cave and offers tours in the summer that include a visit to the Bat Grotto (see where it placed on the list of Top 10 Caves in National Forests).
Best Trail
Woods Creek Trail leaves from near Cedar Grove and is an eight-mile roundtrip hike back to beautiful Mist Falls. Permits are required to backpack along the John Muir Trail, one of the most scenic stretches of the 2,655-mile Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail.
Photographic Opportunity
The General Grant Tree is a giant sequoia currently measuring 268.1 feet tall and 29 feet in diameter, making it by volume the second largest single-stemmed tree on the planet after General Sherman in Sequoia National Park. [Disclaimer: Not sure this photo is actually of General Grant.]
Closed in the winter, the steep and curvy Kings Canyon Scenic Byway is a paved road that always makes us feel a little nauseous due to the elevation change. Not far upstream from hectic Cedar Grove Village, a smooth section of the South Fork Kings River is traced by a quiet one-way dirt road that meanders through the forest on the north bank.
Camping
The National Park Service runs several large campgrounds clustered around Grant Grove and Cedar Grove. Sequoia National Forest also offers several campgrounds between these two separate sections of the park, including a nice one along the shores of Hume Lake.
John Muir TrailBighorn sheepJohn Muir TrailRavens about the park
Explore More – How long is the popular Rae Lakes Loop backpacking route, which can also be accessed from the east through Inyo National Forest over Kearsarge Pass?
Mt. Hood National Forest is named for the 11,249-foot-tall stratovolcano that dominates the skyline east of Portland. It has 12 glaciers that feed the amazing waterfalls of the region, several of which you can drive right up to in Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area (see our blog post). This area was first established as the Bull Run Forest Reserve in 1892 and was considered for National Park status beginning in 1940. One famous destination is Bagby Hot Springs (fee), accessible by a 1.4-mile trail to hand-hewn tubs with cedar plumbing. The lower bathhouse contains three individual log tubs and one six-foot round tub, while the upper bathhouse contains another six-foot round tub on an open deck.
Know someone who loves the National Forests? Gift them our travel guidebook Out in the Woods so they can learn more about all 155 National Forests.
The highest of the five ski resorts on Mt. Hood is located at the end of a steep, six-mile-long paved drive off Highway 26. It is home to Timberline Lodge, a National Historic Landmark you might recognize from the opening scenes of the 1980 film The Shining. The ornate woodwork from the 1930s harkens back to a bygone era of craftsmanship, which is on display throughout the main lobby and the Rachael Griffin Historic Exhibition Center. Downhill skiing is sometimes open throughout the summer, but even without skis you can take the sky ride to 7,000 feet in elevation for great views south of Mt. Jefferson and the Three Sisters in Deschutes National Forest. Spring is the season for summitting Mt. Hood, and climbers must carry a free uphill travel pass and a WAG bag (human waste pack out bag). Another popular spot, Olallie Scenic Area, is a high-elevation lake basin north of Mt. Jefferson. Mountain bikers are drawn to Mt. Hood National Recreation Area (see our blog post).
Best Trail
The hike behind Tamanawas Falls leaves from a trailhead near Sherwood Campground, where a rolling two-mile hike rises a cumulative 360 feet through a shady Douglas-fir forest as it follows the course of Cold Spring Creek. At the base of the 100-foot-tall waterfall, a careful climb up slippery wet rocks takes hikers behind the curtain of water. There are 1,200 miles of trails in the National Forest, including the 40.7-mile Timberline Trail built around Mt. Hood by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s. Part of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail shares this route as it skirts the volcano’s western slope.
Watchable Wildlife
Mt. Hood National Forest has both Roosevelt and Rocky Mountain elk, as well as mule deer, red foxes, coyotes, mountain lions, and black bears. Less commonly seen are badgers, American pika, and Pacific marten. Large birds include golden eagles, pileated woodpeckers, and Steller’s jays. Situated at 4,900 feet in elevation, 240-acre Olallie Lake is stocked with both rainbow and brook trout. The Sandy River and its tributaries have runs of chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead.
Photographic Opportunity
One particularly great spot to photograph Mt. Hood is from Lost Lake, which has canoe rentals and a nice three-mile hiking trail that encircles it. We have also heard that Trillium Lake offers a great view.
Peak Season
Summer
Fees
$10 day use fee (no America the Beautiful passes accepted, but some take a Northwest Forest Pass) at the most popular areas like Trillium Lake; $15 at Lost Lake with no passes accepted; $5 per person at the Bagby Hot Springs with no passes accepted; $5 (or America the Beautiful pass) at Frog Lake Sno-Park/Trailhead; State of Oregon Sno-Park permit required November 1 through April 30 at some trailheads; see website for details: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/mthood/passes
Road Conditions
The road is paved to Timberline Lodge, but there are many unpaved roads in this area, some of which are in bad shape due to the high amounts of precipitation.
Camping
There are more than 70 campgrounds in Mt. Hood National Forest, including seven in Olallie Scenic Area. The popular Bagby Campground near the hot springs does not take reservations. Dispersed camping is a great way to enjoy the area.
Mt. Hood from Timberline LodgeGlaciers and fumarolesScott going up The Chute to summit Mt. HoodView south from Mt. Hood’s summitMt. JeffersonTimberline LodgeTimberline LodgeLost LakeTamanawas FallsTamanawas FallsTamanawas FallsTamanawas Falls
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area was created from riverside land that is part of Mt. Hood and Gifford Pinchot National Forests. This river corridor was traditionally used by the Chinook, Warm Springs, and Yakama peoples that were drawn to the annual salmon runs. The gorge stretches 80 miles to the Deschutes River, lined by steep basalt cliffs and many State Parks. The Oregon side is famous for its waterfalls fed by snowy Mt. Hood, the 11,249-foot-tall stratovolcano that rises to the south. The town of Hood River is considered the “Windsurfing Capital of the World” with many options for gear rentals and lessons.
Highlights
Historic Columbia River Highway, Multnomah Falls, Vista House, Dog Mountain, Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Horsetail Falls, Wahclella Falls Trail, Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
Must-Do Activity
Two-tiered Multnomah Falls drops 620 feet and is the most famous waterfall on the Historic Columbia River Highway, enough so that a timed permit is now required to park May through early September. As of 2025, a parking permit is also required at Vista House, built in 1918 on a rocky point 693 feet above the Columbia River (see Fees below). To get a break from the traffic, consider parking and hiking. Wahclella Falls Trail is 2.4 miles out-and-back through a slot canyon to a 350-foot-tall two-tiered plunge (which hopefully reopens soon after it suffered extensive damages during December 2025 storms). Eagle Creek Trail goes 1.9 miles one-way to Punch Bowl Falls (honestly, there are so many good hiking options to choose from, so check out this website: https://gorgefriends.org/find-a-hike). Bonneville Fish Hatchery is free and home to Herman the Sturgeon who is 10 feet long, 500 pounds, and more than 80 years old.
Best Trail
Oneonta Trail is 3.2 miles roundtrip with an elevation gain of 425 feet to Ponytail Falls that you can walk behind. An additional 1.8 miles and 300 feet of climbing will take hikers to Triple Falls. At the same trailhead located near Horsetail Falls, the once popular route through Oneonta Gorge slot canyon has been closed due to a dangerous logjam following the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire. Dog Mountain is famous for its spring wildflower bloom, so a $2 parking reservation (or a free shuttle) is required on weekends from April through early June.
Photographic Opportunity
Women’s Forum State Scenic Viewpoint (or Chanticleer Point) is still free, which provides a photographic point looking east that includes Vista House.
Peak Season
Spring
Fees
$5 Northwest Forest Pass (or America the Beautiful pass) required at many U.S. Forest Service trailheads. Crown Point State Scenic Corridor at Vista House requires an annual state park pass or a parking fee of $10 per vehicle for Oregon residents and $12 for non-residents.
Road Conditions
Interstate 84 runs along the Oregon side of the gorge with limited exits and State Route 14 follows the river on the Washington side. Before departing, check for road closures on the Historic Columbia River Highway.
Camping
Wyeth Campground is the only one directly within the National Scenic Area, but there are several campgrounds north and south of the Columbia River in Gifford Pinchot and Mt. Hood National Forests.
Multnomah FallsVista House at Crown Point State Scenic CorridorBonneville Lock and Dam LampreysBonneville Fish HatcheryHerman the sturgeonSacagawea sculpture
Explore More – When did the Chanticleer Inn burn down, opening Chanticleer Point to be purchased by the Portland Women’s Forum and donated to the state of Oregon in 1962?
Know someone who loves the National Forests? Gift them our travel guidebook Out in the Woods so they can learn more about all 155 National Forests.
In December 1808, Thomas and Nancy Lincoln moved with their infant daughter to a 300-acre farm near Sinking Spring, where soon their son Abraham would be born on February 12. Two years later they moved to a more fertile farm ten miles northeast on Knob Creek. The family left for Indiana five years after that, where today you can find Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial. The original birthplace cabin was dismantled before 1865, but a cabin built nearby using some of the Lincoln logs was purchased three decades later for the purpose of exhibiting a traveling replica. When that replica cabin was placed inside the Memorial Building in 1911, it was too large for tourists to walk around it, so it was decreased in scale from 16-by-18 feet to 12-by-17 feet. In 2001, the National Park Service acquired the privately-owned boyhood home reconstruction at Knob Creek Farm, leading to the redesignation back to a National Historical Park.
Highlights
Memorial Building, film, Knob Creek Farm, Overlook Trail
Must-Do Activity
The future U.S. President came from humble beginnings, and here in Kentucky is where his education began. Even if you are familiar with his life story, it is a good idea to watch the film at the visitor center before climbing the stairs to the scale model of the birth cabin inside the Memorial Building. A ten-mile drive takes you to the reconstructed Lincoln house at Knob Creek Farm, where you can hike the Overlook Trail if you have time.
Best Trail
Boundary Oak Trail is 0.3 miles and starts near the Memorial Building, while 0.7-mile Big Sink Trail starts from the picnic area on the other side of Highway 31E. At Knob Creek Farm, Overlook Trail is 3.1 miles out-and-back with 348 feet of cumulative elevation gain.
Photographic Opportunity
Exactly a century after Abraham’s birthday, President Theodore Roosevelt was on hand for the laying of the cornerstone for a Memorial Building where the Lincoln family cabin once stood.
Outside Hodgenville, all roads are paved to the Birthplace Unit of the park and the Boyhood Home Unit at Knob Creek, which is ten miles northeast on U.S. Highway 31E.
Camping
Located 25 miles northeast on Highway 31E, My Old Kentucky Home State Park has a 39-site campground with RV hookups, plus an 18-hole golf course.
