Tag Archives: history

Virginia

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge

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Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge

Virginia

Managed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Established 1943

14,000 acres

Website: www.fws.gov/refuge/chincoteague

Overview

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge was established to protect migratory birds, like the greater snow goose. To the north, Assateague Island National Seashore was authorized 22 years later and in combination with Assateague State Park they protect a 37-mile stretch of undeveloped shoreline that crosses the border of Maryland and Virginia. The National Park Service comanages the visitor center at the refuge. Unlike Assateague Island National Seashore, no pets are allowed in the refuge, even in vehicles.

A serene sunset over the ocean with vibrant orange, pink, and purple hues reflecting on the water.

Highlights

Herbert H. Bateman Educational and Administrative Center, film, Assateague Lighthouse, wild ponies, kayaking, swimming, beachcombing

Must-Do Activity

Assateague Island’s most renowned residents are its wild ponies, purported to have swum ashore from a wrecked Spanish galleon.  Every year since the 1700s, the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company has herded the ponies that live on Assateague Island for an auction to raise funds for firefighting.  This annual event was chronicled in the classic children’s book Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry (which made our Top 10 NPS Novels list).  The ponies can often be spotted by hikers on the Woodland Trail, a three-mile loop hike.  Nearby there is also a free NASA visitor center at Wallops Flight Facility where they launch rockets and 343-acre Wallops Island National Wildlife Refuge, which offers hunting opportunities with a permit.

Best Trail

We mentioned the Woodland Trail above, but this park is all about walking the beach, especially the ten miles of wild beach only accessible by foot. Unlike Assateague Island National Seashore, no pets are allowed in the refuge, even in vehicles.

Watchable Wildlife

Atlantic horseshoe crabs are one of the iconic species of the beach, and you will see their shells even if you miss a spawning event correlated with the highest tides of the warmer months. Wild ponies and sika deer are non-native species to the island. Native animals commonly seen include red foxes, Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrels, piping plovers, and brown pelicans. A wide variety of birds migrate through this area in the spring and fall (also a good time to see monarch butterflies). There are touch tanks for visitors to dunk their hands into at the Herbert H. Bateman Educational and Administrative Center.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The first Assateague Lighthouse was built in 1833, while the structure seen today was completed in 1867.

A tall striped lighthouse with red and white bands standing against a clear blue sky, accompanied by a small red building at its base.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/chincoteague/visit-us

Fees

$25 per vehicle or America the Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

The access road is paved, and with a permit you can drive Wildlife Loop Trail from 3:00 p.m. to dusk (always open as a hiking and biking trail). Over-sand vehicle zones within the refuge are managed by Assateague Island National Seashore. It takes about 1.2 hours to drive the highways between the north and south bridges to Assateague Island.

Camping

Outside the refuge on the island’s northern portion in Maryland, the National Park Service (NPS) operates two campgrounds with cold showers, and the one nearby in Assateague State Park offers hot showers.  Two oceanside backpacking camps and four bayside kayak-in camps are also available by permit in the north.

Related Sites

Assateague Island National Seashore (Maryland-Virginia)

Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park (Maryland)

First State National Historical Park (Delaware)

Cape Hatteras National Seashore (North Carolina)

A vibrant sunset over the ocean, with orange and pink hues reflecting on the water, under a cloudy sky.
Sunrise
A person standing alone on a beach at sunset, wearing a warm coat and red gloves, with waves gently lapping at the shore and a cloudy sky.
Tiff collecting shells on the beach. It was pretty cold in February, in the low 40s with some serious wind.
A marsh landscape featuring dry grasses, small water channels, and distant trees, with a lighthouse visible in the background.
Woodland Trail
A serene view of a body of water with ducks swimming, surrounded by trees and distant flying birds under a blue sky with clouds.
A serene beach scene at sunset with colorful clouds, reflecting light on the water, and several seagulls walking along the wet sand.
A woman standing in front of two informational panels depicting wildlife; one panel illustrates a deer and various birds, labeled 'Shrub Thicket Fall-Winter,' while the other panel shows tree illustrations with birds, labeled 'Forest Spring-Summer.'
Tiff in the visitor center
A tranquil beach scene at dusk, featuring soft sand and a gradient sky transitioning from blue to orange, with distant trees lining the horizon.
Bay side
A person interacting with a touch tank filled with marine life, smiling while reaching into the water.
Tiff in the visitor center
A tall lighthouse with red and white stripes against a clear blue sky, featuring small windows and a bird flying nearby.
Turkey vulture flying by the lighthouse.
Front view of the Assateague Lighthouse with a red brick facade, featuring a white door and staircase, and a plaque displaying historical information.
The lighthouse was rebuilt in 1867
A heron standing by the water's edge, reflected in the calm water, surrounded by tall grasses and sparse trees in a marshy area.
A great blue heron in breeding plumage
A vibrant sunset over the ocean, with dramatic clouds in the sky reflecting warm colors.
A brown horse grazing among yellow flowers in a grassy field.

Explore More – Not just a safe haven for wild ponies, where in the refuge do seahorses anchor to underwater grasses?

Massachusetts

Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site

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Overview

Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. (1822-1903) is considered the founder of American landscape architecture.  His most famous designs include New York City’s Central Park and the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, but he also created the protective ramada for Casa Grande Ruins National Monument in Arizona.  This seven-acre site outside Boston, Massachusetts was authorized in 1979 to preserve his house and the Olmsted Archives for future researchers.

Highlights

Museum, film, office tour, Olmsted Archives

Must-Do Activity

In 1883, Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. moved to Brookline, Massachusetts to establish the world’s first landscape design office.  Self-guided exhibits and a short film inside his home (called Fairsted) are a good place to start before a ranger-guided tour of his office space full of historical artifacts and documents.  Occasionally, rangers lead tours of some of Olmsted’s parks in “The Emerald Necklace” of Boston.

Best Trail

There is a short path on the property and you can also walk to nearby Brookline Reservoir.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Relax on the veranda of Fairsted before or after your tour, which is especially nice when it is raining like during our visit.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/frla/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

None

Road Conditions

All roads are paved, but the parking lot is small and street parking in the surrounding neighborhood may be necessary.  It is a bit of a walk from the Brookline Hills Subway Station.

Camping

Wompatuck State Park south of Boston has the nearest large campground, but camping is also allowed in parts of Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area.

Related Sites

Boston National Historical Park (Massachusetts)

Adams National Historical Park (Massachusetts)

Longfellow House – Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site (Massachusetts)

Explore More –Frederick Law Olmsted’s 1865 report was influential in the protection of which “crown jewel” of the National Park Service System?

North Carolina

Cape Hatteras National Seashore

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Overview

The Outer Banks of North Carolina have sparked the imaginations of travelers ever since British colonists landed here in 1585.  If you are seeking undeveloped beaches that have changed little over the centuries then this is the place to go.  The 70 miles of barrier islands protected as Cape Hatteras National Seashore are interrupted only by small seaside villages and one long section by Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge.  Bodie Island and Hatteras Island are connected by bridges, but Ocracoke Island is only accessible by ferry.

Highlights

1870 Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, 1872 Bodie Island Lighthouse, Ocracoke Island Campground, beaches

Must-Do Activity

The main National Park Service (NPS) visitor center is located at iconic Cape Hatteras Lighthouse where you can learn about shipwrecks, pirates, and the monumental effort to move the 208-foot tall brick structure in 1999.  Further down Highway 12, pick up a free ferry to Ocracoke Island, a renowned vacation destination.  Several campgrounds are found along the seashore, including one on Ocracoke.  Since this remote strip of sand is not easy to get to, you will want to spend at least a night or two.

Best Trail

Walking the beach and collecting seashells is the most popular diversion, but there are also the Hammock Hills Nature Trail on Ocracoke Island and Buxton Woods Nature Trail on Hatteras Island.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Ocracoke Lighthouse is the oldest operating lighthouse in North Carolina, dating back to 1823, but it is not open to enter inside.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/caha/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

None, except a fee is charged to climb Bodie Island and Cape Hatteras Lighthouses

Road Conditions

All main roads are paved and there are designated access points to drive on the beach.

Camping

There are four NPS campgrounds and they all take reservations.

Related Sites

Cape Lookout National Seashore (North Carolina)

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (North Carolina)

Wright Brothers National Memorial (North Carolina)

  • Tiff with Bodie Island Lighthouse
  • Beach bunny
  • Tiff with some egrets in the water
  • Grackle
  • Scott at Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
  • Tiff atop Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
  • View from atop Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
  • Inside Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
  • NPS campsite on Ocracoke Island
  • Dolphin

Explore More – The Outer Banks are known as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” so how many shipwrecks have been recorded in this area?

South Carolina

Charles Pinckney National Historic Site

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Overview

North of Charleston, South Carolina near Fort Moultrie is a National Park Service (NPS) site dedicated to preserving the memory of one of the forgotten framers of the U.S. Constitution.  Charles Pinckney served as an officer during the American Revolution and a delegate to the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.  Before his death in 1824, he would go on to be four-term Governor of South Carolina, ambassador to Spain, and member of both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

Highlights

Museum, historic home, nature trail

Must-Do Activity

The low-country cottage that serves as the NPS visitor center and museum was built in 1828, probably on top of the foundation for the Pinckney’s plantation house.  It is filled with artifacts and information on the Pinckney family and their slaves that farmed rice and indigo.  The NPS rangers were very welcoming to us here when we visited during our Pretirement year in 2016.  This site is free to visit and located across from the well-known Boone Hall Plantation (admission charged).

Best Trail

A short trail leads to an overlook of the tidal river area, but watch out for poison-ivy and ticks.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The live oak trees growing on the property are beautiful with twisting branches draped in Spanish moss.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/chpi/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

None

Road Conditions

The access roads are paved except for the last part on NPS property which is well-packed sand and gravel.

Camping

No camping at the site, but there are options outside Charleston in Francis Marion National Forest.

Related Sites

Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park (South Carolina)

Reconstruction Era National Monument (South Carolina)

Ninety Six National Historic Site (South Carolina)

  • Tiff on the porch of the NPS visitor center
  • Charles Pinckney’s contributions to the Constitution
  • Looking out of the house/visitor center onto the plantation grounds
  • Tiff with a huge live oak tree
  • Scott (and Wondon) at the tidal river area
  • Camelia flower

Explore More – The NPS property is only 28 acres of the original 715-acre Snee Farm, part of the original royal land grant given to Richard Butler in what year?

New Jersey, Pennsylvania

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

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Overview

On the Pennsylvania-New Jersey border, the Delaware River flows through a gap in the long ridge of the Appalachian Mountains.  This marks the southern end of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and the site of the Kittatinny Point Visitor Center (right off Interstate 80) managed by the National Park Service (NPS).  When preservationists fought to protect this area from being dammed in the 1960s it led to the creation of the National Recreation Area surrounding a 40-mile stretch of river designated as the Middle Delaware National Scenic River.

Highlights

Raymondskill Falls, Millbrook Village, Dingmans Falls, floating Middle Delaware National Scenic River

Must-Do Activity

Most of the NPS visitor centers are open seasonally in this resort area on the Pocono Plateau.  We visited in the offseason in late September and enjoyed hiking to Raymondskill, Silver Thread, and Dingmans Falls on the Pennsylvania side.  On the New Jersey side the main attraction is Millbrook Village, a recreated 1800s town that is open year round.  Fishing, swimming, and floating the Middle Delaware National Scenic River are popular in the summer.

Best Trail

There are more than 100 miles of trails within the park, including 27 miles of the famous Appalachian National Scenic Trail that leads to the top of Mt. Minsi for great views of the actual Delaware Water Gap.

Instagram-worthy Photo

A boardwalk trail passes 80-foot tall Silver Thread Falls on the way to 130-foot tall Dingmans Falls.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/dewa/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

None for entry, but some sites have a user fee (Smithfield Beach, Milford Beach, etc.) and there are toll bridges across the river in places.

Road Conditions

There are several unpaved roads and toll bridges within the boundaries of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

Camping

Promised Land State Park in Pennsylvania

Campground options available in New Jersey include Worthington State Forest, High Point State Park, and Stokes State Forest.  Dingmans Campground on the Pennsylvania side offers discounts for the NPS Senior Pass. Primitive camping is allowed for thru-hikers on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and along the riverside for boaters.  Keep a clean campsite, as black bears are common.

Related Sites

Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River (New York-Pennsylvania)

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site (Pennsylvania)

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site (Pennsylvania)

  • Tiff inside a little cave
  • Raymondskill Falls
  • Scott at Dingmans Falls
  • Dingmans Falls
  • Silver Thread Falls
  • Middle Delaware National Scenic River
  • Scott and Tiff at Raymondskill Falls

Explore More – The Delaware River is one of the cleanest rivers in the eastern U.S. and attracts large numbers of which nationally symbolic raptor every winter?