America's National Seashores system was established in the 1930s to preserve the nation’s Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts, and make them accessible to the public. The National Lakeshores system, centred around the Great Lakes, began in the 1960s. There are now 10 National Seashores and three National Lakeshores – all of them blessed with stunning natural beauty and fascinating historic sites. We’ve attempted to rank them – from beautiful to extremely beautiful.
Click through this gallery to discover which gorgeous stretch of shoreline we placed at number one…
Assateague was part of Fenwick Island until 1933, when a storm ripped through the latter creating an inlet that divided it in two. Locals seemed to like it that way so the inlet was fortified, allowing passage from the ocean straight into Isle of Wight Bay.
A long barrier island stretching down the east coast, Assateague looked set to host a resort town in the 1950s, but another storm destroyed existing structures and made it clear that the island's topography was too unstable to support the project. Its undeveloped beaches have always been an attraction, however, and the island was made a National Seashore in 1965.
Assateague’s wild horses are one of its major draws and the annual pony swim, held on the last Wednesday of July, always attracts crowds. To prevent overpopulation, which could destroy the herds as well as other wildlife, the horses are rounded up to swim from Assateague to nearby Chincoteague Island.
On arrival, the foals are auctioned off, with proceeds going to the local volunteer fire company. Biking, canoeing and kayaking are also options on the island. Camping is popular too but note that reservations are needed from 15 March to 15 November. The resort town of Ocean City also has a range of hotels.
With sky-high bluffs and dunes that tower above Lake Michigan, lush forests, inland lakes and unique wildlife, Sleeping Bear Dunes is a one-of-a-kind place. The National Lakeshore gets its name from one dune in particular – the Mother Bear – which used to resemble a bear asleep.
The Indigenous Anishinaabek people, for whom the area has been home for thousands of years, used the dune as a landmark and tell stories of how it came to be. In one version, the dune represents a mother bear sorrowfully watching over her two drowned cubs, who rose to the surface as islands.
As well as its natural wonders, Sleeping Bear Dunes has a stimulating array of historic sites. The village of Glen Haven once supplied fuel to the steamers that navigated the Great Lakes, and today is the best-preserved cord wood station on Lake Michigan's eastern shore.
To the north is the Port Oneida Rural Historic District, which offers visitors insight into the lives of farming communities around the year 1900. To see the park in a whole new light come in winter, when there are opportunities for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Sledding is also permitted in a designated area of the Dune Climb.
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Set on a barrier island composed of dunes, salt marshes, beaches, lagoons and more, Canaveral National Seashore boasts the longest stretch of undeveloped Atlantic coastline in Florida. It’s rich in flora and fauna, with over 1,045 plant species and 310 bird species recorded in the park.
The list of endangered species includes loggerhead, green and leatherback sea turtles, West Indian manatees, southern bald eagles, wood storks, peregrine falcons, eastern indigo snakes and Florida scrub jays. The park also contains the Turtle Mound archaeological site – one of the last vestiges of the Native American Timucuan people.
With 24 miles (39km) of gloriously unspoiled beaches to choose from, it’s no surprise that swimming, surfing, fishing and hunting for seashells are all favourite pastimes here. Other popular options include backcountry camping (reservations and a permit are required), horseback riding, kayaking and bird-watching.
A visit to Eldora is also highly recommended. Once a thriving agricultural community, it is now a ghost town. The State House (pictured) contains photos and artefacts that tell the story of the people who called Eldora home.
Located off the southern coast of Long Island, east of New York City, Fire Island stretches for 32 miles (50km) along the Atlantic coast, offering an enchanting mixture of sandy beaches, rolling dunes and historic landmarks. Although badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, when 80% of homes on the island were flooded, the island is once again a thriving resort for much of the year.
Popular with New York’s artistic community since the 1920s, famous summer residents have included John Lennon, Henry Fonda, Mel Brooks, Joseph Heller and Tina Fey. The island is also notable for housing one of America's earliest gay communities, Cherry Grove, which is still a popular destination for LGBTQ+ tourists.
Largely car-free, Fire Island is a haven for outdoor activities. Swimming, surfing, hiking, fishing, kayaking and jet-skiing are all popular, and it’s a noted hub for boating and sailing.
And, of course, it’s a great place to eat, with long-established institutions like Matthew’s Seafood House serving up only the freshest fish and seafood. Alternatively, do as the locals do and go clamming on the beach, where you can easily rustle up enough clams to make your own delicious chowder.
Comprising three undeveloped barrier islands off the shores of North Carolina, Cape Lookout National Seashore is the perfect spot to escape the daily grind of civilisation and get back to nature. Accessible only via a three-mile (5km) ferry ride, it's known for undisturbed swimming, sunbathing, fishing and canoeing, while nature-lovers can search for rare birds, sea turtles and even a colony of wild horses.
The islands' most distinctive landmark, Cape Lookout Lighthouse (pictured) is currently undergoing restoration, but the Lighthouse Keeper's House remains open and serves as a museum.
Once a bustling community, Portsmouth Village (pictured) has been deserted since 1971. But many of its old buildings remain and are open to visitors as a testament to the remote and often arduous lives of its final inhabitants.
There are very few amenities on the islands, but visitors who want to stay overnight can either camp by the dunes or rent a rustic beachfront cabin, both of which serve up superb stargazing. With some of the darkest skies on the East Coast, it offers a rare chance to observe the Milky Way with the naked eye.
Cumberland Island is Georgia's largest and southernmost barrier island and is only accessible by a 45-minute ferry ride from St Marys. It contains maritime forests, pristine beaches, sprawling marshes and over 9,800 acres of wilderness.
Although now barely inhabited, the island has previously been home to the Indigenous Timucuan people, Spanish missions and communities of Black workers after the Civil War. Wealthy industrialists also built homes here, and their remains are among the island's must-sees.
The Dungeness Ruins (pictured), the remnants of an elaborate Queen Anne-style mansion built by the Carnegie family in the 1880s and destroyed by fire in the 1950s, are among the island’s most popular destinations. The still-intact Plum Orchard Mansion, also built by the Carnegies, and the humbler but no less fascinating First African Baptist Church, built in 1893, are also popular.
There’s nowhere to buy anything on the island, so remember to bring essentials with you. A number of guided tours are on offer, with the Land and Legacies van tour perhaps the most comprehensive.
A large peninsula curving 65 miles (105km) into the Atlantic, Cape Cod has long been a major draw for tourists thanks to its rich history, coastal character and beautiful beaches. Occupying 40 miles (64km) along the peninsula's Atlantic-facing eastern shore, the Cape Cod National Seashore is an undoubted highlight of the region.
Its long strips of sand are perfect for swimming and sunbathing, while its woods, marshes, ponds and wild cranberry bogs house wildlife aplenty. The broad open landscape serves up 11 year-round walking trails, great fishing opportunities and other outdoors activities including oversand beach driving.
A visit to the Dune Shacks of Peaked Hill Bars Historic District is an ideal way to experience the region's unspoiled natural beauty. These rustic dwellings, nestled in the dunes between Truro and Provincetown, have played host to famous writers and artists like Jack Kerouac, Jackson Pollock and Tennessee Williams.
Other significant landmarks along the coast include the Marconi Wireless Station (site of the first two-way transatlantic radio transmission in 1903), Chatham Lighthouse and Doane Rock, a giant hunk of glacially deposited matter.
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Apostle Islands, a National Lakeshore since 1970, can be found on the northern tip of Wisconsin's Bayfield Peninsula within the ancestral homeland of the Ojibwe people. It boasts 21 scenic islands and a 12-mile (19km) stretch of Lake Superior's shoreline.
The awe-inspiring red-sandstone cliffs containing picturesque sea caves are undoubtedly the site's most notable feature. There are also lovely sandy beaches and the largest collection of lighthouses in the national park system. Getting to the islands requires some form of marine transport – you can hire a kayak or private boat or take a shuttle or water taxi.
In the warmer months, kayaking is the best way to explore the islands' incredible sea caves, although Lake Superior can be rough so be sure to use a sea kayak. On rare occasions in winter – it last happened back in 2015 – accessible ice caves (pictured) form when the lake freezes over and water splashing against the rocks creates beautiful icy formations.
Hiking the Lakeshore Trail lets you take in the sandstone cliffs from another angle, while a glass-bottomed boat tour offers the chance to spy legendary shipwrecks lurking on the lake’s bottom.
Stretching for 160 miles (257km) along the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf Islands National Seashore offers a captivating blend of sparkling white-sand beaches, emerald-green waters, historic forts, sprawling bayous and lush marine habitat.
Spanning the border of Mississippi and Florida, the site spreads itself between the mainland and seven islands accessible only by boat. There are plenty of activities for outdoorsy types, including nature trails, wildlife sanctuaries, picnic areas and campgrounds, with popular activities including swimming, hiking, boating and diving.
The region is a major draw for lovers of military history, with several historic fortifications located within its boundaries. These include Advanced Redoubt, Fort Pickens and Fort Barrancas, which was built with six million bricks and boasts walls 20 feet (6m) high.
It’s also an ideal spot for bird-watching, with its dunes, marshes and woodlands hosting more than 300 species including brown pelicans, ospreys and great blue herons (pictured). There are two official campsites with facilities for visitors, while more adventurous types can go backcountry camping to get a real taste of wilderness.
About 30 miles (50km) north of San Francisco, Point Reyes National Seashore is a 71,000-acre preserve consisting of rocky headlands, sprawling beaches and open grasslands. It is largely separated from the mainland by a rift zone of the San Andreas Fault, which has sunk below the sea and forms the beautiful Tomales Bay. Home to more than 1,500 species of flora and fauna, it's a perfect spot for hiking, camping and nature-watching, with breathtaking views over the Pacific, especially from the historic Point Reyes Lighthouse (pictured).
An undoubted highlight along the park’s 80 miles (129km) of coastline, the spectacular Alamere Falls (pictured) cascades over a 40-foot (12m) cliff at the south end of Wildcat Beach. It's a great photo op, but you'll have to work for it, as the falls can't be reached by road and require a 13-mile (20km) round-trip hike.
A nature lovers' paradise, Point Reyes rewards lucky visitors with sightings of tule elk, elephant seals and even whales. Backcountry and boat-in camping options are available, but you’ll need to hike or bike to get to the former and will need a kayak for the latter.
Pictured Rocks is set along the shores of Lake Superior in Michigan’s gorgeous Upper Peninsula. Established in 1966 as America’s first National Lakeshore, it has plenty of bewitching scenery, from stunning sandstone cliffs, beaches and dunes to deep forests and beautiful inland lakes and waterfalls.
Lake Superior’s maritime history can be explored at the ex-US Coast Guard stations at Sand Point, Grand Marais and Au Sable Point. Built in 1874, the Au Sable Light Station is probably the finest vintage masonry lighthouse in the Great Lakes region.
Pictured Rocks offers year-round activities. In the warmer months visitors can enjoy bird-watching, boating and camping, while exploring the park’s natural wonders via almost 100 miles (161km) of trails. The Miners Falls Trail, a 1.2-mile (1.9km) round trip, leads you through dense forest to Miners River, where you’ll see the park's most impressive waterfall (pictured) pouring over a sandstone cliff.
In winter, the park is transformed into an icy wonderland. Visitors can enjoy cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing and the chance to view spectacular frozen waterfalls known as 'ice curtains'.
Padre Island’s wild and wonderful coastline stretches for 66 miles (106km) along the Gulf of Mexico. The area plays host to one of the last intact coastal prairie habitats in the US, while on the western side of the island lies the Laguna Madre, one of only six hypersaline lagoons or bays in the world.
Its shallow waters hum with life – fish, shrimp and crab thrive here while white pelicans can be spotted during winter. The park is a globally important area for migratory birds and over 380 species can be spotted here at different times of the year.
Unsurprisingly, bird-watching is popular – pictured here are an American white ibis and a roseate spoonbill. The sea turtle hatchling releases that typically occur from mid-June through to August are also a major draw. The hatchlings usually take between 20 and 45 minutes to make their way to the sea, leaving plenty of time to enjoy the view.
Visitors can stay in one of two campsites on the island or head to South Padre Island for a wider array of accommodation options.
Cape Hatteras became America's very first National Seashore in 1937 (though it only opened to the public in 1953), and today it's our pick for the most beautiful National Seashore in the US. A series of barrier islands along North Carolina’s Atlantic coast, it extends more than 70 miles (113km) and covers 30,000 acres. Blessed with stunning natural beauty, the area also boasts a long and intriguing history.
It’s been home to Native Americans, farmers, enslaved people and lighthouse keepers and witnessed numerous historical events – most notably the death of the infamous pirate Blackbeard. He was ambushed by Royal Navy Lieutenant Robert Maynard in Ocracoke Inlet in 1718.
The swirling black and white stripes of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse are among the most iconic images on the East Coast. Built in 1870, it's the tallest brick lighthouse in the US measuring 198.49 feet (60.5m). The views from the top are breathtaking, although visitors won’t be able to climb the tower until summer 2026 due to ongoing restoration work.
Thankfully, there are plenty of other appealing options. Hiring an off-road vehicle (permit required) is a great way to discover the gorgeous beaches, and with some of the darkest night skies east of the Mississippi, the area is a superb spot for stargazing.
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