Many Americans dream of visiting the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, or Yosemite National Park, and for good reason. They are truly magical places in the United States. However, not everyone has the time or resources to visit some of the Grandfather National Parks.
In this blog, I’ll go through three of my favorite smaller national parks. Each of them are packed full of history and sites to see, and can easily be tacked on to an already-planned vacation.
Colonial National Historical Park
Colonial NHP is located in Williamsburg, VA and would make an excellent addition to a trip to Busch Gardens or Virginia Beach. The whole park is comprised of three separate locations: Jamestowne, Yorktown Battlefield, and Colonial Parkway. I spent an entire day just between Jamestowne and Yorktown, but even just 2-3 hours would be worth the trip.
There are quite a few things to get into at Jamestowne:
- Watch archeologists dig on site
- Go on a variety of ranger talks
- Visit the artifact museum or explore the buildings along the river
- Stop by the Glasshouse where you can watch modern-day glassblowers hard at work making wine bottles, pitchers, and vases
At Yorktown you can visit some of the original structures from the Revolutionary War and see people dressed in traditional war uniforms.
If you are looking for a little exercise, consider a bike ride down Colonial Parkway.
Gettysburg National Military Park & the Eisenhower House
Gettysburg NMP is one of my favorite places to visit year-round. I love the museum at the Visitor Center, and there are dozens of monuments and statues to see on the driving tour. There are plenty of short trails to walk, along with rock structures and hills for kids to play on. The town itself is absolutely adorable and there are so many good places to eat.
If you are visiting the battlefield, do yourself a favor and make a detour over to the Eisenhower House. House tours are available and they will sometimes offer ranger talks outside. Additionally, the Eisenhower farm is within walking distance to the house. There are a few buildings to see and informational plaques to read.
Gettysburg would be easy to combine with a trip to Philadelphia, or if you are passing through on your way North to somewhere like New York City. If you wish to travel South, consider adding it on your way to Ocean City, MD or Virginia Beach, VA. However, if you think you would enjoy staying in the town of Gettysburg itself, there are many day trip options like Hershey Park, Washington DC, or Baltimore. There are a ton of National Park units in these areas. Visit my Mid-Atlantic Region page for a full list.
Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
I know the Statue of Liberty sounds so cliche but I can’t help it. I loved the Statue of Liberty and equally loved Ellis Island. The convenient thing is, your ferry ticket includes entry to both islands! Make sure you get the ticket that lets you into the pedestal. The pedestal has a whole museum inside of it that explains how and why the Statue of Liberty was constructed. It was so informational, I learned so much! There is a new museum on the island that is part of the pedestal ticket. Unfortunately, this museum was not built yet when I visited, but I’m sure it’s amazing!
Ellis Island
Ellis Island was AMAZING and still one of my most favorite things I’ve ever done in New York City. Since the ferry ticket includes access to both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, you can choose which one you visit first. I was on the very first ferry of the day and I chose to start on Ellis Island, which meant I was able to make my way through most of the exhibits before it got crowded. I knew nothing about Ellis Island before my visit. It was a lot of information to consume, I know if I went back I’d learn so much more. The museum is huge and I spent about 3 hours there.
I recommend New York City being a trip of its own. Add in the Empire State Building, Governor’s Island, a Broadway show, and a day in Times Square and you’ve easily filled a week. However, maybe you like to spend time on the beaches of Long Island each summer; in which case consider a day trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island! Visit my New York City Proper page to learn about all the National Parks within NYC limits.
In summary…
While the West is full of deserts, canyons, red rocks, and geysers, the East is full of so many smaller parks relating to wars, the forming of America, the railroads, and much more. I only picked my top 3, but there are dozens and dozens of others. Honorable mentions include the Wright Brothers National Memorial in the Outer Banks, Governor’s Island in NYC, and Andrew Johnson NHS near the Smoky Mountains. All of them deserve to be seen, so don’t write off the small parks if you can’t make it to the big ones.
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