National Parks in the Southeast

National Parks in the Southeast US include 60+ parks in 9 states and two US Territories: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina,  Tennessee, and the Virgin Islands

National Parks in the Southeast

Established on August 7,  1937, the Southeast Region originally covered the entire east coast minus the National Capital Parks. Later the Northeast region was created in 1965. The name was changed to Southeast Region and headquarters was placed in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Today, the National Park Service has 7 regions: Midwest Region, Southeast Region, Northeast Region, National Capital Region, Alaska Region, Pacific West Region, and the Intermountain Region

The technical names often confuse visitors and the way I hear visitors explaining the geography would be Midwest National Parks, East Coast National Parks (Southeast, National Capital and Northeast combined), Southwest National Parks and Western National Parks for Intermountain Region, Alaska, and West Coast National Parks for Pacific West Region.  

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The park pass covers everyone in the car for per vehicle sites and for up to 4 adults for per-person sites.

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Best National Parks in the Southeast

The Southeast National Parks are filled with numerous hiking trails that spread throughout the United States.

There is the longest known cave system in Mammoth Cave, incredible wildlife viewing opportunities like black bears at the most visited national park in the US, Great Smoky Mountains, you can bring out your inner child and discover forts like Fort Jefferson at Dry Tortugas National Park in the Gulf of Mexico.

Florida National Parks have some of the best bird-watching opportunities anywhere, you can learn about civil rights, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and even visit the oldest city in the United States, San Juan Puerto Rico! 

The Southeast National Park Service Sites include: 

6 National Parks
13 National Monuments
4 National Preserve
12 National Historical Parks
10 National Historic Sites
3 National Battlefield Park
7 National Military Park
4 National Battlefield
3 National Memorials
5 National Seashores
1 National River & Recreation Area
1 Wild and Scenic Rivers
1 National Recreation Areas
2 Parkways
1 Ecological and Historic Preserve
6 National Historic Trails
1 National Scenic Trails
1 Heritage Areas   

National Parks in the Southeast US

There are 6 National Parks in the Midwest. A national park is defined as containing a variety of resources and encompasses large land or water areas to help provide adequate protection of the resources.

These are the big parks that you hear about often.

• Biscayne National Park, Florida
• Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
• Congaree National Park, South Carolina
• Everglades National Park, Florida
• Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee
• Virgin Islands National Park, US Virgin Islands

While these are the big parks that you hear about don't miss some of the smaller unique parks that are also amazing. 

National Trails of the Southeast

Keep an eye out for specific National Park Passport stamps for these trails at the parks and information on how each specific park is a stop on the National Historic Trails.

Appalachian National Scenic Trail (CT, GA, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV)

El Camino Real De Los Tejas National Historical Trail (TX, LA)

Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail (IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MO, MT, NE, ND, OH, OR, PA, SD, WA, WV)

Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail (AL, MS, TN)

Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (NC, SC, TN, VA)

Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail (AL)

Trail of Tears National Historic Trail (AL, AR, GA, IL, KY, MO, NC, OK, TN)

Major US Cities in the Southeast Region with Airports

Atlanta, Georgia: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

Birmingham, Alabama: Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) 

Orlando, Florida: Orlando International Airport (MCO)

Miami, Florida: Miami International Airport (MIA)

Nashville, Tennessee: Nashville International Airport (BNA) 

New Orleans, Louisiana: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)

Charleston, South Carolina: Charleston International Airport (CHS)

Charlotte, North Carolina: Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)

Park Ranger John's most memorable experiences in Southeast National Parks

Raising the flag at Fort Sumpter

Watching the historical Weapons Demonstration including shooting the cannons at Castillo De San Marcos National Monument at the top of the fort.  Check the calendar on the Carlos De San Marcos page for times. 

Why go for a hike on a hot tropical island when you can go swimming? Better yet, why not take the underwater snorkel trail at Virgin Islands National Park! This will be guaranteed to be a trail you won't soon forget. 

Kids that grew up in the southeast can tell you about fireflies and mason jars. Now you can go watch the synchronous fireflies at Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Congaree National Park! What a great experience to get people outdoors after dark and find out how magical the forest is, even at night! 

New Orleans is a city known to have great food and great music. Here you can have both because the world-famous Café Du Monde is literally on the way to the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. How close? Less than two blocks away, oh and you will literally walk by it walking from Jackson Square to the visitor center to make sure to stop and enjoy some coffee, beignets, and watching National Park Rangers play jazz at New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park!

Driving to the Outer Banks of North Carolina is an adventure itself. Once there you can visit where the Wright Brothers took the first flight or go soak up the sun on the shores of Cape Hatteras or Cape Lookout. Make sure to take the ferry ride on Cape Lookout to the Cape Lookout Lighthouse. On the way, you might be able to see wild the Shackleford horses on Shackleford Banks.

Alabama

Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument

Freedom Riders National Monument

Horseshoe Bend National Military Park

Little River Canyon National Preserve

Natchez Trace Parkway

Russell Cave National Monument

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site

Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site

Florida

Big Cypress National Preserve

Biscayne National Park

Canaveral National Seashore

Castillo De San Marcos National Monument

DeSoto National Memorial

Dry Tortugas National Park

Everglades National Park

Fort Caroline National Memorial

Fort Matanzas National Monument

Gulf Islands National Seashore

Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve

Georgia

Andersonville National Historic Site

Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park (GA, TN)

Cumberland Island National Seashore

Fort Frederica National Monument

Fort Pulaski National Monument

Jimmy Carter National Historical Park

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park

Kentucky

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park

Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area (KY, TN)

Camp Nelson National Monument

Cumberland Gap National Historical  Park (KY, TN, VA)

Fort Donelson National Battlefield (KY, TN)

Mammoth Cave National Park

Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument

Louisiana

Cane River Creole National Historical Park

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve

New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park

Poverty Point National Monument

Vicksburg National Military Park

Mississippi

Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site

Gulf Islands National Seashore (FL, MS)

Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument

Natchez National Historical Park

Natchez Trace Parkway (AL, MS, TN)

Shiloh National Military Park

Tupelo National Battlefield

Vicksburg National Military Park

North Carolina

Blue Ridge Parkway (NC, VA)

Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Cape Lookout National Seashore

Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park

Moores Creek National Battlefield

Wright Brothers National Memorial

Puerto Rico

San Juan National Historic Site

South Carolina

Charles Pinckney National Historic Site

Congaree National Park

Cowpens National Battlefield

Fort Sumpter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park

Kings Mountain National Military Park

Ninety-Six National Historic Site

Reconstruction Era National Historical Park 

Tennessee

Andrew Johnson National Historic Site

Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area (KY, TN)

Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park (GA, TN)

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (KY, TN, VA)

Fort Donelson National Battlefield (KY, TN)

Great Smoky Mountains National Park (NC, TN)

Manhattan Project National Historical Park (NM, WA, TN)

Natchez Trace Parkway (AL, MS, TN)

Obed Wild and Scenic River

Shiloh National Military Park (TN, MS)

Stones River National Battlefield 

 

Virgin Islands

Buck Island Reef National Monument

Christiansted National Historic Site

Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve

Virgin Islands National Park

Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument

There are so many amazing National Park Service sites to visit in the Southeast! From historic sites to full National Parks you can learn about the history of the United States and stare in wonder at the beauty and scenery of the Southeast United States.

Do you have a favorite National Parks in the Southeast?

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