Best Natural Wonders To Visit On The Atlantic Coast This Year

America’s 2,069 miles (3,330 km) of Atlantic coast records millions of years of geological change in its beaches, mountains, coral reefs, and forests. Between Maine and Florida, protected stretches of shoreline shelter numerous state and national parks, all of which are treasures to any nature lover in search of something new to see. Exploring these places can mean hiking to a summit, following a leisurely boardwalk, or heading offshore with a snorkel. Above all, each setting reveals a different part of the region’s natural and human histories, with opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors all throughout the year.

Jockey’s Ridge State Park, a natural area with the highest sand dunes on the east coast. Wind continually reshapes Jockey’s Ridge, the tallest active sand dune system on the Atlantic coast of the United States. Its nearly constantly shifting crests and broad, largely bare slopes make the influence of coastal breezes easy to see here.

Protected within Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head, the top of these dunes offers excellent views across the Outer Banks, from the open ocean to the Roanoke Sound on the other side. Follow the 1.5-mile (2.4 km) Tracks in the Sand Trail to best explore this wonderful environment, or climb higher for sunset over the sound. Kite flying is also popular on the exposed sands.

Whatever you decide to do, visit either early or late in the day during the summer months, as the midday heat during this time of year often makes walking across the dunes considerably less comfortable underfoot.

Entrance to the Sunken Forest in Fire Island, Long Island, New York. Hidden behind a double line of dunes, Fire Island’s Sunken Forest shelters American holly trees estimated to be up to 300 years old. Its name describes the canopy’s position below the surrounding dune crests, which protect the trees from the Atlantic’s salt-laden winds. This rare maritime woodland also contains sassafras and shadbush, growing where otherwise bare sands gradually developed enough organic matter to support a full-fledged forest.

See it for yourself via a boardwalk extending 1.5 miles (2.4 km) that lets you examine the vegetation without trampling the fragile forest floor. Seasonal ferries connect Long Island’s Sayville with the nearby community of Sailors Haven, where the walk can also be paired with time on the adjoining sandy beach.

The view over small islands from Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, Maine. From Cadillac Mountain’s peak, Frenchman Bay’s islands can be seen spreading beyond the granite slopes of Mount Desert Island. This prominent, 1,530-foot (466-m) mountain in Acadia National Park is actually the highest point on the United States’ eastern seaboard. It’s also surprisingly smooth looking, as ancient glaciers rounded its bedrock, leaving exposed stone that contrasts with the surrounding spruce and fir forests.

With that, the paved Cadillac Summit Loop Trail provides top-tier coastal views without requiring a lengthy climb, while the Cadillac North Ridge Trail offers an approach for hikers. Drivers can follow Cadillac Summit Road, with advance vehicle reservations required seasonally. The area is especially scenic during fall, when its hardwood forests convert to brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow.

Whether getting there by car, bike, or foot, bring an extra layer for the exposed summit, where wind can make conditions feel substantially colder than lower down in Bar Harbor.

Waves hit the Blowing Rocks, Florida. Waves striking the shores of Blowing Rocks Preserve often force seawater through holes in its limestone, sending spray as high as 50 feet (15 meters) at times. Rougher water around high tide produces the strongest displays, especially during winter.

On the contrary, at low tide, more of this sculpted shoreline becomes visible for visitors exploring the beach area. In fact, this portion of Jupiter Island protects the largest outcropping of Anastasia limestone on the United States’ east coast as well. Look closely at the rock, and you can distinguish shells and other fragments cemented into its surface. Erosion has also carved numerous shelves, cavities, and channels along the water’s edge, making this spot worth examining even when seas are calm.

Aquinnah Cliffs overlook and Gay Head Light, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Bands of red, white, and gray clay streak the lofty Aquinnah Cliffs at the western end of Martha’s Vineyard. Like many natural features in the northern U.S., glacial ice pushed and folded ancient sediments upward here, exposing deposits formed long before the island took its present shape. The cliffs also remain culturally significant to the Wampanoag Tribe, whose traditions say the cliffs’ eye-catching colors were created by Moshup, a giant central to local creation stories.

View this picturesque headland from the public overlook near Gay Head Lighthouse, or follow the path to Moshup Beach for a perspective from below. Just be sure to stay off the fragile slopes and leave the clay untouched to protect both the formation’s pristine condition and the integrity of this sacred place.

Ponies on the beach at Assateague Island. Assateague Island stretches 37 miles (60 km) along Maryland and Virginia, separating Atlantic surf from sheltered bays. Storm waves wash sand across this narrow barrier island, which has been gradually moving sections of it toward the mainland over time. But beyond the beachfront, salt marshes and maritime forests boast a much different natural environment, with wildlife including herons, egrets, and the island’s famous free-roaming horses.

In the Maryland district, the Life of the Marsh Trail gives you a closer look at the wetlands, while paddling the bayside waters better shows off shores normally hidden from beachgoers. Oceanside camping here can also let you stay beside the dunes overnight, with the sound of breaking waves carrying through the campground and clear, starry skies revealing themselves up above after dark.

Aerial view of the Mohegan Bluffs and the Southeast Lighthouse, Block Island, Rhode Island. The Mohegan Bluffs expose a 200-foot (61-m) wall of clay and glacial sediment above Block Island’s southern shore. From an advantageous overlook, a sightline follows the curving cliffs toward a narrow beach scattered with wave-smoothed stones. Rain, groundwater, and pounding surf continue to wear away these soft deposits, peeling away fresh sections of the bluff face on a regular basis. That same erosion actually forced the nearby Southeast Lighthouse to be moved further inland in 1993.

A stop at the overlook provides a rewarding experience without the need to descend the long wooden staircase to the beach, too, whose lower section, as said, can be affected by erosion and often in dangerous ways. There’s still a good amount to do at these bluffs, since you can combine the visit with a stop at the new lighthouse for another perspective on the headland and the open Atlantic beyond Block Island.

Dungeness ruins at Cumberland Island National Seashore. Image credit: jctabb via AdobeStock. On this verdant island, stands of live oaks arch over dense saw palmettos, forming shaded passages just inland from Georgia’s coastal beaches. Persistent salt spray prunes the more exposed trees, helping create the twisted branches that give this maritime forest an almost otherworldly feel.

Walk the Parallel Trail to explore the wooded interior, where oak canopies give way to pine stands, wetlands, and tidal creeks. Moreover, broad dunes separate the forest from nearly 18 miles (29 km) of undeveloped beach used by nesting sea turtles and shorebirds. Look out for the Dungeness Ruins, too: the weathered exterior of a former mansion originally built by the Carnegie family that burned in a fire in 1959.

Passenger ferries depart from St. Mary’s, and visitors are free to explore on foot or by bicycle. Reserve a crossing ahead of time and carry enough food for the day, as amenities are slim on the island.

Calvert Cliffs Beach attracts visitors searching for Miocene-era fossils near Lusby, Maryland. Image credit: Nicole Glass Photography via Shutterstock. During a shoreline stroll at Calvert Cliffs State Park, you may come across shark teeth and fossilized shells washed onto the beach, evidence of the shallow sea that covered southern Maryland millions of years ago. These cliffs, bordering Chesapeake Bay, preserve Miocene-era deposits containing more than 600 identified fossil species.

Reaching the public beachfront requires a simple walk of 1.8 miles (2.9 km) each way along the Red Trail, passing a variety of woodland and wetlands before emerging beside the water. Here, you are free to search the loose sand and pebbles for small teeth and shell fragments, with collecting permitted. However, the cliffs, and the shoreline directly beneath them, are closed for more safety-oriented reasons, since chunks of sediment can collapse without warning.

The Christ of the Deep Statue in the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Florida. Just off Key Largo, coral formations, sea fans, and sponges support a plethora of marine life beneath the ocean’s surface. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park provides a departure point for exploring these reefs by snorkeling, scuba diving, or glass-bottom boat. Established in 1960 as the country’s first undersea park, it also protects mangroves and seagrass beds that shelter juvenile fish and other aquatic wildlife.

Offshore excursions reveal reef habitats that cannot be reached simply by swimming from the park’s beaches. But if you can’t book a tour for whatever reason, closer to land, kayakers may also follow waterways through the mangroves, watching for fish among the submerged roots. Diving or paddling, it is highly recommended to pick a day with calm seas for better viewing conditions and a more comfortable journey overall.

High tide brings Blowing Rocks Preserve to life, while calm seas improve a reef excursion off Key Largo. Elsewhere, a reserved ferry crossing or summit drive determines the day’s schedule. Wherever you decide to go on this list, you’re at the very least guaranteed a cool experience, whether you love nature, history, or simple sightseeing. Better yet, many of these destinations can easily be added together for a truly memorable road trip.