Historically home to a handful of hardscrabble hamlets and whaling communities, these days the far-flung chain of barrier islands plays host to nesting loggerhead sea turtles, wading shorebirds, and plucky wild horses descended from Spanish mustangs believed to have washed ashore from a sinking ship during a wreck in the 1600s. Protecting the southernmost portion of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Cape Lookout National Seashore spreads over a trio of wild barrier islands only accessible by boat, with minimal infrastructure for visitors. Read more: Best Remote Destinations in America Cape Lookout National Seashore North Carolina Nestled behind the coastline’s shifting sand dunes, the seaside campsites are close enough to the water to allow visitors to fall asleep to the sound of crashing surf, while the backcountry campsites spread along Back Bay offer spectacular sunsets. Spread over a slender barrier island nestled between Back Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, the state park is accessible only on foot – and to reach the protected area, visitors must hike, bike, or paddle through the 9,108-acre Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, a hotspot for avifauna situated along the Atlantic Flyway frequented by osprey, great egrets, and piping plovers.įor backpackers, a 15-mile trail network threading wind-shaped sand dunes, scruffy maritime forests, and biodiversity-loaded wetlands provides access to the state park’s four backcountry campgrounds – with offerings both on Back Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
Just 20 miles south of the boardwalk-bedecked shores of Virginia Beach, False Cape State Park is one of the most remote recreation areas in Virginia. Read more: Best National Park Camping Destinations False Cape State Park Virginia And, less than four miles north of the campground, Beach 4 features some of the national park’s most spectacular tide pools. The waters and islands offshore are protected by three national wildlife refuges and the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, offering the chance to spy sea otters, harbor seals, and gray whales.
In the southwest portion of the Olympic peninsula, the Kalaloch area provides a microcosm of the national park’s rich biodiversity – and spots for beach campers at the Kalaloch Campground, open year-round.
The protected area also harbors 65 miles of coastline, including a handful of spots for beach campers. Nearly the entire park – almost 95% – is preserved as wilderness, and roamed by Roosevelt elk, mountain lions, and black bears. Related GuidesĬovering the northern portion of the Olympic Peninsula, Olympic National Park preserves nearly a million acres of snow-capped peaks, old growth forests, and craggy stretches of coastline, bounded by the Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The best places to visit throughout the United States are a number of state and national parks, national seashores, and wilderness areas that offer opportunities for beach campers to snag a spectacular spot in the sand. While on the other side of the country, beach campers have the opportunity to spot migrating gray whales bound for the warm waters around Baja during the fall and winter.
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