National Parks

Melrose
Melrose

I visited all the national parks in the Southeast, as defined by the National Park Service.

At the time I wrote my book, Forests, Alligators, Battlefields, there were 71 national park units, including multi-state trails, one affiliated site, but not national heritage areas.

Look at the map of the Southeast region.

Parks Units by state. The dates represent:

*  Date I first visited, date the site was made a park unit, date the event happened, if there is a specific event. The first two dates are clear. The last is a judgment call.

Alabama

Horseshoe Bend  National Military Park  2014  1959 1814
Little River Canyon National Preserve  2014  1992  Nature park
Russell Cave National  Monument  2014  1961  Prehistoric
Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail  2014  1965  1965
Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site 2014  1998  1941
Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site 2014  1974 1881

Florida 

Big Cypress National Preserve 2010 1974 1974
Biscayne National Park 2010  1968, 1980  Nature Park
Canaveral National Seashore 2012 1975 1950s
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument 2009 1924 1565
De Soto National Memorial 2011 1948 1539
Dry Tortugas National Park 2012 1935, 1992 1865
Everglades National Park 1966 1934, 1947  Nature Park
Fort Matanzas National  Monument 2010 1924 1565
Gulf Islands National Seashore 2014  1971  1861
Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve 2010 1950, 1988 1562

Georgia

Andersonville National Historic Site 2013 1970 1864
Appalachian National Scenic Trail 1974 1968 1921
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area 2014  1978  Nature park
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park  2014  1890 1863
Cumberland Island National Seashore 2010  1972  1880s
Fort Frederica  National Monument 2011  1936 1742
Fort Pulaski National  Monument 2012  1924  1862
Jimmy Carter National Historic Site 2013  1987 1975
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park 2013  1917  1864
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site 2013 1980 1929
Ocmulgee National  Monument 2013 1936  Prehistoric

Kentucky

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHP  2015  1916, 1959 1807
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park  2015  1940  1769
Mammoth Cave National Park 2009 1941  1790s

Louisiana

Cane River Creole National Historical Park  2014  1994  1780s
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve  2014  1907, 1939, 1978 1815
New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park  2014  1994  1895
Poverty Point National Monument  2104 1988 Prehistoric

Mississippi

Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site  2014  1929 1864
Natchez National Historical Park  2104  1988  1841
Natchez Trace Parkway 2006 1938 and 1983 1800
Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail 2006 1938 and 1983 1800
Tupelo National Battlefield  2014  1929 1864
Vicksburg  National Military Park  2014  1899 1863

North Carolina

Blue Ridge Parkway 1974 1936  Nature park
Cape Hatteras National Seashore 2001  1937  Nature park
Cape Lookout National Seashore 2013 1966  1960s
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site 2002 1968 1967
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site 2011  1941 1587
Guilford Courthouse  National Military Park 2010 1917 1781
Moores Creek National Battlefield 2011 1926 1776
Wright Brothers  National Memorial 2001 1927 1903
Overmountain  Victory National Historic Trail 2003  1980 1780
Trail of Tears National Historic Trail 2001  1987  1838
Underground Railroad Movement 2013  1998  1840s

Puerto Rico

San Juan National Historic Site 2014 1949 1539

South Carolina

Charles Pickney National Historic Site 2012 1988 1780
Congaree National Park 2010  1976, 2003  Nature park
Cowpens National Battlefield 2010  1929 1781
Historic Camden 2015  affiliated site 1780
Fort Sumter National  Monument 2012  1948 1861
Kings Mountain  National Military Park 2008  1931 1780
Ninety Six National Historic Site 2014 1976 1781

Tennessee

Andrew Johnson National Historic Site 2013 1935, 1963 1868
Obed Wild and Scenic River  2015  1976  Nature Park
Shiloh National Military Park  2014 1894 1862
Stones River National Battlefield  2014  1927 1863
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area  2015 1976  Nature Park
Fort Donelson National Battlefield  2015 1928 1862
Great Smoky Mountains  National Park 1974 1926, 1934 1800s

Virgin Islands

Buck Island Reef National Monument 2014 1961  Nature Park
Christiansted National Historic Site 2014 1952 1738
Salt River Bay NHP & Ecological Preserve 2014 1992 1493
Virgin Islands  National Park 2014 1956  1700s
Virgin Islands Coral Reef National  Monument 2014 2001  Nature Park