Up to date November 17, 2025 01:25PM
Winter can usually really feel lackluster for many who like to lace up their path runners. Favourite haunts are coated in snow and mountain roads will be dangerously icy or closed for the season. However for many who wish to savor slightly sunshine this season, there are a wealth of beachy nationwide parks with miles of trails simply begging to be explored.
From Australia to American Samoa to the Decrease 48, hikers can spend the fourth season having fun with sweeping ocean vistas. Whether or not you’re a budding wildlife photographer seeking sand and seals or an uphill athlete hoping for hills and a salty breeze, there’s a seaside park for you this time of 12 months.
Channel Islands Nationwide Park
Location: California, U.S.
Finest for: Backpacking, hilly hikes, sea kayaking
The nation’s most populous state is house to famously mountainous parks, like Yosemite and Sequoia, however when winter rears its head, nature lovers ought to head south for Channel Islands Nationwide Park. Located about 90 minutes from Ventura by Island Packers ferry, its largest island, Santa Cruz, is house to dozens of miles of mountain climbing trails, backcountry campgrounds and tiny island foxes. E book early to nab a coveted backpacker campsite at Del Norte and go to sleep with epic ocean views. Should you’ve solely obtained a day, embark on a 4.4-mile trek to Pelican Bay and dip your toes within the refreshing, salty waves.
Las Baulas Marine Nationwide Park
Location: Costa Rica
Finest for: Seashore walks, mangrove hikes, sea turtle viewing
Nationwide park aficionados can escape the vacationer hub of Tamarindo and discover mangrove estuaries at Guanacaste’s Las Baulas Marine Nationwide Park. Initially designated to guard endangered leatherback turtles and their crucial nesting grounds, this park is a haven for many who desire an undeveloped, secluded seaside expertise. Right here, hikers can saunter for miles on uncrowded sand. Birders will love the whopping 139 species that they will sight within the space, and turtle seekers have nice odds for recognizing nesting mamas between October 20 and February 15. After a meditative day of sandy strolls and turtle viewing, head to close by Playa Hermosa for delicious seafood and spacious lodge rooms at Lodge Bosque del Mar.
Hawaii Volcanoes Nationwide Park
Location: Hawaii, U.S.
Finest for: Volcano hikes, black sand seashores, lava viewing
Although Hawaii is revered for its white sand seashores and luxe resorts, Hawaii Volcanoes Nationwide Park provides a rugged place for hikers attempting to get in huge miles on the Large Island. It’s an excellent park for hardcore hikers who need a facet of seashore with their singletrack: There are trails that wind by means of lava fields and throughout coastal cliffs of darkish, metamorphic rock. After meandering by means of the Kilauea Customer Heart to be taught in regards to the space’s energetic volcanoes, motor down Chain of Craters Street, stopping to hike the Kīlauea Iki Path earlier than catching dramatic glimpses of the Pacific Ocean on the Holei Sea Arch. Need extra? Take a sundown stroll alongside the Puna Coast Path or, should you’re up for one more scenic drive, head simply south of the park to the beautiful black sand seaside at Punalu’u.
Olympic Nationwide Park
Location: Washington, U.S.
Finest for: Forest bathing, storm watching, tidepool hikes
Northern Washington may not be the primary place that involves thoughts when you concentrate on sandy seashores, however, on account of their coastal location, Olympic’s tidal trails see little or no snow. That makes them the right place for moody seaside hikes within the winter. Right here, the dense conifer forests that epitomize a lot of the park run proper into the ragged shoreline, and their splendor is on full show on the three.3-mile out-and-back to Gap-in-the-Wall, an arched sea stack on the Pacific coast. Seek the advice of a tide chart earlier than heading out, and hold your eyes peeled for intrepid coldwater surfers and colourful, anemone-filled tidepools. Need extra of a problem? The North Coast Route is a 20-mile backpacking journey stretching from Ozette to Rialto. Afterwards, mattress down on the seaside Kalaloch Lodge and chow down on coastal Americana fare at its Creekside Restaurant.
Biscayne Nationwide Park
Location: Florida, U.S.
Finest for: Historic hikes, snorkeling, scuba diving
Whether or not you’re itching to discover a few of America’s final remaining stands of mangrove shoreline or wish to stroll the mellow trails of Boca Chita Key and study its quirky historical past, Biscayne Nationwide Park is the place to be. About 95 p.c of this park is underwater, and it’s well-known for wonderful snorkeling and scuba diving, the place swimmers can encounter lobsters, jellyfish, and bottlenose dolphins. Nevertheless, there are quite a few above-ground actions, too. Benefit from the wind in your face on a 45-minute boat experience to Elliott Key, pitch a tent within the designated campground, and observe a 1.1-mile interpretive path detailing the flora, fauna and pineapple-growing historical past of the park’s largest island.
Galápagos Nationwide Park
Location: Ecuador
Finest for: Birding, snorkeling, wildlife-heavy hikes
Uncover the wildlife-rich islands that impressed a younger Charles Darwin on a visit down south to Ecuador. Galápagos Nationwide Park completely straddles the equator, making it an excellent heat climate trip spot when a lot of the U.S. is blanketed in frigid snow. Impartial vacationers may have the perfect luck exploring this far-flung archipelago by visiting one in every of its important inhabited islets, like Santa Cruz or San Cristobal, the place it’s attainable to seize a day tour to go to the world’s well-known tortoises and discover lodging.
From Santa Cruz, it’s simple to get in a fast, 4-mile trek up Cerro Crocker or hop on a day journey to Bartolomé Island for epic snorkeling and volcanic mountain climbing paths. Nevertheless, the easiest way to discover the Galapagos Islands is on a week-long reside aboard ship, like Ecoventura’s Evolve, the place vacationers can get far off the crushed path and discover secluded snorkeling coves and coastal trails lined with blue-footed booby nests.
Francois Peron Nationwide Park
Location: Australia
Finest for: Indigenous-led excursions, desert mountain climbing, marine life viewing
Heralded as “the place the place purple desert cliffs meet the turquoise sea,” Francois Peron Nationwide Park is in contrast to some other place on earth. Make sure to hire a burly 4×4 car and hold your eyes peeled for kangaroos should you plan on traversing this distant panorama in Western Australia, because the roads are sandy and tough. Take a 2.25-mile bush stroll throughout the colourful shoreline on the Wanamalu Path from Skipjack Level, or pack your tenting gear and pitch a tent at South Gregories to look at the skies gentle up with stars—there are extraordinarily low ranges of sunshine air pollution right here. Not into driving on the improper facet of the street? Wula Gura Nyinda provides Aboriginal-led 4WD excursions of Francois Peron, full with a regionally sourced seafood lunch and oceanfront mountain climbing.
Nationwide Park of American Samoa
Location: American Samoa, U.S.
Finest for: Jungle hikes, snorkeling, secluded seashores
Irrespective of the place you’re coming from within the U.S., it takes a protracted collection of aircraft rides to succeed in this far-flung nationwide park that’s nearer to Fiji than it’s to California. However as soon as the wheels have touched down, vacationers will discover themselves in a principally undeveloped island setting, full with crowd-free seashores and trails teeming with flying foxes. Famously the end line for these with “go to all nationwide parks” objectives, there’s a customer heart in Pago Pago the place you will get a particular certificates.Then, take a scenic drive to the tiny village of Vatia to get to the Tuafanua Path. This 2.2-mile hike switchbacks up by means of a rainforest, earlier than a collection of ropes and ladders reveals a hidden, rocky seaside. Need one thing more difficult? The 7-mile Mt. Alava Path follows an undulating ridgeline by means of the humid jungle till it reaches its namesake summit, revealing breathtaking views of Pago Pago.
Virgin Islands Nationwide Park
Location: St. John and Hassel Islands, U.S.
Finest for: Boating, snorkeling, scuba diving, distant seaside hikes
Many individuals are stunned to listen to that there’s an NPS-managed nationwide park within the Caribbean, however Virgin Islands Nationwide Park provides a welcome escape for city-sore east coasters searching for sunshine and snorkeling. From the world’s important lodging hub at Cruz Bay, vacationers can skirt the city’s crowds and trek 2 miles (roundtrip) to each Salomon and Honeymoon seashores, the place mellow cerulean waves crash into clean white sand. Adventurous sorts can even hire a automobile and steer throughout the island’s mountainous inside to the 4.1-mile Reef Bay Path, which winds previous indigenous rock carvings and an deserted sugar mill on the way in which to quiet Reef Bay Seashore. Should you’ve obtained sufficient time, don’t miss the chance to swim with colourful corals and sea turtles on an all-day snorkel tour of St. John.
