Family travel 5: National Heritage Areas
Visit a National Heritage Area, specially designated places where historic, cultural, and natural resources combine to form nationally important landscapes. Across the country, communities have collaborated to share their multi-layered stories.
Here are five to consider:
Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area, Alaska
Home to some of the most influential crossroads of Alaska's history, the region offers historic, cultural, scenic, and outdoor recreational opportunities for those who venture to the Last Frontier. Explore mountains, lakes, rivers, glaciers, and fjords in an area comprised of north-south road, rail, and trail corridors from Bird to Seward as well as Girdwood, Portage, and Moose Pass. There's also plenty to discover in Cooper Landing, Whittier, and the wild waters of Prince William Sound. The area offers a wealth of wildlife watching, history and nature tours, hiking, biking, fishing and backcountry options.
For more: www.travelalaska.com
Susquehanna National Heritage Area, Pennsylvania
Learn about this early gateway to America's frontier with a visit to a historic region known for its scenic beauty, Amish and other Plain People culture and agricultural abundance. The region, located in both Lancaster and York Counties in south-central Pennsylvania, is also significant for its role as a major route on the Underground Railroad and as a strategic location during the Civil War. Discover how the Susquehanna River facilitated transportation and trade for indigenous people and later settlers during a visit to two riverside visitor's centers. Immerse yourselves in the history along the Northwest River Trail. It's a 14-mile, paved multi-use trail along the Susquehanna.
For more: https://susqnha.org
Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area, Iowa
Promising Midwestern hospitality, this region encourages travelers to explore the state via suggested travel loops that include picnic spots, quaint restaurants, museums, galleries and landscapes. Learn about Iowa's agricultural history and its influence on our food system. Wander the backroads amid corn and soybean fields to discover unique and unexpected places of historical, cultural and natural significance.
Visit Dubuque, Iowa's oldest city, to find out how lead mining, a gentleman's farm, and the mighty Mississippi River are all connected. A Junior Ranger program is available.
For more: www.silosandsmokestacks.org
Great Basin National Heritage Area, Nevada and Utah
Visit this western region for a mix of history, wide open spaces, uncrowded trails and unobstructed views of the Milky Way when you camp under the stars.
Learn about the Bristlecone pine, our planet's oldest tree, which can live to be 5,000 years old. You'll find them in Great Basin National Park. Take time to visit the Topaz Museum, which pays homage to the World War II-era Japanese internment camps. Sign up to be an engineer at the Nevada Northern Railway Museum, where a historic steam trains run throughout the year. Or stop by the Old Capitol Arts and Living History Festival in Fillmore, Utah, to learn about broom-making and blacksmithing, shop for handmade crafts and enjoy live music. The heritage area is home to the Great Basin National Park and some of the darkest night skies in the country.
For more: www.greatbasinheritage.org
Freedom's Way National Heritage Area, Massachusetts and New Hampshire
Visit north-central Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire to explore a region steeped in history, natural beauty, and the legacy of revolutionary ideas.
Designated by Congress in 2009, Freedom's Way National Heritage Area encompasses 45 communities that played an important role in the shaping of America's identity, including the origins of the American Revolutionary War. It is home to the Minute Man National Historical Park and Walden Pond, the Acton Arboretum and the Assabet River Rail Trail as well as numerous farms, orchards, libraries and music venues of interest to families. It is reported that the concepts of individual freedom and responsibility, community cooperation, direct democracy, idealism, and social betterment were - and continue to be - nurtured in this historic region.
For more: https://freedomsway.org
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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 3:34 AM.