 Home / U.S. State Travel Guides / U.S. Vacations / U.S. National Parks / U.S. State Highpoints / U.S. Road Trip Planning  INTERSTATE I-95 TRAVEL GUIDE Welcome to the Bigroads.com guide to Interstate I-95! This guide provides a basic overview of interstate I-95 in each state along with a detailed list of recommended attractions. Millions of travelers drive I-95 each day, most to simply get from Point A to Point B. It's shame when travelers don't get off the interstate to explore. There are so many fantastic sites and attractions that are within easy reach from this interstate. All of the attractions you will read about below are within a 1-hour drive of the interstate. At the very bottom of this page are various 'best of' lists (e.g. best hikes near I-95). 
This chart presents an overview of interstate I-95 based on a north-to-south direction of travel:
I-95 travels for 305 miles in Maine and without any stops or traffic it takes about 4.5 hours to drive through the state. If traffic is heavy (and it can be in the southern half of the state), it can take 6-7 hours to drive through the entire state. Take note that the exit numbers in this state are based on the (fairly new) mile marker system, starting with mile 305 at the Canadian border and ending with mile 0 at the New Hampshire border. Here are many of the best attractions in Maine within a 1-hour drive of I-95, generally listed in order from north to south: Northern Maine (including Millinocket) ✮ Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument - a relatively new park with a good dirt road scenic drive and several worthwhile hiking trails ✮ Penobscot River Trails, Stacyville - mountain bike or cross-country ski some of the finest gravel trails in Maine; hybrid bikes are OK too ✮ Baxter State Park - a remote park with spectacular hiking, camping, and mountain scenery; moose are commonly seen; plan ahead to enter ✮ Pockwockamus Rock, Millinocket - see the famous and colorful boulder mural en route to the southern entrance of Baxter State Park ✮ Whitewater rafting on the Penobscot River - daily whitewater rafting trips are offered in season on this remote and wild river Food: I highly recommend the following restaurants in Millinocket: Appalachian Trail Cafe and River Drivers Restaurant Central Maine (including Bangor) ✮ Maine Forest and Logging Museum, Bradley - an outdoor forestry museum with several historic buildings and more than 2 miles of trails ✮ Cole Land Transportation Museum, Bangor - one of several excellent transportation museums in Maine ✮ Paul Bunyan statue, Bangor - one of the largest and best Paul Bunyan statues in the U.S.; one of Maine's best roadside attractions ✮ Fairfield Antique Mall, Fairfield - one of the best antique stores in New England Food: I highly recommend the following restaurants in Bangor: Timber Kitchen & Bar and Mason's Brewing Company Freeport & Brunswick Area (a short distance north of Portland) ✮ Maine Maritime Museum, Bath - the finest maritime museum in northern New England ✮ Downtown Freeport - a lively area with tons of shopping and restaurants; home of the flagship L.L. Bean retail store ✮ L.L. Bean Flagship Store, Freeport - huge retail store focused on outdoor activities (camping, hunting, fishing, hiking) and clothing ✮ Maine Beer Company, Freeport - one of the largest and best beer tasting rooms in New England; great pizza too ✮ Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park, Freeport - pretty coastal nature park with 5 miles of hiking trails Portland and surrounding area ✮ Downtown Portland ('Old Port') - the culinary/dining capital of Maine; Portland is one of the best mid-sized cities in the U.S. ✮ Portland Museum of Art, Portland - one of the best art museums in Maine ✮ Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse, Portland - walk across a rocky breakwater to visit an attractive lighthouse ✮ Breweries of Portland - there are more than 40 breweries in and around Portland, making it one of the 'beer capitals' of the U.S. ✮ Bug Light Park, South Portland - a small but attractive coastal green space with a small lighthouse ✮ Portland Head Light, Cape Elizabeth - one of the most scenic lighthouses in the U.S. Food: I highly recommend the following restaurants in Portland: Fore Street, Duckfat, and Butcher Burger Old Port Southern Maine Coastline ✮ Old Orchard Beach - one of Maine's best beaches; includes an old-fashioned seaside amusement park with rides, arcades, and beach shops ✮ Downtown Kennebunkport - a small but attractive downtown area with many shops and restaurants (including a fried clam shack) ✮ Seashore Trolley Museum, Kennebunkport - billed as the "world's first and largest museum of mass transit vehicles" ✮ Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, Wells - features beautiful hiking trails and excellent bird-watching opportunities ✮ Downtown Ogunquit - an attractive tourist area with shops, restaurants, and access to Ogunquit Beach and the great walk of Marginal Way ✮ Ogunquit Beach/Main Beach, Ogunquit - arguably Maine's best beach ✮ Marginal Way, Ogunquit - a scenic, 1.25 mile family-friendly coastal walk between Ogunquit and Perkins Cove ✮ Ogunquit Playhouse, Ogunquit - Maine's finest theater/playhouse ✮ Long Sands Beach, York - one of Maine's best beaches (tip: visit at low tide since most of the beach disappears at high tide) ✮ Nubble Lighthouse (Cape Neddick Light), York - one of the most scenic lighthouses in the U.S.; photographers absolutely love this spot Food: I highly recommend the following eateries and restaurants in this area: The Clam Shack (Kennebunk), Maine Diner (Wells), Congdon's Doughnuts (Wells), The Central Restaurant & Bar (York), Flo's Hot Dogs (Cape Neddick), Robert's Maine Grill (Kittery) and Bob's Clam Hut (Kittery) Discover more Maine travel ideas with my comprehensive Maine Travel Guide.
I-95 travels for only 16 miles in New Hampshire, and without any stops or traffic it only takes about 15 minutes to drive through the entire state. Traffic can be heavy in the evenings, but it rarely takes more than 30 minutes to drive through the state. Take note that the exit numbers in this state are NOT based on the mile marker system yet (NH is very stubborn!). Here are many of the best attractions in New Hampshire within a 1-hour drive of I-95, generally listed in order from north to south: ✮ Pawtuckaway State Park, Nottingham - a large nature park with nearly 30 miles of hiking trails and good lake swimming ✮ Downtown Portsmouth / Market Square, Portsmouth - a quaint and walkable downtown area with boutique shops and restaurants ✮ Strawberry Banke Museum, Portsmouth - an impressive outdoor American history museum covering 300 years of local history ✮ USS Albacore Museum, Portsmouth - tour a historic submarine (built in 1953 and decommissioned in 1972) near downtown Portsmouth ✮ Water Country, Portsmouth - the largest water park in New England with nearly 20 rides/attractions spread across 26 acres ✮ Hampton Beach State Park, Hampton - NH's most popular beach; several spots offer fairly reliable and good surfing Discover more New Hampshire travel ideas with my comprehensive New Hampshire Travel Guide.
I-95 travels for 92 miles in Massachusetts, and without any stops or traffic it takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes to drive through the state. Since traffic is very common (especially from 6:30-9:00am and 3:00-6:30pm), you should expect to need 2-3 hours to drive through Massachusetts. Take note that the exit numbers in this state are based on the mile marker system (starting with mile 92 at the New Hampshire border and ending at 0 at the Rhode Island border). Here are many of the best attractions in Massachusetts within a 1-hour drive of I-95, generally listed in order from north to south: Northeastern Massachusetts - all of the 'North Shore' (see below for separate Gloucester & Rockport section) ✮ Downtown Newburyport - a very attractive historic waterfront area with many restaurants and shops; the Clipper City Rail Trail is here too ✮ Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Plum Island - a park featuring great bird-watching, walking trails, and miles of undeveloped beaches ✮ Crane Beach / Crane Estate, Ipswich - one of northern Massachusetts' best beaches; parking is limited and may require advance permits ✮ Fried clam restaurants of Ipswich and Essex - there are several iconic fried clam shacks in this area (e.g. Clam Box, JT Farnham's, etc.) ✮ Ipswich River, Ipswich - rent a canoe or kayak from Foote Brothers and take a one or two day float trip ✮ Russell Farm, Ipswich - an excellent agritourism site with cider donuts and apple cider in the fall ✮ Downtown Salem - a historic and walkable area with shops, restaurants, and bars; famous for its witch history sites ✮ Count Orlok's Nightmare Gallery, Salem - a monster-focused museum ✮ House of Seven Gables, Salem - take a guided tour of a 1668 colonial mansion made famous by a Nathaniel Hawthorne novel ✮ Peabody Essex Museum, Salem - an excellent regional art museum with special focus on American, Asian, and Maritime art ✮ Lynn Woods Reservation - this huge park offers some of the best hiking and mountain biking in eastern Massachusetts ✮ Jordan's Furniture, Reading - a unique furniture store with several family-friendly attractions (IMAX theater, kid's ropes course, etc.) Food: I highly recommend the following restaurants in this area: 9 Elm American Bistro (Danvers), Modern Butcher (Danvers), The Clam Box (Ipswich), J.T. Farnham's (Essex), Daniella's Cafe (Danvers), Turners Seafood (Salem), Rusty Can (Byfield), The Blue Ox (Lynn), Rossetti (Lynn). Northeastern Massachusetts - Gloucester & Rockport ✮ Bearskin Neck, Rockport - an attractive tourist area with boutique shops, restaurants, and great seaside/fishing village photo ops ✮ Halibut Point State Park, Rockport - a nature park with pleasant walking paths and grat ocean and quarry views; parking is limited ✮ Babson Boulders, Dogtown, Gloucester - take a hike to hunt for large boulders inscribed with phrases (e.g. "Never Try / Never Win") ✮ Fishermen's Memorial Monument, Gloucester - a famous fisherman statue along the Gloucester coastline; Stage Fort Park is also nearby ✮ Good Harbor Beach, Gloucester - one of northern MA's best beaches has great surfing; parking is limited and likely requires permits ✮ Hammond Castle Museum, Gloucester - a beautiful castle with guided and self-guided tours ✮ Stage Fort Park, Gloucester - a beautiful seaside park with rock scrambling, open fields, a small beach, and a children's playground ✮ Whale-watching tours from Gloucester - one of the top places on the East Coast to go whale-watching (Humpback, Minke, and Finback) ✮ Wingaersheek Beach, Gloucester - one of northern Massachusetts' best beaches; parking is limited and likely requires permits Boston and surrounding area ✮ Boston - for a detailed list of attractions in Boston and surrounding areas, see my Massachusetts Travel Guide ✮ Encore Boston Harbor, Everett - an upscale casino that is one of the best in the U.S. outside of Las Vegas; easily the best casino in MA ✮ Middlesex Fells Reservation - a huge public park with 100 miles of well-maintained trails for hiking and mtn biking; good views of Boston MetroWest / West of Boston ✮ Minute Man National Historical Park - see various American Revolutionary War historical sites on historic walking trails ✮ Walden Pond State Reservation, Concord - a beautiful kettle hole pond with hiking trails and Henry David Thoreau historical sites ✮ Minuteman Bikeway - a popular paved bike path that leads 10.5 miles from Bedford east to the Alewife T station in Cambridge ✮ deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln - a medium-sized outdoor sculpture park with hiking trails and a small indoor art museum ✮ Gillette Stadium, Foxboro - home of the New England Patriots and the New England Revolution; also holds various summer concerts Southeastern Massachusetts ✮ Battleship Cove, Fall River - self-guided tours of several historic military ships; easily one of the best military ship museums in the U.S. ✮ Blue Hills Reservation, Milton - a large nature park with 125 miles of hiking trails and great views of Boston; Trillium Brewing is also nearby ✮ Mendon Drive-In, Mendon - one of few remaining drive-in movie theaters in New England ✮ New Bedford Whaling Museum, New Bedford - visit the largest whaling-focused museum in the U.S. Discover more Massachusetts travel ideas with my comprehensive Massachusetts Travel Guide.
I-95 travels for 42 miles in Rhode Island, and without any stops or traffic it takes about 45 minutes to drive through the state. Take note that the exit numbers in this state are based on the mile marker system (starting with mile 43 at the Massachusetts border and ending with mile 0 at the Connecticut border). Providence & Pawtucket areas ✮ Blackstone River Bikeway - one of the best cycling paths in the state; the trail extends into Massachusetts (it's not continuous though) ✮ Lincoln Woods State Park - attractive park in northern Rhode Island offering hiking trails, swimming, fishing, and more ✮ Providence - for a detailed list of attractions in Providence and its suburbs, explore my Rhode Island Travel Guide ✮ Rhode Island Antique Mall, Pawtucket - our favorite antique store in Rhode Island Southern Rhode Island ✮ Newport - for a detailed list of attractions in Newport and surrounding towns, explore my Rhode Island Travel Guide ✮ Arcadia Management Area - RI's largest recreation area with boating, fishing, hiking, and a small but pretty waterfall (Stepstone) ✮ Napatree Point Conservation Area, Westerly - take a long walk on an undeveloped beach; a few local shops/restaurants are in the area ✮ Narragansett Town Beach, Narragansett - one of the best beaches in Rhode Island; popular with surfers ✮ Nordic, The, Charlestown - a world-famous, top-rated all-you-can-eat seafood buffet restaurant (e.g. lobster, shrimp, oysters, etc.) ✮ Ocean House, Westerly - 5-star grand historic hotel overlooking East Beach ✮ Tilted Barn Brewery, Exeter - an attractive farmhouse-style brewery Discover more Rhode Island travel ideas with my comprehensive Rhode Island Travel Guide.
I-95 travels for 112 miles near the southern coastline of Connecticut, and without any stops or traffic it takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes to drive through the state. Traffic can be brutally bad in Connecticut though, and it often takes 2.5-3 (or more) hours to fully pass through. Take note that the exit numbers in this state are still transitioning to the mile marker system as of 2025. Here are many of the best attractions in Connecticut within a 1-hour drive of I-95, generally listed in order from east to west: Southeastern Connecticut (including Mystic) ✮ Downtown Mystic - this town has an attractive downtown area with plenty of places to shop and eat ✮ Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket - one of the best casinos in New England (for some, it's their favorite) ✮ Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center, Mashantucket - the best Native American museum in New England ✮ Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville - arguably the best casino in New England (Foxwoods in CT and Encore in MA are also great) ✮ Mystic Aquarium, Mystic - one of two great aquariums in Connecticut; most well-known for its Steller seal lions and beluga whales ✮ Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic - an excellent maritime museum with hundreds of boats and marine artifacts, plus costumed interpreters ✮ Submarine Force Museum, Groton - lots of submarine history, including seeing the world's first nuclear powered vessel Southcentral Connecticut (including Essex & New Haven) ✮ Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, Essex - take a combined train ride and riverboat ride through pretty countryside and small towns ✮ Gillette Castle State Park, East Haddam - tour an eccentric medieval-style castle; beautiful views of the Connecticut River Valley ✮ Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam - an award-winning musical theatre that is considered an "architectural gem" ✮ Hammonasset Beach State Park, Madison - perhaps the best beach in Connecticut ✮ Mountain biking the Rockland Preserve, Madison - some of the best mountain biking in Connecticut ✮ Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden - hike some great trails to an abandoned stone building that offers scenic views ✮ Pizza restaurants in New Haven - there's a big pizza competition (war?) happening here, and we all win (e.g. Sally's Apizza, Frank Pepe, etc.) ✮ Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, New Haven - a museum with many fossils/skeletons and Native American artifacts ✮ Yale University, New Haven - a beautiful gothic Ivy-league university campus ✮ Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven - a great medium-sized art museum Southwestern Connecticut ✮ PEZ Visitor Center, Orange - a museum of all things PEZ candy; it's awesome to see all the retired PEZ styles; many great photo-ops! ✮ Penuonnock River Trail - one of Connecticut's best rail trails; 13.6 miles one-way (partially paved but crushed stone for the rest) ✮ Weir Farm National Historical Park, Wilton - a peaceful, art-focused property with hiking trails; celebrates a famous American painter ✮ Maritime Aquarium, Norwalk - one of two great aquariums in Connecticut ✮ Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich - an upscale shopping district with several restaurants; the "Rodeo Drive of the East" Discover more Connecticut travel ideas with my comprehensive Connecticut Travel Guide.
I-95 travels for only 24 miles in New York, and without any stops or traffic it takes about 35 minutes to drive through the state. Traffic is notoriously awful in this area though, and so you should expect it to take 1-2 hours to get through the state. ✮ New York City - for a detailed list of attractions in New York City and its suburbs, see my New York City Travel Guide Discover more New York travel ideas with my comprehensive New York Travel Guide. To help plan a trip to NYC, read my NYC Travel Guide. Or you can explore my list of 80 Great Attractions in NYC.
I-95 travels for 98 miles in the central and northern portions of New Jersey, and without any stops or traffic it takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to drive through the state. Similar to New York, traffic is notoriously awful along I-95 in New Jersey, and so you should expect it to normally take 2 (or more) hours to pass through. Here are many of the best attractions in New Jersey within a 1-hour drive of I-95, generally listed in order from northeast to southwest. Northern New Jersey (including NYC suburbs) ✮ Palisades Interstate Park, Alpine - a riverfront park with tall cliffs and 30-plus miles of hiking trails ✮ American Dream, East Rutherford - one of the largest malls in the U.S.; includes an indoor theme park, water park, and skiing ✮ Big Snow American Dream, East Rutherford - enjoy indoor skiing year-round at the American Dream mall ✮ MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford - home of the New York Giants and New York Jets professional football teams ✮ Thomas Edison National Historical Park, West Orange - visit Thomas Edison’s home and laboratory ✮ Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, Hoboken - paved cycling and walking path that has great views of NYC ✮ Colgate Clock, Jersey City - a giant riverfront clock along the Hudson River; a fun photo-op ✮ Empty Sky - 9/11 Memorial, Jersey City - a moving 9/11 memorial with great views of NYC ✮ Liberty Science Center, Jersey City - a great science museum with a huge planetarium ✮ Liberty State Park, Jersey City - enjoy trails with beautiful views of NYC; you can also take ferry trips to visit the Statue of Liberty from here ✮ Water's Soul / Shhhh Statue, Jersey City - a giant statue of a facial profile saying 'shhhhhh' towards NYC Central New Jersey (including Trenton and Philadelphia suburbs) ✮ Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park - 70-plus miles of hiking and cycling trails along a historic canal ✮ Gateway Nat. Rec. Area-Sandy Hook Unit, Middletown Township - a nature park with beaches, nature trails, bike paths, and great birding ✮ Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton - one of the best university-based art museums in the U.S. ✮ Princeton University, Princeton - explore a beautiful ivy-league campus ✮ Grounds For Sculpture, Hamilton - one of the best outdoor sculpture parks in the U.S.; one of my all-time favorite places in the country ✮ Allaire State Park, Wall Township - features a historic 19-century iron making town, narrow-gauge train ride, fishing, and hiking ✮ Six Flags Great Adventure & Wild Safari, Jackson - the largest amusement park in NJ and a top rollercoaster park of the U.S. ✮ Jenkinson's Boardwalk / Point Pleasant Beach, Point Pleasant Beach - a beach boardwalk packed with amusement rides & more ✮ Battleship New Jersey, Camden - tour the "most decorated U.S. Navy battleship" In addition to what's listed above, the beloved southern coastline of New Jersey is only 1-2 hours southeast of I-95. Places like Ocean City, Wildwood, and Cape May are beautiful and a lot of fun to visit. Ocean City, NJ is my favorite family-friendly beach town in the U.S. Cape May is considered one of the most romantic places in the country. Discover more New Jersey travel ideas with my comprehensive New Jersey Travel Guide.
I-95 travels for 51 miles in the southeastern corner of Pennsylvania, and without any stops or traffic it takes about 55 minutes to drive through the state. Traffic can be intense on this section of I-95 though, and so you should expect it to take you 1.5-2 hours to pass through the state. Here are many of the best attractions in Pennsylvania within a 1-hour drive of I-95, generally listed in order from northeast to southwest: North and Northwest of Philadelphia ✮ SteelStacks, Bethlehem - a public park with many attractions and events, plus views of the former Bethlehem Steel structures ✮ America on Wheels, Allentown - an excellent transportation museum with many types of vehicles on display ✮ Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, Allentown - a large amusement park and water park with more than 60 rides and attractions ✮ Ringing Rocks Park, Upper Black Eddy - bring a hammer and hit rocks to generate its famous ringing sounds ✮ Bucks County Playhouse, New Hope - catch a Broadway shown at "America's most famous summer theater" ✮ Fronthill Castle, Doylestown - take a 60-minute guided tour of a huge 44-room castle; located one mile from the Mercer Museum ✮ Mercer Museum, Doylestown - self-guided tours of a castle and industrial tool museum; located one mile from the Fronthill Castle ✮ Sesame Place, Langhorne - a fun and very popular Sesame Street-focused children's theme park and water park ✮ Valley Forge National Historic Park, King of Prussia - visit the famous winter camp of George Washington's troops ✮ King of Prussia Mall, King of Prussia - the 3rd largest mall in the U.S. as of 2023 (the largest is the Mall of America in Minnesota) ✮ American Treasure Tour Museum, Oaks - an eclectic museum offering guided tram tours of an amazing collection of Americana ✮ Chanticleer, Wayne - walk the grounds of a 48-acre estate and its botanical gardens Philadelphia ✮ Philadelphia - for a detailed list of attractions in Philadelphia, including the Eastern State Penitentiary, see my Pennsylvania Travel Guide Food: I highly recommend the following restaurants in this area: Dalessandro's Steaks, Sonny's Famous Steaks Southwest of Philadelphia ✮ Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square - one of the largest and best gardens in the U.S. ✮ Herr's Snack Factory, Nottingham - fun tours of a potato chip factory In addition to what's listed above, the Amish/Dutch Country of Pennsylvania is only about 60-75 minutes northwest of I-95. This is a spectacular area that you could easily spend several days exploring. The town of Hershey and Hersheypark is also about 2 hours northwest of I-95. Discover more Pennsylvania travel ideas with my comprehensive Pennsylvania Travel Guide.
I-95 travels for only about 23 miles in Delaware, and without any stops or traffic it takes about 25 minutes to drive through the state. If traffic is heavy, this section can unfortunately take an hour or more. You are driving a portion of the route between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Baltimore, Maryland in this section. Here are many of the best attractions in Delaware within a 1-hour drive of I-95: Northern Delaware (including Wilmington) ✮ Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, Winterthur - take a small guided tour to visit spectacular 175-room mansion known for its furniture ✮ Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington - a good art museum with outdoor sculpture garden ✮ Grand Opera House, Wilmington - the best performing arts theatre in Delaware ✮ Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington - tour a 235-acre estate with historic buildings, gardens, and many events during the year ✮ Nemours Estate / Nemours Mansion, Wilmington - tour a 300-acre estate with French-style gardens ✮ Stainless Steel Mary, New Castle - a shiny and impressive 34-foot tall Virgin Mary statue ✮ Fort Delaware State Park, Delaware City - tour an 1859 Union fort; a half-mile boat ferry is required ✮ White Clay Creek State Park, Newark - a nature park with 37 miles of hiking and biking trails to historic sites and scenic views ✮ Wilmington & Western Railroad, Wilmington - one of the East Coast's best tourist railroad excursions Central Delaware (including Dover) ✮ Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Smyrna - one of the best bird-watching spots in the mid-Atlantic ✮ Air Mobility Command Museum, Dover - features more than 30 military aircraft on display (most of which are are outdoors) ✮ Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, Dover - the best casino in Delaware ✮ Dover International Speedway, Dover - a famous NASCAR speedway and home of the giant Miles the Monster roadside attraction ✮ Miles the Monster, Dover - a giant monster mascot roadside attraction at Dover International Speedway; a fun photo opp! ✮ John Dickinson Plantation, Dover - see costumed re-enactors of colonial residents Discover more Delaware travel ideas with my comprehensive Delaware Travel Guide.
I-95 travels for about 110 miles in Maryland, and without any stops or traffic it takes about 1 hour and 55 minutes to drive through the state. Traffic can be heavy and so realistically you should expect to take 2.5-3 hours to reach the Virginia state line. Here are many of the best attractions in Maryland within a 1-hour drive of I-95: North and Northeast of Baltimore ✮ Milburn Orchards, Elkton - a popular pick-your-own farm with other agricultural attractions ✮ Elk Neck State Park, North East - a large state park with forests, cliffs, shorelines, marshlands, a lighthouse, and several hiking trails ✮ Susquehanna State Park, Havre De Grace - a nature park with a working gristmill, hiking and biking trails, and other historic sites ✮ Rocks State Park, Jarrettsville - a rocky forest with hiking trails, scenic views, and one of Maryland's best waterfalls (Kilgore Falls) ✮ Ladew Topiary Gardens, Monkton - see more than 100 topiary sculptures (ornamental shrubs or tree shapes) ✮ Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail - an excellent 20-mile unpaved rail trail that travels from Cockeyswille, MD to New Freedom, PA Baltimore and surrounding area ✮ Baltimore - for a detailed list of attractions in Baltimore, see my Maryland Travel Guide South and Southwest of Baltimore (Southwestern Maryland) ✮ Boat tours from Annapolis - boat tours are very popular here (e.g. sailing tours, fishing charters, etc.) ✮ Historic District, Annapolis - a lively area with Colonial-era buildings; a very walkable area with many shops and restaurants ✮ U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis - take a guided walking tour of this elite military academy ✮ Great Falls of the Potomac, Potomac - see a powerful waterfall on the border of MD & VA; park at the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center ✮ Whitewater rafting the Potomac River-Mather Gorge - one of several rivers in Maryland that offer whitewater rafting ✮ Vanadu Art House, Hyattsville - a roadside attraction of a house and several vehicles covered with eclectic steampunk materials ✮ Washington D.C. - for a detailed list of attractions in Washington D.C., see my Washington D.C. Travel Guide ✮ Awakening Sculpture, Oxon Hill - a large sculpture of a giant trying to rise up from the ground; a popular tourist/roadside attraction ✮ Calvert Cliffs State Park, Lusby - a scenic park on Chesapeake Bay with large cliffs, a sandy beach, and good fossil hunting ✮ Calvert Marine Museum and Drum Point Lighthouse, Solomons - visit a screwpile, cottage-type lighthouse Discover more Maryland travel ideas with my comprehensive Maryland Travel Guide. Discover more Washington D.C. travel ideas with my comprehensive Washington D.C. Travel Guide.
I-95 travels for 179 miles in Virginia, and without any stops or traffic it takes about 2 hours and 50 minutes to drive through the state. Traffic can be intense in spots, and so I would plan on it actually taking you about 4 hours to pass through. Here are many of the best attractions in Virginia within a 1-hour drive of I-95: Northern Virginia (including Arlington, Alexandria, and other Washington, D.C. suburbs) ✮ Great Falls Park, McLean - a huge and wide waterfall on the border of Maryland and Virginia ✮ Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail (W&OD) - a great 45-mile, partially paved rail trail from Arlington to Purcellville ✮ Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington - the most famous military cemetery in the U.S.; the home of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier ✮ U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial / Iwo Jima Memorial, Arlington - see the famous statue of 6 U.S. Marines raising the U.S. flag ✮ Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (Smithsonian), Chantilly - has 2 hangers' worth of aviation and space history; sister to the D.C. museum ✮ Old Town District, Alexandria - a lively historic district with tons of shops and restaurants; one of the most popular tourist areas in VA ✮ George Washington's Mount Vernon, Alexandria - visit the 40-year home of George Washington ✮ Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, Vienna - visit the only performing arts center run by the U.S. National Park Service ✮ National Firearms Museum, Fairfax - a firearms museum with more than 2,500 guns on display; located at the NRA headquarters ✮ Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas - visit the site of two Civil War battles ✮ National Museum of the Marine Corps, Triangle - arguably the finest museum in the country covering the history of the U.S. Marines Central Virginia (including Fredericksburg) ✮ Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania - visit the sites of four Civil War battlefields ✮ Kings Dominion & Soak City, Doswell - one of the top rollercoaster parks in the U.S.; includes more than 60 rides/attractions Richmond and surrounding area ✮ Byrd Theatre, Richmond - a historic cinema and performing arts theater in the lively Carytown area of Richmond ✮ Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond - a beautiful cemetery with scenic views and the resting place of two U.S. presidents ✮ Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond - often rated one of the best botanical gardens in the U.S. ✮ Maymont, Richmond - tours of a grand Gilded Age (19th century) estate; features gardens, a farm, a nature center, and mansion tours ✮ Museum and White House of the Confederacy, Richmond - guided tours of a national historic landmark ✮ Science Museum of Virginia, Richmond - a large and highly-rated scenic museum ✮ Virginia Capital Trail - an excellent, mostly paved, 51.7 mile rail trail that travels from Richmond to Jamestown ✮ Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond - the best art museum in Virginia ✮ Virginia State Capitol / Virginia Capital Building, Richmond - take a guided tour of the Virginia state capitol building In addition to what's listed above, Shenandoah National Park is only about 90 minutes west of I-95. Southeastern Virginia is also only 60-90 minutes east of I-95, and that area has many outstanding attractions (e.g. Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens, Water Country USA, Virginia Beach, Chincoteague Island, etc.). Virginia also has many great wineries, and they are widely spread across the street. Search for "wineries" on Google Maps to see what's nearby. Discover more Virginia travel ideas with my comprehensive Virginia Travel Guide.
I-95 travels for about 181 miles in the eastern side of North Carolina, and without any stops or traffic it takes about 2 hours and 40 minutes to drive through the state. The interstate generally stays within 80-100 miles of the Atlantic Ocean. Here are many of the best attractions in North Carolina within a 1-hour drive of I-95: Northeastern North Carolina (including Raleigh) ✮ Sylvan Heights Bird Park, Scotland Neck - an excellent wildlife park with many birds plus gardens and nature trails ✮ Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park, Wilson - a small art park with unique windmills and other "whirligigs"; a top NC roadside attraction ✮ JC Raulston Arboretum, Raleigh - a small but lovely arboretum and botanical garden ✮ Marbles Kids Museum, Raleigh - an exceptional children's museum (one of the best in the U.S.) ✮ North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh - one of the best art museums in the southern U.S. ✮ North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh - the largest natural history museum in the Southeast ✮ Pullen Park, Raleigh - a top-rated public park with walking trails, a carousel, children's rides and play areas, pedal boat rentals, and more Southeastern North Carolina (including Fayetteville) ✮ 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum, Fort Bragg - indoor and outdoor museum exhibits on the 82nd Airborne Division ✮ Airborne & Special Operations Museum, Fayetteville - features, exhibits, dioramas, and artifacts of elite members of the U.S. military In addition to what's listed above, the coastal areas of North Carolina aren't too far from I-95. The northern coastal areas (e.g. Nags Head, Corolla, Cape Hatteras) are about 3 hours east of I-95, and the southern coastal areas (e.g. Carolina Beach, Wrightsville Beach, Topsail Beach, etc.) are about 1.5-2 hours southeast of I-95. Discover more North Carolina travel ideas with my comprehensive North Carolina Travel Guide.
I-95 travels for about 199 miles in South Carolina, and without any stops or traffic it takes about 2 hours and 45 minutes to drive through the state. The interstate remains fairly far inland throughout but it does get closer to the coastline as you approach the Georgia border. Here are many of the best attractions in South Carolina within a 1-hour drive of I-95: Northeastern & Central South Carolina ✮ South of the Border, Hamer - one of the largest and most famous roadside attractions in the U.S.; gift shop and photo op insanity! ✮ Pearl Fryar's Topiary Garden, Bishopville - it only takes a few minutes to walk around this interesting 3-acre topiary garden ✮ Congaree National Park, Hopkins - visit the largest old-growth floodplain forest in North America; excellent paddling opportunities Southeastern South Carolina (including Beaufort and Charleston; see below for Hilton Head Island) ✮ Charleston. - for a detailed list of attractions in Charleston, see my South Carolina Travel Guide ✮ Old Sheldon Church Ruins, Yemassee - see the historic ruins of a 1700s-era church ✮ Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, Beaufort - a charming park next to Beaufort's charming historic downtown district ✮ Hunting Island Lighthouse, Beaufort - one of the most famous lighthouses on the East Coast ✮ Hunting Island State Park, Beaufort - a nature park that includes maritime forests, tidal lagoons, and white-sand beaches ✮ Kazoo Factory, Beaufort - enjoy a museum and factory tours of the famous Kazoo instruments Hilton Head Island ✮ Coastal Discovery Museum, Hilton Head Island - includes a museum, a nature preserve with trails, and several outdoor art sculptures ✮ Comedy Magic Cabaret, Hilton Head Island - highly-rated comedy and magic shows ✮ Cycling around Hilton Head Island - there are more than 64 miles of pathways and nature trails for walking and cycling on this island ✮ Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort, Hilton Head Island - a highly-rated Disney resort experience ✮ Hilton Head Island beaches - this island has more than 12 miles of uninterrupted sand beaches; Coligny Beach is the most popular ✮ Pirates of Hilton Head, Hilton Head Island - offers highly-rated pirate-themed boat cruises ✮ Sea Pines Forest Preserve, Hilton Head Island - features hiking trails that visit a maritime forest and marshland In addition to what's listed above, the coastal areas of South Carolina aren't too far from I-95. The northern coastal areas of South Carolina (e.g. Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet, Pawleys Island, etc.) are roughly 60-80 miles from I-95. The city of Columbia, SC is also about 60-75 minutes west of I-95, and there are many great attractions in that major city. For a list of attractions in Columbia, visit my South Carolina Travel Guide and scroll down to the section covering Columbia. Discover more South Carolina travel ideas with my comprehensive South Carolina Travel Guide.
I-95 travels for about 112 miles in Georgia, and without any stops or traffic it takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes to drive through the state. The interstate travels fairly close to the coastline, and it's easy to take detours to visit its popular beach towns. Here are many of the best attractions in Georgia within a 1-hour drive of I-95: Savannah and surrounding area (including Tybee Island) ✮ National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Pooler - exhibits on the "greatest air armada (air force) of all time" ✮ Savannah - a medium-sized city with lots of historic and southern charm; one of America's best and most beautiful mid-sized cities ✮ Savannah's Historic District, Savannah - walk around the best part of "America's best walking city"; this is my favorite area in Georgia ✮ Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah - this is widely considered one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the U.S.; full of beautiful oak trees ✮ Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Savannah - a religious attraction often called "Savannah's pride and joy" ✮ Cooking classes in Savannah - there are several outstanding cooking/culinary classes/workshops you can take while in Savannah ✮ Forsyth Park, Savannah - "the Central Park of Savannah" is known for its impressive water fountain ✮ Guided food tours in Savannah - several companies offer great guided food tours in Savannah ✮ Historic Savannah Theatre, Savannah - one of the U.S.'s oldest continually-operating theaters ✮ Old Fort Jackson, Savannah - visit a restored nineteenth-century fort on the edge of the Savannah River ✮ Paranormal/ghost tours in Savannah - several companies offer these spooky tours in Savannah ✮ Trolley tours in Savannah - companies like Old Savannah Trolley Tours offer various guided trolley tours of historic Savannah ✮ Tybee Island - a small town with beaches on a barrier island; popular for boating, fishing, and water sports; has a famous lighthouse ✮ Tybee Island Lighthouse & Museum, Tybee Island - one of five remaining lighthouses in Georgia ✮ Fort Pulaski National Monument, Tybee Island - offers marshes, trails, and guided and self-guided tours of a historic Civil War fort ✮ Boat tours from Tybee Island - several different types of boat tours are offered from this island Southeastern Georgia - St. Simons Island ✮ St. Simons Island - a small town with beaches, a fort, and a lighthouse on a barrier island; popular for golfing and water sports ✮ St. Simons Lighthouse & Museum, St. Simons Island - one of 5 remaining lighthouses in GA; at the southern tip of St. Simons Island ✮ Fort Frederica National Monument, St. Simons Island - enjoy guided and self-guided tours of a large British fort Southeastern Georgia - Jekyll Island ✮ Jekyll Island - a small beach town south of St. Simons Island with 10 miles of beaches; popular for water sports, cycling, and photography ✮ Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island - a scenic beach at the northern end of Jekyll Island offers photogenic landscapes of driftwood in the ocean ✮ Boat tours from Jekyll Island - several different types of boat tours are offered from the island ✮ Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Jekyll Island - experience sea turtle rehab, research & education programs Southeastern Georgia - the rest of it (down to the Florida border) ✮ Dungeness Ruins, St. Marys, Cumberland Island - visit the large ruins of a mansion; part of the Cumberland Island National Seashore ✮ Cumberland Island National Seashore - arguably the most pristine beaches in GA; wild horses and good sea-shell hunting ✮ Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Folkston - offers excellent bird-watching, paddling, boat tours, canoe camping, and fishing Discover more Georgia travel ideas with my comprehensive Georgia Travel Guide.
I-95 travels for about 382 miles along the eastern coast of Florida, and without any stops or traffic it takes about 5 hours and 30 minutes to drive through the state. It can take a few additional hours if traffic is heavy though. Here are many of the best attractions in Florida within a 1-hour drive of I-95, generally described from north to south: Jacksonville and surrounding area ✮ Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary, Jacksonville Beach - a top-rated animal rescue sanctuary for big cats ✮ Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, Jacksonville - claims to be the largest art museum in northeastern Florida ✮ Fort Clinch State Park, Fernandina Beach - features a historic and oceanside Civil War fort, beaches, and hiking and cycling trails ✮ Friendship Fountain, Jacksonville - see one of the largest water fountains in the U.S. ✮ Jacksonville beaches - there are several good public beaches in Jacksonville, including Neptune Beach, Mayport Beach, and Atlantic Beach ✮ Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens, Jacksonville - a good, medium-sized zoo with more than 2,000 animals and a garden with 1,000 plant species ✮ Southbank Riverwalk, Jacksonville - an attractive 1.25-mile paved promenade with great views of Jacksonville St. Augustine ✮ St. Augustine - a small historic city with lots of Spanish colonial architecture, cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages, and beaches ✮ St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park, St. Augustine - see hundreds of alligators and a large variety of crocodile species at this zoo ✮ St. Augustine beaches - there are many miles of beaches in this area, including St. Augustine Beach (which is 2 miles long) ✮ St. Augustine Distillery, St. Augustine - visit one of the highest-rated distilleries in the Southeast ✮ St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, St. Augustine - see a 165-foot tall black-and-white striped lighthouse built in the late 1800s ✮ St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum, St. Augustine - one of the best museums of its kind in the U.S. ✮ St. Augustine Wild Reserve, St. Augustine - offers excellent guided tours and animal encounters, but only on select days of the week ✮ Anastasia State Park, St. Augustine - known for its pristine white-sand beaches, maritime hammocks, sand dunes, and tidal marshes ✮ Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, St. Augustine - visit the oldest masonry fort in the continental U.S. (built in 1627 by the Spanish) ✮ Flagler College, St. Augustine - take a guided tour of the beautiful architecture found at this college ✮ Lightner Museum, St. Augustine - an art and antique museum housed within a stunning and historic late 1800s-era hotel ✮ St. George Street, St. Augustine - a historic street that is the tourist hub of St. Augustine; the oldest wooden schoolhouse in the U.S. is here ✮ World Golf Hall of Fame, St. Augustine - a golf museum that honors exceptional male and female golfers ✮ Guided sightseeing tours in St. Augustine - there are several operators that offer great guided tours in this city (e.g. Old Town Trolley Tours) Daytona Beach and surrounding area ✮ Daytona Beach - a medium-sized city famous for its drivable beach and motor racing events ✮ Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach - one of the most iconic NASCAR racing tracks in the country ✮ Ormond Beach, Ormond Beach - described as a "long, laid-back beach that is not terribly crowded" ✮ Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse & Museum, Ponce Inlet - visit the tallest lighthouse in Florida (and one of the tallest in the U.S.) Central Atlantic Coast of Florida (including Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, and Hutchinson Island) ✮ Canaveral National Seashore - a "recreational paradise" with 24 miles of beaches, dunes, lagoons, and mangrove wetlands ✮ Cocoa Beach, Cocoa Beach - a lively beach and beach town known as "the surfing capital of the East Coast" ✮ Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island - one of the best space/NASA museums in the U.S. ✮ Navy SEAL Museum, Fort Pierce - visit the only museum dedicated to the U.S. Navy SEALs ✮ Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum, Titusville - features nearly 50 combat aircraft on display Southern Atlantic Coast of Florida (including Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Everglades National Park) ✮ Airboat tours in or near Everglades National Park - there are several operators in/around the Everglades that offer these extremely fun tours ✮ Big Cypress Oasis Visitor Center, Ochopee - a visitor center that offers near guaranteed alligator sightings (the last time I went I saw 20+) ✮ Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne - features a lighthouse, paddling, one of Florida's best beaches, and several hiking trails ✮ Biscayne National Park - take a ferry to visit long reefs and islands; one of the best places to go snorkeling and scuba diving in the U.S. ✮ Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, Jupiter - walk the trails of a small wildlife sanctuary; it's free but donations help support their wildlife hospital ✮ Butterfly World, Coconut Creek - home of more than 20,000 butterflies plus a botanical garden ✮ Coral Castle Museum, Homestead - visit a castle made out of coral rock; not everyone will appreciate this quirky roadside attraction ✮ Everglades National Park - an enormous subtropical wilderness area; offers outstanding paddling and wildlife/birdwatching opportunities ✮ Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables - a great 83-acre botanical garden ✮ Flamingo Gardens, Davie - a 60-acre botanical garden with a variety of animals (and not just flamingos) ✮ Fort Lauderdale beaches - this city just north of Miami offers seven miles of lively beaches ✮ Gulfstream Park Racing and Casino, Hallandale Beach - a large horse racing park with a casino ✮ Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, Boca Raton - features an indoor nature center, small aquarium, and a sea turtle rehabilitation facility ✮ Henry Morrison Flagler Museum / Whitehall, Palm Beach - explore a grand, 75-room Gilded Age mansion ✮ Hollywood Beach, Hollywood - popular beaches located between Miami and Fort Lauderdale ✮ Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum, Jupiter - climb 105 steps up to the top of an 1860s lighthouse ✮ McCarthy's Wildlife Sanctuary, West Palm Beach - one of the best animal sanctuaries in the U.S.; offers hands-on experiences for kids ✮ Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach - a beautiful Japanese garden and cultural center ✮ Shark Valley, Everglades National Park - take a tram tour or cycle this 15-mile long paved route; you're almost guaranteed to see alligators ✮ Square, The, West Palm Beach - a lively indoor and outdoor shopping and dining area ✮ Venetian Pool - a tourist attraction featuring a giant pool that is fed by a natural underground spring ✮ Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Delray Beach - a nature preserve with great birdwatching/wildlife viewing opportunities (alligators are common) ✮ Miami & Miami Beach - for a detailed list of attractions in Miami and Miami Beach, see my Florida Travel Guide Take note that I-95 officially ends in Miami. You can, however, continue driving south on US-1 all the way to Key West in the Florida Keys. Discover more Florida travel ideas with my comprehensive Florida Travel Guide.
Here are the best amusement parks within an hours' drive of I-95, listed in order from north to south: ✮ Funtown Splashtown USA (Saco, ME) ✮ Palace Playland (Old Orchard Beach, ME) ✮ Water Country (Portsmouth, NH) ✮ Luna Park in Coney Island (Brooklyn, NY) ✮ Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park at the American Dream Mall (East Rutherford, NJ) ✮ DreamWorks Water Park at the American Dream Mall (East Rutherford, NJ) ✮ Six Flags Great Adventure (Jackson, NJ) ✮ Sesame Place Philadelphia (Langhorne, PA) ✮ The Funplex (Mt. Lauren Township, NJ) ✮ Diggerland USA (West Berlin, NJ) ✮ Kings Domininon (Doswell, VA) ✮ Busch Gardens Williamsburg (Williamsburg, VA) ✮ Water Country USA (Williamsburg, VA) ✮ all of the theme parks and water parks of Orland, FL (Disney, Universal, Fun Spot, LEGOLAND, SeaWorld Orlando, etc.) If you are willing to drive a little further from the interstate, you could enjoy the small but enjoyable amusement parks along the southern New Jersey coastline (e.g. Beach Haven, Ocean City, Wildwood, etc.). You could also visit Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania and/or the amusement parks in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Carowinds in North Carolina is also 2.5 hours west of I-95.
Here are some of the best BBQ restaurants within an hours' drive of I-95, listed in order from north to south: Maine to Virginia ✮ Rusty Can (Byfield, MA) - less than 5 minutes east of I-95 ✮ Bear's Smokehouse (New Haven, CT) - 5-10 minutes north of I-95 (it's pretty close to the junction of I-91 and I-95) ✮ Hometown BBQ (Brooklyn, NY) ♥♥♥ - 40-50 minutes south of I-95 (it's a bit tricky to reach if we're being honest; get key lime pies nearby!) ✮ Barbeque Exchange, The (Gordonsville, VA) - one hour west of I-95 (and northwest of Richmond) ✮ ZZQ Texas Craft Barbeque (Richmond, VA) - less than 5 minutes west of I-95 ✮ Ronnie's BBQ, The Original (Henrico, VA) - less than 10 minutes east of I-95 (and southeast of Richmond) ✮ Pierce's Pitt Bar-B-Que (Williamsburg, VA) - 50-60 minutes east of I-95 (and southeast of Richmond) North Carolina to Florida ✮ Prime Barbecue (Knightdale, NC) ♥♥♥ - 30 minutes west of I-95 (and east of Raleigh) ✮ Pit, The (Raleigh, NC) - 40-45 minutes west of I-95 ✮ Parker's Barbecue (Wilson, NC) - less than 10 minutes east of I-95 ✮ Redneck BBQ Lab (Benson, NC) - 10 minutes west of I-95 (and south of Raleigh) ✮ Skylight Inn BBQ (Ayden, NC) ♥♥♥ - 45-50 minutes east of I-95 (and south of Greenville) ✮ Shuler's BBQ (Sellers, SC) - less than 5 minutes east of I-95 ✮ Scott's BBQ (Hemingway, SC) - 1 hour east of I-95 ✮ Lewis Barbecue (Charleston, SC) ♥♥♥ - 1 hour east of I-95 ✮ Southern Soul Barbeque (St. Simons Island, GA) - 20 minutes east of I-95 ✮ Brisky's BBQ (St. Augustine, FL) - 10 minutes east of I-95 ✮ Pig Floyds Urban Barbakoa (Orlando, FL) - 1 hour east of I-95 ♥♥♥ = these BBQ restaurants are consistently rated as one of the top BBQ restaurants in the U.S.! There are also many Mission BBQ restaurants along certain sections of the route, especially in Maryland, northern Virginia, and Florida. This is an excellent BBQ chain (arguably the best).
Here are the best beach towns within an hours' drive of I-95, listed in order from north to south: ✮ Bar Harbor, Maine (a little more than an hour, but worth it) ✮ Old Orchard Beach, Maine ✮ Ogunquit, Maine ✮ Narragansett, Rhode Island ✮ Westerly, Rhode Island ✮ This section will be finished soon! If you are willing to drive a little more than an hour, you could visit Bar Harbor in Maine, various towns along Cape Cod in Massachusetts, and/or various towns along the southern New Jersey coast (Ocean City, Wildwood).
Here are the best day hikes within an hours' drive of I-95, generally listed in order from north to south: Maine to Connecticut ✮ Barnard Mountain, Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument (ME) - great views of Katahdin ✮ Katahdin, Baxter State Park (ME) - the best mountain hike/rock scramble on the entire East Coast ✮ Gulf Hagas (ME) - waterfalls and swimming holes galore ✮ Camden Hills State Park (ME) - outstanding water/bay views ✮ Bradbury Mountain, Bradbury Mountain State Park (ME) - a short but semi-steep hike brings you to good views of southern Maine ✮ Mount Agamenticus (ME) - near border of ME and NH ✮ Lynn Woods Reservation, Lynn (MA) - wide trails and good views of Boston ✮ Middlesex Fells Reservation (MA) - northwest of Boston; access via several exits off I-93 ✮ Blue Hills Reservation (MA) - south of Boston; Trillium Brewing is also nearby ✮ Borderland State Park (MA) ✮ Cliff Walk, Newport (RI) - coastal walk past many gigantic mansions ✮ Devil's Hopyard State Park (CT) ✮ Sleeping Giant State Park (CT) New York to Pennsylvania ✮ Harriman State Park (NY) ✮ Bear Mountain State Park (NY) ✮ Breakneck Ridge (NY) - fun rock scrambling and scenic views ✮ Central Park, New York City (NY) - one of the best urban parks in the U.S. ✮ Manhattan, New York City (NY) - I could walk around NYC for days; it's one of the most walkable cities in the U.S. ✮ Mount Tammany (NJ) ✮ Allaire State Park (NJ) ✮ Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton Township (NJ) - an outdoor sculpture parks with miles of walking paths; one of my top places in the U.S. ✮ Tyler State Park (PA) ✮ Wissahickon Valley Park (PA) Maryland to Florida ✮ Gunpowder Falls State Park (MD) ✮ Downtown Washington, D.C. - walk around all of the monuments and museums ✮ Great Falls / Billy Goat Trail, Section A (MD) - see a massive waterfall and enjoy some moderately challenging rock scrambling ✮ Forest Hill Park, Richmond (VA) ✮ Pocahontas State Park, Chesterfield (VA) ✮ Black Bear Wilderness, Sanford (FL) ✮ Turkey Creek Sanctuary, Palm Bay (FL)
Here are the best roadside attractions within an hours' drive of I-95, generally listed in order from north to south: Maine to New York ✮ Big Loon Statue (Lincoln, ME) ✮ Paul Bunyan Statue (Bangor, ME) ✮ Big Indian Statue (Freeport, ME) ✮ Wedding Cake House (Kennebunk, ME) ✮ Big Blue Bug Statue (Providence, RI) ✮ PEZ Visitor Center (Orange, CT) New Jersey to Delaware ✮ Water's Soul / Shhhh Statue (Jersey City, NJ) ✮ Colgate Clock (Jersey City, NJ) ✮ Tear Drop Memorial (Bayonne, NJ) ✮ The Iron Man / Giant Hockey Player Statue (Newark, NJ) ✮ Mercedes Benz Tombstone (Linden, NJ) ✮ Miles the Monster Statue (Dover, DE) Maryland to Florida ✮ Crash Test Dummy Statue (Glen Burnie, MD) ✮ Watermelon House (Washington, D.C.) ✮ Vollis Simpson’s Whirligig Park (Wilson, NC) ✮ South of the Border (Dillon, SC) ✮ Button Museum (Bishop, SC) ✮ World's Largest Sweet Tea (Summerville, SC) ✮ Smallest Church in America (Townsend, GA) ✮ Walk Across Tiny Bridges (Jacksonville, FL) If you want to find more roadside america attractions along your route, I highly recommend the roadsideamerica.com and atlasobscura.com websites. Roadside America also has an outstanding iPhone app (it is absolutely worth your money to 'unlock' the regions you will be traveling through.
Here are the major cities and also my favorite towns and cities within an hours' drive of I-95, generallly listed in order from north to south: Maine ✮ Camden, ME ✮ Boothbay Harbor, ME - attractive downtown and visit the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (which has five 'Dambo Trolls') ✮ Bath, ME ✮ Freeport, ME - many retail stores, including the flagship L.L. Bean store ✮ Portland, ME ✮ Old Orchard Beach, ME ✮ Kennebunkport, ME ✮ Ogunquit, ME ✮ York, ME From New Hampshire to Connecticut ✮ Portsmouth, NH - attractive downtown area plus several good museums nearby ✮ Hampton Beach, NH ✮ Newburyport, MA - very attractive downtown area ✮ Rockport, MA - visit the lively Bearskin Neck area and also walk the trails of Halibut Point State Park; Stage Fort Park also nearby ✮ Salem, MA ✮ Boston, MA ✮ Providence, RI ✮ Newport, RI - enjoy the nice downtown area, walk the Cliff Walk, tour a mansion, take a boat tour, etc. ✮ Westerly/Watch Hill, RI ✮ Mystic, CT ✮ Essex, CT From New York to Georgia ✮ New York City, NY ✮ Philadelphia, PA ✮ Baltimore, MD ✮ Annapolis, MD ✮ Washington, D.C. ✮ Alexandra, VA ✮ Charleston, SC ✮ Beaufort, SC ✮ Hilton Head Island, SC ✮ Savannah, GA ✮ Tybee Island, GA ✮ St. Simons Island, GA ✮ Jekyll Island, GA Florida ✮ Fernandina Beach, FL ✮ Jacksonville, FL ✮ St. Augustine, FL ✮ Daytona Beach, FL ✮ Orlando, FL ✮ Cocoa Beach, FL ✮ West Palm Beach, FL ✮ Boca Raton, FL ✮ Fort Lauderdale, FL ✮ Miami, FL
In addition to the information found on my website, I personally recommend purchasing these road trip/travel-related guidebooks. Click on any link to read reviews and/or purchase these books on Amazon.com (affiliate). Fodor's Bucket List USA (1st edition; 2021) Moon USA State by State (1st edition; 2021) Your Guide to the National Parks (3rd edition; 2022) Road Trip USA (9th edition; 2021) |