Travel Tips & Trends

African-American heritage in national parks

National parks are some of the best places to experience our past," says National Parks Conservation Association president Tom Kiernan. "They allow visitors to not only honor great moments of history, but also reflect on a shared heritage that needs to be preserved." Here are five sites with special relevance to African-American heritage:

1. San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park — San Francisco, Calif. From sailing to shipbuilding to the U.S. Navy, explore the history of African-Americans at sea. Discover the stories of Captain Michael Healy, the only 19th century African-American commissioned naval officer, and Captain William T. Shorey, a famed adventurer in the last days of whaling. www.nps.gov/safr.

2. Cane River National Heritage Area — Natchitoches, La. After Hurricane Katrina, travel opportunities are returning to this area where many cultures came together to create a unique way of life. Canoe down Kistachie Bayou, or take a trolley or carriage tour of colonial forts, Creole plantations, churches, cemeteries, archeological sites and historic transportation routes. www.nps.gov/cari.

3. Frederick Douglass National Historic Site — Washington, D.C. Newly restored and re-opened, the Douglass home at Cedar Hill preserves the legacy of the 19th century African-American orator and statesman. Tour the house and grounds while learning about his struggle for an end to slavery, equal rights for women and freedom for all oppressed people. www.nps.gov/frdo.

4. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks — Three Rivers, Calif. Beginning in 1903, African-American soldiers from the 9th U.S. Cavalry built roads, managed park lands and opened access to modern tourism in Sequoia and Kings Canyon. Their leader, Col. Charles Young, was the third African-American to graduate from West Point and the first to become superintendent of a national park. Today, the parks protect 265 Native American archaeological sites and 69 historic sites. www.nps.gov/seki.

5. Harpers Ferry National Historic Park — Harpers Ferry, W. Va. Thomas Jefferson said Harpers Ferry "is worth a voyage across the Atlantic." Among its other claims to fame, this town was the site of abolitionist John Brown's raid and later had one of the first integrated schools in the United States. www.nps.gov/hafe.