If you love seeing beautiful scenery and indulging in a variety of musical styles, then a Dallas to New York road trip may be the perfect adventure for you. Long before you reach your destination, you'll find yourself taking in the beauty of Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah National Park. Diamonds can be a girl’s best friend when you find one in Crater of the Diamonds State Park. There are fantastic music museums dedicated to rock and roll, soul, country and more that you'll want to check out as well. You'll find cities to explore all along the route, and if you're lucky, some of them may have great concerts taking place while you're in town.
Hot Springs National Park
Feel like a star by pampering yourself with the beauty treatments available at Hot Springs National Park. Then, head to this park’s store for some retail therapy. Consider going on a tour with a park ranger to learn about bathhouse row. Various businesses currently operate in these buildings built in the early 20th century. In the past, the wealthy used to come to soak their cares away in tubs filled with mineral water that they believed would heal them of many ailments. You'll also want to climb the Hot Springs Mountain Tower to take in amazing views of this national park and Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
One of the best ways to experience the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is on a scenic drive. Driving along the 11-mile Cades Cove Loop Road offers outstanding opportunities to view the scenery. You may see a wide variety of wild animals, including bears, near this loop. Consider stopping at the Cable Mill Historic Area located near the halfway point to see the water-powered mill and other historic buildings. You may also want to drive along the Newfoundland Gap Road, which is the lowest elevation drivable road through the park, and it offers a chance to see stunning forest scenery. Another option is to drive the 5.5-mile Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail that runs along mountain streams. Short hiking trails offer you the chance to see beautiful waterfalls.
Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park is another beautiful national park that you'll want to be sure to explore on your road trip from Dallas to New York. The 105-mile Skyline Drive is the only road through this park, and most activities are close to it. Big Meadows is the most developed area in Shenandoah and is across from Byrd Visitor Center. The grassy meadow is a fantastic place to go on short nature walks. You can do many different things at Shenandoah National Park near Luray, Virginia, including rock climbing, fishing, biking and hiking. Bring your camera to capture amazing images throughout this park.
Crater of the Diamonds State Park
Learn how to mine for diamonds before trying to find a big one at Crater of the Diamonds State Park near Murfreesboro, Arkansas. You can rent equipment from the park or bring your own to hunt for diamonds and other gemstones on the 37-acre mining field. A certified examiner is on hand to help you identify what you found. People visiting this park have found 33,000 diamonds here since it opened in 1972, and you get to keep whatever you find. A 16.37-carat diamond, nicknamed the Uncle Sam Diamond, was recovered in 1975, and a person unearthed a 3.72-carat diamond in 2019. After you've had fun trying to unearth your own shimmering rock, you can play at the water park or hike on the nature trails.
Pickett CCC Memorial State Park
Pickett CCC Memorial State Park, near Jamestown, Tennessee, is the only location in the Southeast United States to receive a silver rating from the International Dark Sky Association for its dark skies at night, making it a fantastic place to go stargazing. Officials named this park after the Civilian Conservation Corps, who built it between 1934 and 1942. The 12-acre lake is a great place to go swimming or paddling, and the state regularly stocks it with trout. Explore this park’s beautiful scenery by hiking along its short nature trails, with many options extending into the 19,200-acre Pickett State Forest.
Hanging Rock State Park
Understand the culture and geology of the Sauratown Mountains better by visiting Hanging Rock State Park near Westfield, North Carolina. Add this park to your Dallas to New York RV road trip and go tubing, paddling and fishing in the lake. Boats and innertubes are available to rent. Explore 18 miles of hiking trails or check out the 400-foot high cliffs that make for some great rock climbing. Keep in mind that you'll need a permit if you wish to pursue this activity, though.
Swallow Falls State Park
Head to Swallow Falls State Park near Oakland, Maryland, to see how the Youghiogheny River has cut gorges through the rocks, leaving behind fast-flowing rapids. This river is a great place to go kayaking thanks to its white-water rapids. The trout fishery located nearby also makes it a fantastic place to go fishing. You'll also want to hike to see the 53-foot tall Muddy Creek Falls.
Promised Land State Park
Promised Land State Park near Canadensis, Pennsylvania, offers amazing scenery, especially along the shores of this park’s two lakes. Two sandy beaches are available for swimming. Paddleboards, kayaks and canoes are available for rent, and they make a great way to explore the 422-acre Promised Land Lake and the 173-acre Lower Lake. This is a popular destination for ice fishing enthusiasts, and you can try your luck on both lakes regardless of the time of year. Depending on the season, you can go deer, bear and wild turkey hunting at this park.
Arkansas Rock N Roll Highway 67 Museum
Many rock and roll legends got their start singing at nightclubs along Highway 67. The Arkansas Rock N Roll Highway 67 Museum features exhibits related to nightclubs along this highway. It also pays tribute to many stars that got their start there, including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Conway Twitty, Sonny Burgess and Billy Lee Riley. While many of the exhibits are photographs, you can also see musical instruments, clothing and memorabilia used by these stars of the stage.
Stax Museum of American Soul Music
Follow the history of American soul music from a Mississippi Delta church through 1975 by stopping at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis. Along the way, you'll learn the story of Stax Music, a record label that hosted many great soul musicians on its roster. The exhibits include early recording equipment and a car owned by Isaac Hayes.
Birthplace of County Music Museum
Read texts, see artifacts, watch films and listen to sound recordings at the Birthplace of County Music Museum. This Bristol, Virginia, Smithsonian Institute affiliate introduces you to country music's history while helping you see elements of that early music in today’s latest hits. This museum often hosts special events and traveling exhibits, so be sure to check their calendar.
Wolf Museum of Music and Art
Located inside a Queen Anne-style home built about 1890, the Wolf Museum of Music and Art offers the chance to see many examples of art from the late 1800s and early 1900s, along with old pianos that were collected by the founder of Wolf Music Institute. Many of the art pieces were created by the Philadelphia Ten.
Hot Springs, Arkansas
You can choose to stay in campgrounds at Hot Springs National Park when visiting the city. You can also find great campgrounds in Hot Springs outside of the national park at locations such as Catherine’s Landing and Hot Springs National Park KOA. RV dump station options in Hot Springs include Young’s Lakeshore RV Resort and Camp Lake Hamilton.
Memphis, Tennessee
Numerous campgrounds in Memphis, like Graceland RV Park & Campground and Elvis Presley Boulevard RV Park, acknowledge the fact that Elvis Presley called this city home. Others, like T.O. Fuller State Park and Memphis East Campground, boast beautiful natural settings. You can find many RV dump stations in Memphis, including at Meeman-Shelby State Forest and Love’s Travel Stop.
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Hershey Camping Resort and Hershey Road Campground are a couple of outstanding Hershey, Pennsylvania, campground choices. You may also want to consider campgrounds in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, including Deer Run Camping Resort and Western Village RV Park. You can find Hershey RV dump stations at Walmar Manor Campground and Hershey KOA Campground. Harrisburg RV dump station options are also available.
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