Croatan National Forest, North Carolina

You’re enamored with the ocean, while your boo is fanatic about the forest. So where in the world do you camp? Crisis averted: you can both gets your kicks at Croatan National Forest! The forest prides itself in being the only true coastal forest in the East, with 60,000 acres of pine forests, saltwater estuaries, bogs and raised wetlands called pocosins.

Bordered on three sides by tidal rivers and the Bogue Sound, the forest is defined by water, affording a wealth of of opportunities for aquatic recreation. Canoeing and fishing are popular on blackwater creeks and saltwater marshes. The diverse landscape is home to equally unusual plant and animal life, from plant-eating animals to meat-eating plants, keep your eyes peeled for deer, alligators, pitcherplants, and even Venus fly-traps!