No. 4 national park pick: Colonial National Historical Park

Neatly trace America’s incubation and birth from the 1607 Jamestown settlement all the way to the end of the Revolutionary War at Yorktown in 1781 with a visit to Colonial National Historical Park.

Within reach of this park is Colonial Williamsburg (history.org, 757-229-1000), Civil War battlefields, even America’s first national water trail, the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail (http://www.nps.gov/cajo, 410-267-5720).

The Colonial Parkway spans nearly 200 years of history in its 23 miles from Jamestown to Yorktown (via a tunnel under Colonial Williamsburg). And Busch Gardens Europe is close by if a theme park break seems appealing.

AGE APPROPRIATE

Youngsters ages 6-12 who put in the effort to learn a bit about Jamestown and/or Yorktown can earn a Junior Ranger patch. The Young Soldiers Program at Yorktown provides kids an opportunity to learn what it was like to have been a soldier at Yorktown during the Revolutionary War. At Jamestown youngsters can learn how to make clay pottery. For added insight to both Jamestown and Yorktown, take a ranger-guided tour or view a living history program at Jamestown.

TOO MUCH FUN

Tour battlefields -- pick your war -- Revolutionary or Civil. Learn how harsh life was in early 17^th-century America at Jamestown. Trace a portion of Capt. John Smith’s exploration of Chesapeake Bay. Visit Colonial Williamsburg to see where the vision of the United States was given life. Escape some of the heat by touring the well-kept gardens at Williamsburg. During summer months, a 55-minute bus tour of Yorktown battlefields is available from the park’s visitor center. At Jamestown, birders can look for some of the several hundred bird species, including bald eagle, that live there. Learn about the art of glassblowing at the Jamestown Glasshouse.

BEST ATTRACTION

Along with viewing cannons and earthworks, you can tour hallowed ground containing the graves of Civil War soldiers. At Yorktown National Cemetery, you’ll find more than 1,500 marked graves.

KEEP ’EM HAPPY

Check out the area’s many state parks and water trails along the Chesapeake Bay to learn about Capt. John Smith’s voyages and explorations. Rent a kayak and paddle the water trail. It’s also easy to learn about the bay’s many lighthouses, or take a driving tour to learn about working life on the bay or its wildlife.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

July and August can be famously hot and humid in Tidewater Virginia. Luckily, that’s when the free Yorktown Trolley can make it easy to get around the historic village and connect with the park’s visitor center.

AVOID THE CROWDS

Jamestown marked its 400^th birthday during 2007, so you’re already being savvy by visiting during the post-anniversary season. To break away from other visitors, do some historical legwork at home, grab interpretive brochures at the visitor centers, and tour the historic sites on your own. Or explore the seaboard with paddle or binoculars in hand by visiting the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.

CAN’T MISS

Jamestown, a hardscrabble community that was the first English toehold in the New World, today stands as testament to the perseverance of those colonists. Jamestown Settlement is the new and richly interpretive anniversary exhibition beside the original site. Living-history displays and ongoing archaeological digs are part of the experience.

BARGAIN LODGING/DINING

You’ll find no lodging in these parks, but there are plenty of roadside motels, well-known chains, or Colonial Williamsburg accommodations to choose from. While well-located and nicely appointed, approach $300 per night for a family of four. That does include tickets to Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Colonial Williamsburg’s historic section. During the high season there’s a two-night minimum.

INSIDE TRACK

If you head to Richmond from the Jamestown/Williamsburg area, don’t drive Interstate 64. Choose instead Virginia Rte. 5 and meander under the canopy of towering trees along the James River and visit five of the state’s most historic plantations.

-- Kurt Repanshek, author of "National Parks With Kids"