Fodor's Expert Review Point Pleasant Park

Most of the city's former fortifications have been turned into public parks, including this one, which encompasses 186 wooded acres on a headland south of downtown with walking trails and seafront paths. The major military installation here is a massive round tower dating from the late 18th century, but the greatest threat the park ever faced came from Mother Nature. In September 2003, Hurricane Juan tore through, uprooting or damaging 75,000 trees (about 75% of the park's total) in a matter of hours, in the process leaving present-day parkgoers the same harbor views that must have inspired its use as a military command post in the first place. Having been nurtured since the storm, Point Pleasant is again immensely popular with strollers, joggers, and dog walkers. It's the perfect vantage point from which to watch ships entering the harbor, and in summer it's the site of Shakespeare by the Sea performances.