50 of our favorite U.S. state parks
From Niagara Falls to the Redwood Forests, state parks preserve many of the nation’s iconic landscapes and historic treasures. With more than 10,000 to choose from, here’s a look at one from each state.
For some U.S. residents, it can take a day or two to reach the nearest national park. And when you finally arrive—especially during the busy summer months and shoulder seasons—the parks are often too crowded to truly enjoy. But state parks are an easy alternative.
According to the National Association of State Park Directors, there are between 6,000 to nearly 9,800 designated state parks and areas in the U.S., which means there’s probably one right down the road from where you live. They range from historic sites and cultural treasures to stunning beaches and vast expanses of pristine wilderness.
In addition to their scenic beauty and more than 20 million protected acres, state parks feature a vast array of recreation options: A quarter million campgrounds; 52,000 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails; thousands of lakes and rivers; more than 140 skiing and snowboarding areas; plus golf courses, swimming pools, picnic areas, museums, visitor centers, and many other amenities.
Unlike U.S. national parks, these parks exist in every state. Here are some of our favorites.
(Here are the best ways to get outdoors in all 50 states.)
Alabama: Gulf State Park
Visitors can find various ways to get wet at Alabama’s only seafront state park, where aquatic activities range from paddling freshwater lakes to relaxing somewhere along its two-miles beach. Away from the shore, trails meander through nine different ecosystems. Accommodations range from basic camping to the upscale Eagle Cottages.
Don’t miss: The kayak tour or segway tour with Coastal Segway Adventures
Alaska: Wood-Tikchik State Park
With its snowcapped peaks, fjord-like lakes, abundant wildlife, and boreal forest, Wood-Tikchik is more spectacular than many national parks. It’s also huge, sprawling across an area the size of Delaware. A floatplane, backpacking, or navigating a maze of wilderness waterways are the only access to the remote state park.
Don’t miss: Remote fly fishing at Tikchik Narrows Lodge
Arizona: Red Rock State Park
Cathedral Rock and the stony Seven Warriors tower over this day-use park on the western edge of Sedona. Splashing through shallow Oak Creek is the main attraction, but there are easy desert trails and a year-round slate of naturalist-guided talks on topics like geology, history, birds, botany, and archeology.
Don’t miss: Hiking the House of Apache Fire Trail to the hilltop pueblo-style ruins
Arkansas: Ozark Folk Center State Park
Concerts, workshops, and artisan demonstrations are part of this Arkansas park that focuses on the traditional events and celebrations of the Ozarks region. Annual events include the Dulcimer Jamboree in April and Arkansas State Fiddle & Banjo Championships in August.
Don’t miss: Southern country cooking at the park’s Skillet Restaurant
California: Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
One of the earliest efforts to save the world’s tallest trees from rapacious logging, Prairie Creek was established in 1923. The ruddy giants tower above trails leading to primeval Fern Canyon (a film location for the Lost World: Jurassic Parkmovie) and down to Gold Bluffs Beach on the Pacific Ocean.
Don’t miss: Overnighting at Gold Bluffs Beach Campground between the big trees and the ocean
Colorado: Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
This park stretches 152 miles between Leadville and Royal Gorge, and is one of the nation’s longest, thinnest state parks that combines outdoor adventure, majestic Rocky Mountains scenery, and vestiges of the Wild West. Whitewater rafting through Brown’s Canyon National Monument and surfing the freshwater waves of Buena Vista and Salida are just some of the on-site activities.
Don’t miss: A full-day high water float trip through The Narrows and Brown’s Canyon in Salida
Connecticut: Dinosaur State Park
Around 200 million years ago in what is now the Connecticut River Valley, dinosaurs stepped through mud that eventually hardened into sandstone. More than 750 of those three-toed tracks are now preserved beneath the geodesic dome surrounded by a botanic garden that shelters rare trees like the monkey puzzle, katsura, and dawn redwood.
Don’t miss: Plaster casting real dinosaur footprints
Delaware: Cape Henlopen State Park
With wild beaches, coastal dunes, and a maritime forest, Cape Henlopen offers a glimpse of the Delaware shore before the emergence of resort towns that now flank the park. William Penn had the foresight to proclaim this pristine parcel between the Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean as one of the world’s first public parks in 1682.
Don’t miss: Visiting the Fort Miles Museum and the World War II found along the coast
Florida: John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
The nation’s oldest marine reserve is situated on the windward side of Key Largo in the Florida Keys. Snorkeling tours, glass-bottom boats, diving excursions, and do-it-yourself kayaking offer a view of the only living coral reef along the American mainland and the famous underwater statue Christ of the Abyss.
Don’t miss: Wheelchair accessible snorkeling tours
Georgia: Cloudland Canyon State Park
With walls soaring more than 1,000 feet, Cloudland Canyon offers vertical adventures on the west side of Lookout Mountain in northwest Georgia. Rock climbing and cave tours are complemented by more than 60 miles of backcountry hiking, biking, and horseback riding routes that fan out along the southernmost extreme of the Appalachian range.
Don’t miss: Ranger-led Sitton's Cave Guided Tours during the summer
Hawaii: Waimea Canyon State Park
The “Grand Canyon of the Pacific” highlights a rugged state park on the island of Kauai that also flaunts an 800-foot-high waterfall that tumbles down the sheer, jungle-covered canyon walls. Lookout points along Koke’e Road provide an incredible view into the 14-mile-long gorge and Waimea River.
Don’t miss: The small but interesting Koke'e Natural History Museum near the top of the canyon.
Idaho: Harriman State Park
Part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Harriman is a former cattle ranch transformed into a wildlife refuge that protects the wildlife, including elk, moose, bears, bald eagles, and trumpeter swans. Visitors can explore this park year-round on snowshoes, cross-country skis or snowmobiles.
Don’t miss: Overnighting in one of the rustic, canvas-walled yurts
Illinois: Starved Rock State Park
Set along the banks of the Illinois River and about a 90-minute drive from Chicago, Starved Rock features slot canyons, cliffs, and caverns carved into the riverside sandstone. The park’s historic lodge and dining room were constructed during the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).
Don’t miss: A kayaking excursion on the Illinois River
Indiana: Lincoln State Park
Much of Abraham Lincoln’s youth was spent in Little Pigeon Creek, a remote settlement in southern Indiana that forms the nucleus of the state park that bears his name. In addition to historic structures and memorials, the park also offers recreation via hiking trails, fishing, and boating.
Don’t miss: A neighborhood walk to visit places where Abraham Lincoln frequented as a child
Iowa: Mines of Spain State Recreation Area
Fifteen trails allow visitors to walk through the woods along bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River near Dubuque. The unusual name comes from lead mines worked during the late 18th century, when the region was under Spanish colonial rule, not long before the Louisiana Purchase.
Don’t miss: The Betty Hauptli Bird and Butterfly Garden
Kansas: Fort Kearny State Historical Park
Constructed in the 1840s, this U.S. Army outpost was a waystation for wagon trains and other travelers on the Oregon Trail. The park features a replica wooden fort and several vintage adobe buildings, plus living history weekends during the summer.
Don’t miss: The sandhill crane migration from February to April
Kentucky: John James Audubon State Park
This western Kentucky reserve—named for the legendary naturalist who once lived nearby—protects the woodlands and wetlands where Audubon encountered many of the bird species, he would later paint. The park museum offers the world’s largest collection of Audubon mementoes and artworks.
Don’t miss: Viewing a complete set of The Birds of America, Audubon’s masterpiece
Louisiana: Poverty Point World Heritage Site
The ancient inhabitants of this northeast Louisiana site moved an estimated two million cubic yards of soil to create a 72-foot-tall ceremonial mound and colossal half circles. The work was carried between 1700 and 1100 B.C.E. when Poverty Point was a thriving riverside village that traded stone tools and ceremonial objects extensively through the Lower Mississippi Valley.
Don’t miss: A ranger-led tram tour of the site
Maine: Baxter State Park
New England’s biggest and wildest state reserve sprawls across a vast area of forest, lakes, and rivers. Among its 215 miles of hiking routes is the northernmost segment of the Appalachian Trail, which reaches a spectacular end atop Mount Katahdin.
Don’t miss: Camping at Roaring Brooke and rising early to spot moose at nearby Sandy Stream Pond
Maryland: Assateague State Park
Wild horses gallop along the beach of this barrier island state park where visitors can board or body surf the Atlantic, paddle the tranquil bay, or fall asleep to the sound of waves at the oceanside campground. The park is adjacent to the Assateague Island National Seashore.
Don’t miss: A docent-led tour of the 18th-century Rackliffe House
Massachusetts: Walden Pond State Reservation
Philosopher and writer Henry David Thoreau lived alone in a one-room cabin beside Walden Pond in the 1840s—an experience that fueled his love of nature and writings that helped inspire the 20th-century environmental movement. Nowadays, the park offers swimming, hiking, and visitor center exhibits that reflect his legacy, including a full-size reproduction of his Walden Pond cabin and personal mementos like his flute and a song book he used to press wildflowers.
Don’t miss: Take the Wildlife Discovery Tour with Assateague Outfitters
Michigan: Mackinac State Historic Parks
Floating in the strait that connects Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, Mackinac offers a trip back to the late 1800s when the island was a popular Victorian resort. The town has a Revolutionary War-era fortress and numerous historic buildings filled with hotels, shops, and restaurants. Best of all, the island is motor vehicle free.
Don’t miss: The park’s Star Spangled Fourth of July festival
Minnesota: Itasca State Park
The Mississippi River starts its long journey to the ocean in this leafy North Woods park. Visitors can literally walk across the river (on steppingstones) as the river exits Lake Itasca. Summertime swimming, boating, and hiking are complemented by winter snowshoeing and Nordic skiing.
Don’t miss: Nordic skiing on the park’s groomed cross-country trails
Mississippi: Tishomingo State Park
Astride the Natchez Trace Parkway in northeast Mississippi, this rugged park takes its name from Chief Tishomingo of the Chickasaw Nation. Camp along the lake, walk the old growth woods, or drive down the parkway to see where Elvis was born and raised.
Don’t miss: A self-guided journey down Bear Creek in a park-supplied canoe
Missouri: Katy Trail State Park
The nation’s longest rail trail meanders 240 miles across the state between the St. Louis metro area and Clinton, located in western Missouri. Much of the multiuse hiking/biking route overlaps with the Lewis & Clark National Historical Trail along the north bank of the Missouri River.
Don’t miss: The wineries and craft breweries between Defiance and Rhineland
Montana: Bannack State Park
Montana’s best preserved ghost town came to life in 1862 when gold was discovered nearby and was later the first territorial capital. More than 50 historic structures remain from the town’s glory days before the mother lode ran dry and everyone left.
Don’t miss: Bannack Days’ living history on the third weekend in July
Nebraska: Arbor Lodge State Historical Park
The original tree hugger, Arbor Day founder J. Sterling Morton surrounded his elegant neoclassical mansion with orchards and gardens with more than 270 types of plants from around the world. In October, the park hosts living history weekends with pioneer, Victorian era, and vintage Halloween themes.
Don’t miss: “Murder at the Mansion,” the murder mystery dinners
Nevada: Valley of Fire State Park
A natural counterpart to the neon-studded Las Vegas Strip, this twisted desert landscape on the eastern edge of the city glistens with red Aztec sandstone arches, hoodoos, domes, and other interesting rock formations. The park’s prehistoric petroglyphs were rendered by the ancient Basketmaker people and Ancestral Puebloans who inhabited the valley in ancient times.
Don’t miss: The Rainbow Vista Trail to Fire Canyon Overlook
New Hampshire: Mount Washington State Park
Visitors can reach the 6,288-foot summit of the highest peak in the U.S. Northeast on a vintage cog railroad (launched in 1869), a super-steep Auto Road (finished in 1861), or by hiking across the majestic Presidential Range. The modern summit house offers a restaurant, weather station, and a museum that includes a virtual snowcat experience and other interactive exhibits.
Don’t miss: The behind-the-scenes tour of the weather station
New Jersey: Wharton State Forest
The vast Pine Barrens are the setting for a state reserve with hiking, boating, and camping amid woods that were once thought to be the home of a mythical creature called the Jersey Devil. The park’s historic Batsto Village preserves an 18th-century settlement that helped supply George Washington’s army with cannon balls and kitchen utensils during the Revolution.
Don’t miss: Walking part or all of the 50-mile Batona Trail
New Mexico: City of Rocks State Park
An ancient volcanic eruption and more than 34 million years of weathering and erosion created a cluster of rock outcrops that resemble a high-rise city when seen from afar. Hiking and mountain biking trails snake through the rocky warren.
Don’t miss: Mountain biking on the 3.6-mile Hydra Trail loop
New York: Niagara Falls State Park
In an early act of environmental stewardship, New York’s state government made the falls into a state park, curtailing plans by P.T. Barnum and other carnival tsars to transform Niagara into a gaudy paid tourist attraction. Many of the iconic attractions—like the Maid of the Mist boat ride and Cave of the Winds experience—are part of the park.
Don’t miss: The spectacular after-dark illumination of the Niagara Falls
North Carolina: Jockey’s Ridge State Park
Home to the tallest active dune system along the Eastern Seaboard, Jockey’s Ridge reflects the aviation heritage of nearby Kitty Hawk with activities like kite flying, hang gliding, kite surfing and windsurfing. Visitors can also glide down the dunes on sandboards.
Don’t miss: A tandem hang-gliding flight with Kitty Hawk Kites
North Dakota: Icelandic State Park
The park’s name honors both the Scandinavians who settled in this remote corner of the Northern Prairies in the late 19th century, and the landscape of woods and water formed by the glacial ice that once covered the region. Canoe, kayak, and standup paddle board rentals are available for exploring Lake Renwick.
Don’t miss: After dark “Moon Hikes” in the winter with park-supplied snowshoes or Nordic skis
Ohio: Hocking Hills State Park
Anyone curious about how the Midwest looked before the pioneer days should investigate the Hocking Hills in south-central Ohio. Flush with rivers and waterfalls, caves and rocky gorges, and patches of old growth forest, the park is best explored on foot, horse, or mountain bike.
Don’t miss: Stargazing programs at John Glenn Astronomy Park
Oklahoma: Robbers Cave State Park
Jesse James, the Dalton Gang, and Belle Starr are among the infamous outlaws that hid inside this remote cavern in eastern Oklahoma. Modern-day visitors can take refuge at campgrounds, cabins, yurts, and even a covered wagon.
Don’t miss: Staying in a rustic 1930’s log cabin
Oregon: Silver Falls State Park
Tucked into the heavily wooded foothills of the Cascades Range, Silver Falls offers an adventure not found in few other places—guided climbs into a canopy of giant Douglas fir trees and a chance to sleep overnight in a hammock or tent, dangling from the limbs of a tree.
Don’t miss: Hiking the Trail of Ten Falls to the 177-foot-high South Falls
Pennsylvania: Cherry Springs State Park
One of the nation’s premier stargazing spots, Cherry Springs was named an International Dark Sky Park in 2007. Annual “star parties” attract hundreds of professional and amateur astronomers to view an estimated 30,000 heavenly bodies that can be viewed from the park on clear nights.
Don’t miss: Camping on the Overnight Astronomy Observation Field during a star party weekend
Rhode Island: Fort Adams State Park
There’s so much history inside a massive stone bastion erected in the 1790s to protect the Rhode Island coast from foreign invaders. Nowadays, the citadel is famous as the main venue for the annual Newport Jazz Festival and the home base of Sail Newport maritime recreation.
Don’t miss: The American Civil War living history weekend in August
South Carolina: Hunting Island State Park
The nature of Sea Island comes into full focus at a South Carolina park with a long, sandy strand, pristine maritime forest, and extensive salt marsh. After the current renovations are completed, visitors will once again be able to climb the black-and-white Hunting Island Lighthouse for a bird’s-eye-view of the coast.
Don’t miss: An eco-tour to pristine St. Phillips Island
South Dakota: Custer State Park
Renowned for its annual Buffalo Roundup, this Black Hills beauty offers plenty of other wildlife and a myriad of fun activities to work up a sweat—hiking and biking, rock climbing, paddling on several lakes, and snowshoeing in winter.
Don’t miss: Summer theater at the park’s Black Hills Playhouse
Tennessee: David Crockett State Park
Prior to venturing to Texas and his immortality run at the Alamo, the legendary frontiersman and politician David Crockett ran a distillery and several mills on this property, south of Nashville. His memory endures at the park museum and annual Davy Crockett Days festival in August.
Don’t miss: Camping with the historical reenactors during David Crockett Days in August
Texas: Big Bend Ranch State Park
Nearly as big as the adjacent national park, Big Bend Ranch sprawls across a huge chunk of Chihuahuan Desert along the north bank of the Rio Grande. Adventure seekers can dive into the remote wilderness on 238 miles of hiking and biking trails and 70 miles of dirt roads.
Don’t miss: A “saddle & paddle” guided daytrip that includes horseback riding in the park and a float down the Rio Grande
Utah: Kodachrome Basin State Park
This park was named during a 1948 National Geographic expedition through an unmapped region of southern Utah. Today, the park lives up to its name with colorful cliffs and rock formations including 67 monolithic stone spires. The visitor center offers guided horseback rides, plus rental e-bikes, mountain bikes, and board games.
Don’t miss: Hiking the Panorama Trail in the early morning or late afternoon.
Vermont: Lake Champlain Islands State Parks
The bucolic islands in Vermont’s “inland sea” host seven different state parks. Three of them can only be reached by watercraft (preferably non-motorized) and four boast campgrounds or cabins for overnight stays. All seven offer gorgeous lakefront locations.
Don’t miss: Cycling to the islands from Burlington via the Lake Champlain Causeway (bike ferry required)
Virginia: Jamestown Settlement
Living history presentations recreate life in early 17th-century Jamestown, North America’s first permanent English settlement. The outdoor museum includes a replica wooden fort and Powhatan village, plus full-sized reproductions of the three sailing ships that carried the first colonists to Virginia from 1606 to 1607.
Don’t miss: Try the traditional Brunswick stew or Virginia peanut soup at the Jamestown Café.
Washington State: Moran State Park
The park—bequeathed to the state by wealthy Seattle shipbuilder Robert Moran—wraps around several lakes and Mount Constitution on the eastern side of Orcas Island. Waterfront campgrounds are complemented by LEANTO glamping tents and the beloved Sugar Shack ice cream stand on Cascade Lake.
Don’t miss: Panoramic view of the snowcapped Cascade Range from the historic stone tower on Mount Constitution
West Virginia: Canaan Valley Resort State Park
The Mountain State has transformed several of its state parks into outdoor adventure resorts including Canaan Valley. From golf, tennis, and swimming pools to skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating, the park offers year-round, on-site activities.
Don’t miss: Winter figure skating performances, hot cocoa, and s’mores at the resort ice rink
Wisconsin: Peninsula State Park
This eclectic state park overlooks the strait where Green Bay flows into Lake Michigan on the western side of the scenic Door Peninsula. Among its many features are a beach and 18-hole golf course, an observation tower, a historic lighthouse, biking and hiking trails, and plays at the outdoor Northern Sky Theater in the summer.
Don’t miss: A guided kayak tours to Eagle Bluff
Wyoming: Hot Springs State Park
The world’s largest mineral hot springs is the centerpiece of an urban state park in Thermopolis. Set along the Bighorn River in central Wyoming, the natural pools are too hot for swimming (128˚F) but the park’s free public bathhouse provides an optimal soaking temperature of 104 ˚F.
Don’t miss: Daily morning feeding of the park’s resident bison herd
(See the beauty of all 63 U.S. national parks, in photos.)
