We love the national parks, as is obvious if you spend anytime on our site. But we’ve learned that some of the most incredible places to visit in the U.S. are often state parks. Over the years, we’ve visited well over a hundred state parks in almost every state, and we are rarely disappointed. Not every state park has a jaw-dropping view or a pristine beach, but they are almost always worth a quick visit or an overnight stay. And there a few that rival even the best national parks.
This post lists some of our favorite state parks, but it is by no means exhaustive. There are simply too many state parks in the U.S. to visit them all, so this is just a sampling of what is out there waiting for you.
One additional note: we’ve excluded Oregon state parks because having lived there for years, we could never just choose one or two. There are so many amazing state parks in Oregon that they deserve their own post (coming soon!).
1. Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah
Anyone who has seen Thelma & Louise (or the many parodies of its dramatic ending) are familiar with Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah. Located adjacent to the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse offers the same otherworldly vistas as its more famous neighbor, including a signature view of a particularly beautiful gooseneck bend of the Colorado river.
As for the name, Wikipedia has the story:
According to one legend, around the turn of the century the point was used as a corral for wild mustangs roaming the mesa top. Cowboys rounded up these horses, herded them across the narrow neck of land and onto the point. The neck, which is only 30-yards-wide, was then fenced off with branches and brush. This created a natural corral surrounded by precipitous cliffs straight down on all sides, affording no escape. Cowboys then chose the horses they wanted and let the culls or broomtails go free. One time, for some unknown reason, horses were left corralled on the waterless point where they died of thirst within view of the Colorado River, 2,000 feet below.
2. Watkins Glen State Park, New York
Watkins Glen State Park is without a doubt one of the most unique state parks and one of the most beautiful. Located on the south end of Seneca Lake, it is one of the many state parks in New York’s Finger Lakes area. But this park is not focused on a lake. The highlight of the park is a two mile trail through a narrow canyon with walls over 200-feet high, filled with waterfalls and rock formations that have to be seen to be believed. Even the trail itself is impressive, meticulously laid into the canyon with rock work and bridges that blend perfectly into the landscape.
More from Revolvy:
The centerpiece of the 778-acre (3.15 km2)[4] park is a 400-foot-deep (120 m) narrow gorge cut through rock by a stream – Glen Creek – that was left hanging when glaciers of the Ice age deepened the Seneca valley, increasing the tributary stream gradient to create rapids and waterfalls wherever there were layers of hard rock. The rocks of the area are sedimentary of Devonian age that are part of a dissected plateau that was uplifted with little faulting or distortion. They consist mostly of soft shales, with some layers of harder sandstone and limestone.
3. Letchworth State Park, New York
Known as the “Grand Canyon of the East”, Letchworth State Park is certainly one of the most impressive sights in the Eastern U.S. While the Grand Canyon comparison might be a bit of a stretch, the lush forests, huge waterfalls and scenic views are well worth a visit. The main attraction is the gorge that runs through the center of the park, where the Genesee River flows over three large waterfalls and through cliffs as high as 600 feet. Like many parks, Letchworth owes its existence to the generosity of a wealthy donor. According to the Wikipedia article:
In 1859, industrialist William Pryor Letchworth (1823–1910) began purchasing land near the Middle Falls, and started construction of his Glen Iris Estate. In 1906 he bequeathed the 1,000-acre (4 km2) estate to New York, which soon after became the core of the newly created Letchworth State Park.[6][7]
4. Lake Bemidji State Park, Minnesota
Lake Bemidji is a little different from the other state parks on the list. First, it isn’t one of those parks that blow you away with scenery. Second, it is located just north of the city of Bemidji, Minnesota and is surrounded by development. What we liked about the park was that it was very well kept, obviously loved by locals and a really nice place to stay for a few days and just relax. The Mississippi River runs diagonally through the lake, which gave the lake both its current name and an older, French name, as well:
Early trader records identify Lake Bemidji as “Lac Traverse” which is French for diagonal. The Anishinabe knew the lake as “Bemiji-gau-maug” meaning cutting sideways through or diagonally. This was a reference to the path of the Mississippi River through the lake.
5. McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, California
McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park is somewhat off the beaten track, and given its location in a state full of tourist destinations, is likely overlooked by most visitors. We found the park simply because it was a perfect location for an overnight rest stop, but we were pleasantly surprised by its beauty, particularly the main attraction, Burney Falls. In early April, we had virtually the entire park all to ourselves, so that made our visit even more magical. Surprisingly, it is actually California’s second-oldest state park, and is well-developed with campsites, cabins and a nice visitor’s center.
6. Half Moon Bay State Beach, California
Another of California’s many state parks, Half Moon Bay, unlike the last park on the list McArthur-Burney Falls, is definitely not overlooked, not is off the beaten path. Just across the highway from Half Moon Bay’s touristy downtown area, the park offers a place to camp right near the beach in a fantastic location less than an hour from San Francisco. Given its prominent location on the Pacific Coast, it is an area which has been known to travelers for centuries:
The first European land exploration of Alta California, the Spanish Portolà expedition, passed through the area on its way north, camping on October 28–29, 1769 near the shore either at Frenchman Creek or Pilarcitos Creek, both of which reach the bay along this beach. Franciscan missionary Juan Crespi described nearby Pillar Point in his diary, “In this place there are many geese, and for this reason the soldiers named it the plain of ‘Los Ansares’. From the camp the…point lies to the north-northwest, and the high rocks look like two thick Farallones [rocky islands] of an irregular and pointed shape.”[2]
7. Tahquamenon Falls State Park, Michigan
For a relatively small area, Michigan’s upper peninsula is filled with excellent state parks and even a National Lakeshore. There are beautiful coastlines, huge sandy dunes, large stretches of undeveloped forest and many, many waterfalls. The most impressive of those are contained in Tahquamenon Falls State Park. The park itself is large, stretching 13 miles to encompass a scenic stretch of the Tahquamenon River, including the Upper and Lower Falls. According to Wikipedia:
The Tahquamenon Falls include a single 50-foot (15 m) drop, the Upper Falls, plus the cascades and rapids collectively called the Lower Falls. During the late-spring runoff, the river drains as much as 50,000 U.S. gallons (190,000 L) of water per second, making the upper falls the second most voluminous vertical waterfall east of the Mississippi River, after only Niagara Falls.
The most striking feature of the waterfalls, besides their size and volume, is the deep reddish-brown color of the water, which comes from tannins leached from the cedar swamps that drain into the river. The falls are even named Rootbeer Falls, due to the deep color and frothy foam.
8. Baxter State Park, Maine
Baxter State Park is the crown jewel of inland Maine, and is often regarded as a potential candidate to be a national park. The huge park (almost 210,000 acres of wilderness area) encompasses a large range of trails and activities. The centerpiece of the park is Katahdin, the highest peak in Maine and the end (or beginning) of the Appalachian Trail. Visitors can find waterfalls, forests, scenic views and camping, but be sure to apply for a permit if you plan to visit the most popular areas, including the trail to the summit of Katahdin.
9. Smugglers Notch State Park, Vermont
Smugglers Notch is located in a beautiful area of Vermont, tucked into the Green Mountains just north of the popular town of Stowe. While sometimes confused with the Smugglers Notch Ski Resort, the state park is a much quieter, less crowded place to camp and do some exploring. While the area around the park is well-developed, you feel like you are further off the beaten path that you really are, and you can use the park as a starting point for a hike to the summit of Mt. Mansfield, the highest peak in Vermont.
The name is probably my favorite of any state park, and has an equally interesting story. From Wikipedia:
Smugglers Notch is named for the smuggling that was prompted by a request of President Thomas Jefferson to prevent American involvement in the Napoleonic Wars. The United States Congress passed the Embargo Act of 1807 which prohibitied American trade with Great Britain and Canada. The British bypassed the embargo by importing products to Canada and smuggling them down mountain trails through Smugglers Notch.[2] The Act caused great hardship for locals, many of whom continued the illegal trade with Canada, carrying goods and herding livestock through the notch. The geology of the notch made it well suited for smuggling as the area is remote and laced with numerous caves. The caves were used as hideaways by the smugglers.[2] Much of the illegal activity slowed with the onset of the War of 1812. Smugglers Notch was later used on the Underground Railroad when fugitive slaves used the notch as an escape route to Canada.[3] The route was improved to accommodate automobile traffic in 1922 thus providing a route for liquor to be brought in from Canada during the Prohibition years.[2][3] The caves were suited to storing illegal alcoholic beverages at near room temperature.[3]
10. Poinsett State Park, South Carolina
Poinsett State Park is a nice place to settle in and explore for a few days if visiting South Carolina. It is close to one of our newer National Parks, Congaree, and has its own charms that make it worth a visit. Located at the edge of Manchester State Forest, the park has a variety of unique trees and plants, as well as a small lake and some man-made attractions, such as a bathhouse built by the CCC in the 1930s.
If you are wondering if there is a connection between the park’s name and the poinsettia plant, wonder no more:
The park is best known for its botanical oddities, combining the flora of the Blue Ridge Mountains foothills and Piedmont of Upstate South Carolina, the xeric Sandhills and the Atlantic coastal plain. In Poinsett State Park one can see mountain laurelsdraped with Spanish moss.[2][3] The park, which has been called “weird and beautiful”,[2] is named after amateur botanist and South Carolina native Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first American ambassador to Mexico and popularizer of the poinsettia.[2][4]
