Our national parks attract millions of visitors each year, and while they’re drawing so much attention, a lot of people overlook our state parks, of which there are far more.
State parks often have scenery similar to what you find in national parks, but they tend to be smaller and less crowded. Here are some incredible state parks to put on your list if you love the outdoors.
Palouse Falls, Washington
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The high desert of eastern Washington can seem stark and barren, so Palouse Falls is especially arresting to the eyes. Here, the Palouse River plunges 200’ over basalt cliffs. Then it rushes through a dramatic canyon.
Ecola, Oregon
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Ecola State Park is a few miles north of world-famous Cannon Beach on the Oregon coast. It’s been the filming site for many movies, and in addition to the spectacular coastline here, you can see archeological sites, some of which date back nearly a thousand years.
Anza-Borrego Desert, California
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This huge park rivals many national parks in size and in diversity of scenery. You’ll find desert mountains, canyons, colorful badlands, palm oases, and more here. Spring is the best time for the spectacular wildflower blooms.
Valley of Fire, Nevada
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About an hour from the lights and noise of the Vegas strip is this sandstone wilderness named for the deep-red colors that dominate the rocks. Hiking trails, unusual rock formations, dramatic views, and ancient native rock art are among the many wonders waiting for you here.
Snow Canyon, Utah
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This state park near St. George and about an hour from Zion National Park is a bit like Zion without the crowds. Spectacular sandstone cliffs and peaks set the stage here. You can drive the north-south road through the park to see the highlights, and you can also get out and hike some of the trails to discover marvels you can’t see from a car.
Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Utah
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Southeast of Zion, near the town of Kanab, is this quiet state park overshadowed by all the national parks nearby. True to its name, the park’s dunes consist of pink sand eroded from nearby Navajo sandstone cliffs. This type of sandstone is more commonly red, yellow, or white, but here it’s pink, hence the look and the name.
City of Rocks, New Mexico
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A powerful volcanic explosion ages ago created the bedrock here, and then erosion went to work. Now, large boulders and spires, some nearly 50’ high, rise from flat desert terrain surrounding them. Hiking, camping, scrambling, and bouldering– climbing boulders without a rope for protection– are popular activities here.
Hueco Tanks, Texas
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We mentioned bouldering in the previous item, so we should mention that Hueco Tanks is considered to be one of the best bouldering destinations in the world. But if that’s not your thing, that’s okay; you can enjoy hiking the trails here, too. Visiting isn’t easy, though; you have to snag a reservation, and some parts of the park, mainly where there is ancient native rock art, are only accessible with a paid guide.
Makoshika, Montana
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Glendive, just a few minutes from the North Dakota border, is the gateway to this landscape of wildly eroded badlands. If you love badlands scenery but prefer to avoid the traffic and crowds of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and Badlands National Park in the Dakotas, you’ll love Makoshika, which is Lakota for “land that is bad.”
Medicine Rocks, Montana
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If you truly want to be away from it all this remote park near tiny Ekalaka in southeastern Montana is for you. Sandstone pinnacles up to 80’ in height command your attention, but if you take a closer look, you’ll also find ancient Native American rock art. Legendary conservationist President Teddy Roosevelt considered this place as among the most beautiful he ever saw.
Custer, South Dakota
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Custer State Park in the famous Black Hills has a lot to offer. To start with, there are lakes surrounded by granite cliffs and outcrops. There’s the Wildlife Loop where you’re almost certain to see bison, elk, and other wildlife. Oh, and then there’s the spectacular Needles Highway, named for the granite spires it winds through on its way to and from Mt. Rushmore.
Tettegouche, Minnesota
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Minnesota’s North Shore is the lake Superior coastline from Duluth to the Canadian border. It has 8 state parks along its length, and you should absolutely visit all of them, but if you could only visit one of them, it should probably be Tettegouche. It’s a bit of all the others rolled into one– lake and river access, inland lakes, waterfalls, hiking trails, and more.
Tahquamenon Falls, Michigan
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Deep-dark in color from tannins and decaying plant material, the Tahquamenin River roars over a high, wide drop, creating a roiling splash pool below. Then it rolls on for a short distance to its confluence with Lake Superior.
Blackwater Falls, West Virginia
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Another waterway with a deep-dark-color, and for the same reasons, the Blackwater River crashes down cliffs here and then races through a deep, narrow gorge. Blackwater Falls is beautiful in any season, but winter might actually be the best time to go. The falls partially and occasionally freeze over entirely, and the heavy snowfall supports a popular sled run where you can ride a conveyer belt back to the top to do it all over again.
Baxter, Maine
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Mount Katahdin is the centerpiece of this national-park-like state park, and it has multiple subpeaks. Baxter Peak is the highest of them, and it’s also the highest spot in Maine and the northern end of the legendary Appalachian Trail. But there’s so much more to see and do here than hike up Baxter Peak!
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