This is a feature that I am very excited to display on my web site. I have written five editions of a book entitled Parks Directory of the United States, which has included descriptive information on national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and more than 3,300 state parks, historic sites, and natural areas. In compiling information for the book, I have come to realize that there are a number of state parks that rival the more famous national parks in terms of beauty, cultural and historical significance, and natural resources, though many of these parks are not well known to the general public.
I always had in the back of my mind the idea of compiling a list of the "best" state parks in the United States. Of course, I always knew that such a list would be extremely subjective, since the best parks to a bird-watcher wouldn't be the best parks to a cross-country skier or an off-road biker. Nevertheless, I went forward with my idea and contacted the directors of each of the 50 state park systems and posed the following question:
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If you were trying to showcase your state park system, what would be your recommendation to visitors for 2-3 must see" parks and why?
In their replies, many of the directors pointed out how difficult the task had been to select only 2-3 state parks for this project when they had dozens or even hundreds to choose from. Some stretched the rules a little bit and listed 4-5 parks. (I decided to leave these extra selections in.) In many cases, the selections include accompanying text information, which can be viewed by clicking on the "what they said" link that appears just below each state name. Each state name is hyperlinked to the official home page for each state park system.
In a feature that is certainly open to debate, below is a list of the "Best of the Best State Parks."
- DeSoto State Park
- Joe Wheeler State Park
- Lake Guntersville State Park
Alaska
- Chugach State Park
- Denali State Park
- Totem Bight State Historical Park
- Wood-Tikchik State Park
- Kartchner Caverns State Park
- Red Rock State Park
- Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
- Crater of Diamonds State Park
- Ozark Folk Center State Park
- Petit Jean State Park
- Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
- Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Hearst Castle
- Huntington State Beach
- Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
- Mueller State Park
- Roxoborough State Park
- Steamboat Lake State Park
- Sylvan Lake State Park
- Dinosaur State Park
- Gillette Castle State Park
- Hammonasset Beach State Park
- Cape Henlopen State Park
- Fort Delaware State Park
- Trap Pond State Park
- John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
- Myakka River State Park
- Paynes Prairie State Preserve
- St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
- Wekiwa Springs State Park
- Cloudland Canyon State Park
- Providence Canyon State Park
- Tallulah Gorge State Park
- Koke'e SP & Waimea Canyon State Park
- Iao Valley State Park
- Diamond Head State Monument
Idaho
- Bruneau Dunes State Park
- Ponderosa State Park
- Priest Lake State Park
- Cache River State Natural Area
- Chain O'Lakes State Park
- Pere Marquette State Park
- Brown County State Park
- Falls of the Ohio State Park
- Indiana Dunes State Park
- Backbone State Park
- Ledges State Park
- Waubonsie State Park
- Cheney State Park
- Scott State Park
- Tuttle Creek State Park
- John James Audubon State Park
- Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park
- Natural Bridge State Resort Park
Louisiana
what they said
- Bayou Segnette State Park
- Fontainebleau State Park
- Lake Fausse Pointe State Park
- North Toledo Bend State Park
- Tickfaw State Park
- Reid State Park
- Sebago Lake
- Assateague State Park
- Elk Neck State Park
- Gunpowder Falls State Park
- Swallow Falls State Park
Massachusetts
what they said
- Mount Greylock State Reservation
- Nickerson State Park
- Walden Pond State Reservation
- Ludington State Park
- Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
- Tahquamenon State Park
- Waterloo Recreation Area
- Blue Mounds State Park
- Itasca State Park
- Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park
- John W. Kyle State Park
- Percy Quin State Park
- Tishomingo State Park
- Ha Ha Tonka State Park
- Meramec State Park
- Montauk State Park
- Prairie State Park
- Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park
- Makoshika State Park
- Ulm Pishkun State Park
- Eugene T. Mahoney State Park
- Fort Robinson State Park
- Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area
- Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park
- Cathedral Gorge State Park
- Valley of Fire State Park
- Franconia Notch State Park
- Mount Washington State Park
- Odiorne Point State Park
- High Point State Park
- Island Beach State Park
- Wharton State Forest
- City of Rocks State Park
- Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park
- Sugarite Canyon
- Jones Beach State Park
- Niagara Reservation State Park
- Riverbank State Park
- Saratoga Spa State Park
North Carolina
what they said
- Hammocks Beach State Park
- Hanging Rock State Park
- Morrow Mountain State Park
- Stone Mountain State Park
- Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park
- Icelandic State Park
- Lake Sakakawea State Park
- Hocking Hills
- Hueston Woods State Park
- Mohican State Park
- Beavers Bend State Park
- Quartz Mountain State Park
- Robbers Cave State Park
- Ecola State Park
- Shore Acres State Park
- Silver Falls State Park
- Smith Rock State Park
- Ohiopyle State Park
- Presque Isle State Park
- Ricketts Glen State Park
