State parks often hide in the shadow of their more famous national park cousins, yet many offer equally breathtaking landscapes and memorable experiences with smaller crowds and lower entrance fees. These natural treasures provide accessible adventures while preserving unique ecosystems across America.
The United States boasts over 10,000 state parks in contrast with just 63 national parks. Here is a list of 20 state parks that rival national ones in beauty, ecological significance, and recreational opportunities.
Custer State Park, South Dakota
Custer State Park spans nearly 71,000 acres of the Black Hills with landscapes that rival Yellowstone. The park maintains a free-roaming bison herd of approximately 1,500 animals that visitors often encounter along the Wildlife Loop Road.
Its granite spires, crystal-clear lakes, and an extensive trail system make it a premier destination for outdoor enthusiasts in the Midwest.
Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah
Perched 2,000 feet above a dramatic bend in the Colorado River, Dead Horse Point offers views that compete with Grand Canyon vistas. The park’s iconic overlook captures the painted desert landscape with towering sandstone cliffs and distant La Sal Mountains.
Photographers particularly value the sunrise and sunset moments when the red rock formations glow with changing light.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California
California’s largest state park encompasses over 600,000 acres of Colorado Desert wilderness. During spring, the typically arid landscape transforms with wildflower blooms that carpet the desert floor in vibrant colors.
The park features 500 miles of dirt roads, slot canyons, palm oases, and fascinating wind-carved sandstone formations sculpted by wind known as the Borrego Badlands.
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Michigan
Known locally as ‘the Porkies,’ this 60,000-acre wilderness preserves the largest old-growth hardwood forest in North America east of the Mississippi. Visitors can explore 90 miles of hiking trails through virgin forest and along the shores of Lake Superior.
The Lake of the Clouds, nestled between ancient forested ridges, creates a scene that rivals many western national parks.
Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee
Home to one of the highest waterfalls in the eastern United States, Fall Creek Falls plunges 256 feet into a pool surrounded by hemlock trees. The park encompasses over 26,000 acres of gorges, cascades, and virgin hardwood forest on the Cumberland Plateau.
Its network of hiking trails leads to numerous overlooks and smaller falls throughout the rugged terrain.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
Located just 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Valley of Fire showcases 40,000 acres of bright red Aztec sandstone formations set against gray and tan limestone. The park contains petrified trees and petroglyphs dating back more than 2,000 years.
Its otherworldly landscape has served as a backdrop for numerous films and appears particularly stunning in early morning and late afternoon light.
Baxter State Park, Maine
This 209,644-acre wilderness park serves as the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail and is home to Maine’s highest peak, Mount Katahdin. The park operates with a focus on wilderness preservation, limiting daily visitors and maintaining a rustic experience without electricity or running water in many areas.
Its forests, ponds, and mountains provide habitat for moose, black bears, and bald eagles.
Niagara Falls State Park, New York
America’s oldest state park offers views of one of the world’s most famous natural wonders. Designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, the park provides multiple vantage points to experience the falls’ power and beauty.
The Cave of the Winds tour brings visitors 175 feet deep into the Niagara Gorge for an up-close encounter with the rushing water.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Chugach State Park, Alaska
Spanning half a million acres just outside Anchorage, Chugach is one of America’s most accessible wilderness areas. The park features glaciers, alpine meadows, and coastal environments, and wildlife includes brown bears, moose, and Dall sheep.
Its proximity to Alaska’s largest city allows even time-limited visitors to experience genuine Alaskan wilderness.
Watkins Glen State Park, New York
This jewel of the Finger Lakes region features a dramatic two-mile gorge with 19 waterfalls and 200-foot cliffs. The stone pathways wind through the gorge, cutting behind waterfalls and revealing landscapes that feel almost mystical.
The park’s unique microclimate supports plants typically found much further north, creating an unusual ecological pocket.
Silver Falls State Park, Oregon
Known as the ‘crown jewel’ of Oregon’s state park system, Silver Falls features a Trail of Ten Falls loop that passes behind several cascading waterfalls. The 9,200-acre temperate rainforest includes old-growth stands and landscapes that rival Olympic National Park.
During winter months, the falls increase in volume and create spectacular ice formations along the canyon walls.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Ecola State Park, Oregon
Stretching along 9 miles of Oregon coastline, Ecola provides sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and Tillamook Rock Lighthouse. The park’s rainforest trails lead through old-growth Sitka spruce trees to secluded beaches and tide pools.
From certain vantage points, visitors can see the distinctive Haystack Rock and other sea stacks made famous in various films.
State Forest State Park, Colorado
Despite its redundant-sounding name, this 71,000-acre park contains Colorado’s heaviest concentration of moose. The park encompasses alpine lakes, peaks over 12,000 feet, and forests of lodgepole pine and aspen.
Winter transforms the landscape into a snowshoeing and backcountry skiing paradise, while summer brings options for hiking, fishing, and wildlife viewing.
Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire
Located in the heart of the White Mountains, Franconia Notch is a spectacular mountain pass traversed by a unique parkway. The park once housed the famous Old Man of the Mountain rock formation and still contains natural wonders like Flume Gorge and Echo Lake.
The Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway carries visitors to the 4,080-foot summit for panoramic views extending to four states and Canada.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Natural Bridge State Park, Virginia
This park preserves one of the East’s most distinctive geological formations, featuring a 215-foot-tall natural limestone arch once owned by Thomas Jefferson. The bridge spans 90 feet across Cedar Creek and is composed of limestone that formed millions of years ago.
Evening light illuminates the bridge while interpretative displays share a geological and human history of this natural wonder.
Peninsula State Park, Wisconsin
Set on the shores of Lake Michigan in Door County, Peninsula covers 3,776 acres with eight miles of shoreline. Eagle Bluff lighthouse, built in 1868, remains an iconic landmark accessible via the park’s extensive trail system.
From Eagle Tower, visitors gain panoramic views of Green Bay waters, islands, and the Michigan shoreline in the distance.
Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas
As Arkansas’s first state park, Petit Jean protects unique geological features atop a mountain between the Ozarks and Ouachitas. The centerpiece, 95-foot Cedar Fall, cascades year-round into a canyon of sandstone bluffs and boulders.
Native American rock art, CCC-era structures, and unusual rock formations like Bear Cave and Turtle Rocks add cultural and geological interest.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Grayson Highlands State Park, Virginia
Famous for its wild ponies that roam freely across mountain meadows, Grayson Highlands connects to Virginia’s highest peak, Mount Rogers. Alpine-like zones, unusual for the Southeast, provide habitat for these small horses, introduced in the 1970s to maintain the open meadows.
Stunning vistas along the Appalachian Trail rival many western parks with their sweeping panoramas.
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, California
Located along the Big Sur coastline, this park features McWay Falls, an 80-foot waterfall that cascades onto a pristine beach. Ancient redwoods grow alongside coastal scrub in a landscape that captures California’s remarkable ecological diversity.
The Waterfall Overlook Trail provides one of California’s most photographed vistas, appearing on countless postcards and travel guides.
Letchworth State Park, New York
Known as the ‘Grand Canyon of the East,’ Letchworth follows the Genesee River as it carves a gorge up to 600 feet deep. Three major waterfalls and dozens of smaller cascades punctuate the 17-mile stretch of dramatic cliff faces and forested slopes.
The park’s 66 miles of hiking trails range from easy walks to challenging ravine descents.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
America’s Hidden Treasures
These remarkable state parks demonstrate that extraordinary natural experiences don’t require national park designation. While famous destinations like Yellowstone and Yosemite receive millions of annual visitors, these state-managed lands offer comparable beauty with often fewer crowds and more intimate experiences.
Next time you plan an outdoor adventure, consider exploring these state treasures that stand proudly alongside their national counterparts.
More from Travel Pug
- Cities Growing so Fast You Won’t Recognize Them in 10 Years
- 13 Destinations Where Tourists Regularly Regret Their Trip
- 16 U.S. Cities That Are Quietly Becoming Travel Hotspots
- Where to Travel If You Love Long Bus Rides and Daydreams
- 20 Cities Perfect for Solo Travelers Who Crave Adventure & Culture
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.