State Parks in the United States

Natural Bridge State Resort Park is the ideal spot for bird watching enthusiasts with the best viewings in May, June, and September.

The Kentucky park has two campgrounds with 87 utility sites and a number of tent sites. The park’s lake is engulfed in a majestic forest and mammoth sandstone cliffs.

Fishing, canoeing, and kayaking are all popular activities at Mill Creek Lake. Hiking trails around the park range from a one-half mile in length to seven-and-one-half miles of scenic woodlands.

Families enjoy playing a round of 18-hole miniature golf or taking a dip at the pool complex featuring a zero-entry pool with a river theme.

2135 Natural Bridge Rd, Slade, KY 40376, Phone: 606-663-2214

Big Bend Ranch State Park k follows a stretch of the Rio Grande in west Texas along the US/Mexico border.

The park is a rugged landscape of desert, mountains, and steep canyons.

Outdoor adventurists can choose between hiking, mountain biking, or horseback riding on over 230 miles of trails.

Four-wheel-drive enthusiasts can explore over 70 miles of rough dirt road terrain and the park features a spot on the river ideal for fishing or floating in the cool waters. Campers will find a vast selection of primitive sites for overnight stays that have a picnic table and fire pit with the exception of the backcountry spots. Don't miss the nearby Chinati Hot Springs.

1900 South Saucedo, Presidio, TX 79845

Blackwater Falls State Park features an amber-colored cascading waterfall tinted by the acidic hemlock and red spruce needles surrounding the waters.

Covering 446-acres of protected land, visitors can explore 20 different hiking trails ranging in distance and difficulty.

The park offers cabins, tent camping, and a lodge for overnight accommodations. Warm summers provide the perfect conditions for swimming in Pendleton Lake or the outdoor pool at nearby Canaan Valley Resort.

Snowy winters make way to the longest sled run on the East Coast and 10-miles of cross-country skiing.

The lodge has an indoor pool and a restaurant, The Smokehouse, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Or you can stay at the nearby Canaan Valley Resort on your weekend trip.

1584 Blackwater Lodge Rd, Davis, WV 26260, Phone: 304-259-5216

Romantic State Parks

Boston Harbor Islands State Park in the Boston area consists of 34 islands and peninsulas that visitors can hop from one to another aboard seasonal ferries, or year-round by car or on foot.

The park features historic forts and is home to the oldest continuously manned lighthouse in the country.

Each of the accessible islands has something different to explore giving families a variety of adventures to enjoy.

History buffs love the guided tour of Civil War-era Fort Warren on Georges Island that served as a training camp for Union soldiers.

Spectacle Island features 114-acres of outdoor activities including hiking and swimming and offers resort hotels for overnight accommodations.

191w Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02109, Phone: 617-223-8666

Chimney Rock State Park in North Carolina combines the love of nature with learning through its scenic hiking trails and endurance test of rock climbing.

Reaching the top of the 535 million-year-old rock formation can be attained by hiking the steps of the Outcropping Trail with its picturesque views of the gorge below. The Chimney Rock State Park offers varying levels of difficulty among its 6 different hiking trails.

Animal Discovery Den teaches visitors about the wildlife living in the park including an opossum, a groundhog, and a vibrant butterfly and moth garden. Most days, guests can enjoy the hammered dulcimer music of John Mason during the spring, summer, and fall.

431 Main St, Chimney Rock, NC 28720, Phone: 800-277-9611

Custer State Park covers 71,000-acres of the Black Hills in South Dakota.

This sprawling park of wildlife is made up of granite mountains, lush valleys, and crystal clear waters. Visitors of the park enjoy outdoor activities such as camping, fishing, hiking, biking, and swimming.

The park also hosts community events throughout the year as well as educational programs at the Peter Norbeck Outdoor Education Center. Custer State Park also features a Visitor Center that highlights the iconic prairie bison.

The Wildlife Station Visitor Center provides guests with unobscured views of the rolling hills and prairie located on the Wildlife Loop Road. Visitors can book a room at Creekside Lodge.

13329 US Highway 16A, Custer, SD 57730, Phone: 605-255-4515

Devil’s Lake State Park is one of nine areas in Wisconsin’s Ice Age National Scientific Reserve that preserves the features of the land that was carved by the glaciers. Established in 1911, it is the oldest, biggest, and most popular park in the state. Visitors are mesmerized by the views of the 360-acre lake from the 500-foot quartzite bluffs. The lake offers plenty of picnic spots, two sand-covered swimming beaches, boating rentals, and is a popular location for scuba diving. Devil’s Lake State Park has nearly 30 miles of hiking trails ranging in difficulty from easy paved walkways to rocky climbs up the East Bluff.

S5975 Park Rd., Baraboo, WI 53913, Phone: 608-356-8301

State Parks for Families

Ecola State Park is nine miles of coastline offering sightseeing and outdoor recreation from the moment guests enter the park. The road entering the park winds through a dense Sitka spruce forest before emerging onto a grassy bluff with astonishing views of the Pacific Ocean. The park’s web of hiking trails opens up to views of hidden coves, tree-covered bluffs, and an old abandoned lighthouse. Indian Beach at Ecola State Park is an ideal spot for surfing, tide-pooling, and enjoying the picturesque seascape. Wildlife in and around the park include deer, elk, eagles, and the occasional gray whale passing through during its migration in the winter and spring months.

84318 Ecola Park Road, Seaside, Cannon Beach, OR 97110, Phone: 800-551-6949

Elephant Butte Lake State Park is the quintessential place for outdoor excursions like camping, boating, and fishing. The expansive campground offers a wide range of campsite set-ups including several full-hookup spots for RVs. Popular water sports and activities include swimming, scuba diving and an array of boating and personal watercraft endeavors. The park features 15 miles of trails perfect for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. The Elephant Butte Reservoir was created in 1916 from the Rio Grande and required an enormous engineering accomplishment to construct the damn needed for such a large lake. Visitors can learn all about its construction at the park’s visitor center.

101 Hwy 195, Elephant Butte, NM 87935, Phone: 575-744-5923

Fort De Soto Park stretches more than 1,100 acres across five interconnected islands known as keys. This enormous complex of ecosystems contains a tropical paradise of palms, flowering plants, mangroves, wetlands, and beaches. Bird watchers will be amazed by over 325 species that have been documented on the islands. The park offers camping , picnicking, a playground, and seven miles of paved walking paths. The park was used as a gunnery and bombing range during WWII and visitors can learn more about the history of the islands at the Quartermaster Storehouse Museum. The park features a 12-inch mortar battery and two British breech-loading rifles from 1890.

3500 Pinellas Bayway S., Tierra Verde, FL 33715, Phone: 727-582-2100