State Parks

[dvferyance]

Since I am going to be visiting a lot of state parks this year I thought I would start a thread about it. What are the best state parks in your state? Which ones have you visited?This should be interesting.

[roadgeek01]

Saumel S. Lewis State Park in York gives a great view of the southern end of the Susquehanna River Valley.  Also, there is Gettysburg National Military Park in Gettysburg, even though technically it isn't a state park.  There is plenty of history and there is a campsite there too.

[sbeaver44]

Pennsylvania - I've been to several, but Cherry Springs State Park is the best in our state.  It is located in a remote area in Potter County, so "the sky at Cherry Springs has been classified as a 2 on the Bortle Dark-Sky Scale, meaning it has almost no light pollution.[51] Such "truly dark, starry skies are unavailable to two-thirds of the world's population, including 99 percent of people in the continental U.S. and Western Europe".[3] With optimum conditions, 10,000 stars are visible with the naked eye at the park, clouds appear only as black holes in the starry sky, and the Milky Way is so bright that it casts a discernible shadow.[51]"

Per https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_Springs_State_Park

Nexus 6P

[Max Rockatansky]

Bodie State Historical Park is by far my favorite in California.  I've been to a lot of ghost towns over the years and very really rank up there with the ruins of Bodie, it really is one of the coolest places out there.

[Brandon]

Illinois: I'm biased here, but a visit to Starved Rock State Park is a must.

[TheArkansasRoadgeek]

Devil's Den, Crator of Diamonds, and The Buffalo National River are all great areas, but the parks with rivers in most states seem to get trashed by rednecks... Sad.

[slorydn1]

This is my fav in NC:

https://www.ncparks.gov/mount-mitchell-state-park

[Rothman]

Niagara Falls
Watkins Glen
Letchworth
Adirondack Park
Catskills
Harriman

New York is surprisingly awesome in the state park department...

[bulldog1979]

When it comes to Michigan, I can't think of one that really beats Mackinac Island State Park.

[slorydn1]

When it comes to Michigan, I can't think of one that really beats Mackinac Island State Park.

Silver Lake State Park says hello!

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Silver+Lake+State+Park+Off-Road+Vehicle+Area/@43.6614416,-86.477974,12z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x10a98e87002032f1!8m2!3d43.6872393!4d-86.5073776

[sparker]

The chain of successive state parks -- and the CA option, the "state reserve", that line US 101 in northern Mendocino and Humboldt Counties are my favorite S.P.'s within the state.  Anchored on the south by Smithe Reserve and its neighbor Richardson Grove (itself the locus of the perpetual controversy about a freeway bypass) near the county line and on the north by the massive Humboldt Redwoods park (most of which is accessible via CA 254, the original alignment of US 101, which uses a freeway alignment uphill from the park center), these are the most publicly accessible original redwood groves in this part of the state. 

If you're up on US 101 and in a hurry, stick with the freeway -- once on CA 254, you'll be stopping regularly at one old-growth grove after another; they're that impressive!  Gotta give points to CA for establishing this series of state parks well before the federal government commissioned Redwood National Park to the north -- most of which is more or less a functional preserve and inaccessible to the general public.     

[Max Rockatansky]

Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah has the best over look in the Canyonlands.   Goblin Valley is pretty nice too, more or less a more worn down version of Bryce Canyon.  Valley of Fire and Redrock Canyon in Nevada are worth a stop because of sandstone.  Like wise in Arizona you have Red Rock and Slide Rock near Sedona which offer sandstone.  Jerome State Historical Park is close by and is kind of like a living version of Bodie in California. 

[kalvado]

Niagara Falls
Watkins Glen
Letchworth
Adirondack Park
Catskills
Harriman

New York is surprisingly awesome in the state park department...

Probably linked to having very few national parks?
At least Adirondack and Niagara falls would definitely qualify as national parks.
ANd as a result, something like Cohoes falls doesn't even qualify for state park.

And as for NY, I would add John Boyd Thacher State Park - just for the view; and Taughannock Falls State Park  - for awesome view as well.

[Rothman]

Niagara Falls
Watkins Glen
Letchworth
Adirondack Park
Catskills
Harriman

New York is surprisingly awesome in the state park department...

Probably linked to having very few national parks?
At least Adirondack and Niagara falls would definitely qualify as national parks.
ANd as a result, something like Cohoes falls doesn't even qualify for state park.

And as for NY, I would add John Boyd Thacher State Park - just for the view; and Taughannock Falls State Park  - for awesome view as well.

I agree with Thacher and Taughannock and all the ones in the Ithaca area...just got tired writing them all out when NY's superiority was already well-established.

There's also one out on the drop-off of the Tug Hill Plateau is pretty incredible.  Forget what it's called.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

My favorite in Minnesota is Cascade River on the North Shore. Any of the North Shore parks are great (Gooseberry, Temperance River, Split Rock, Tettegouche, C.R. Magney, Grand Portage), but I'd probably steer clear of Gooseberry Falls or Split Rock Lighthouse on high-season weekends.

I've also visited Lake Itasca SP, which is the headwaters of the Mississippi.

Banning State Park is cool for being both scenic and a history tour along the Kettle River where major quarry operations used to operate.

[GaryV]

When it comes to Michigan, I can't think of one that really beats Mackinac Island State Park.

Silver Lake State Park says hello!

I gotta add Porcupine Mountains and Tahquamenon Falls to the mix.

Not surprisingly, Belle Isle State Park (in the Detroit River) is the most visited state park in Michigan.

[Ian]

In Maine, Baxter State Park in rural Piscataquis County up north is really pretty, especially in the fall when the foliage is in full force. It's home to the state's highest point, Mount Katahdin, which is also the north end of the Appalachian Trail. Baxter is by far my favorite of Maine's state parks, but there are also a few others that I enjoy...

• Camden Hills State Park in Camden has a road and several trails leading up to Mount Battie and Mount Megunticook, which provide an excellent view of the town
• Popham Beach State Park is a popular beach destination for Maine, but it's a bit crowded during the summer. It's also in close proximity to Fort Popham, a Civil War-era coastal defense station.
• While a lot of them are not state parks, the lighthouses in Maine are certainly a sight to behold. Portland Head, Pemaquid, Marshall Point (featured in Forrest Gump), and West Quoddy Head are some of my favorites.

[hbelkins]

Having grown up 15 miles from Natural Bridge State Resort Park in Kentucky, it's the one I'm most familiar with. We often went on picnics there, or swimming at the pool, when I was growing up. There's a lodge, at which I've never stayed because it's so close to home, and a restaurant which is pretty good. The big attraction is, as you might guess, a rock arch on the premises (one of many in the area). It used to be a railroad-owned resort when a rail line went through the area. There's an abandoned tunnel near the swimming pool but they may have covered up the entrances since I last checked.

Buckhorn Lake SRP is also one that we visited at least once a year when I was growing up. One of dad's brothers would make the drive up from near Louisville with his daughter and wife and we would go up to picnic and swim on the beach.

The most recent one I visited was Jenny Wiley SRP, but that was for a work training class.

[dvferyance]

These are the state parks I have visited
Wisconsin
Bong
Devil's Lake(Largest in Wisconsin)
Kettle Moraine Northern
Kettle Moraine Southern
Latham Peak(Highest point in Waukesha County)
Lakeshore
Peninsula
Pike Lake
Illinois
Castle Rock
Chain O Lakes
Kanakee River
Rock Cut
Starved Rock (As Brandon mentioned)
South Dakota
Custer
Virginia
Smith Mountain Lake
Can't say there was one I disliked. Custer is unique in the fact it's a drive through park.

[jwolfer]

Florida has a great state park system.  I have been to many of them. My favorites are

Bahia Honda SP in the Keys, campsites right on the ocean and even cabins... Advance reservation are a must

Ichetucknee Spings SP. NW of Gainesville.  Numerous natural springs and a real lazy river

Dudley Farm SP which is a real workinf farm done like the 1880s in Newberry, west of Gainesville

Some the more ineresting florida state parks are old pre Disney tourist spots... Like

Homosassa Springs great place to see manatees in winter. A zoo with mostly native florida wildlife

Weekie Watchee Springs with the Mermaid show

Even Silver Springs has been changed to a state park

I think the state has a good variety of parks showcasing all different natural areas and historical sites of the state.  Much more than the beach

LGMS428

[Rothman]

Been to Jenny Wiley a few times for family reunions.

[Rothman]

Niagara Falls
Watkins Glen
Letchworth
Adirondack Park
Catskills
Harriman

New York is surprisingly awesome. Including in the state park department...

Probably linked to having very few national parks?
At least Adirondack and Niagara falls would definitely qualify as national parks.
ANd as a result, something like Cohoes falls doesn't even qualify for state park.

And as for NY, I would add John Boyd Thacher State Park - just for the view; and Taughannock Falls State Park  - for awesome view as well.

I agree with Thacher and Taughannock and all the ones in the Ithaca area...just got tired writing them all out when NY's superiority was already well-established.

There's also one out on the drop-off of the Tug Hill Plateau is pretty incredible.  Forget what it's called.

FTFY 

Seconded. IMO even Letchworth and the Catskills qualify for National Parks. Taughannock is great, but I've never heard of Thatcher!?
A google maps search doesn't reveal too many State Parks in the Tug Hill region... are you thinking of a SF?

Whetstone Gulf.

[berberry]

In Mississippi, Tishomingo State Park is by far the nicest in terms of natural scenery. The Appalachian mountain range extends just barely into the extreme northeast corner of the state, and this park includes its most dramatic features. There are no true mountains at Tishomingo, but there are enough foothills to create a rugged landscape that is unlike anything else in Mississippi. There are lots of rockwalls and outcrops, which gives it the feel of a mountain park. You're likely to encounter some mountain climbers at a formation known as Jean's Overhang, on the Outcrops Trail. Woodall Mountain is nearby, Mississippi's highest foothill.

[1995hoo]

I haven't been to most of Virginia's state parks (as opposed to local, regional, or national parks). Natural Bridge State Park was worth the visit this past December. I think it's the only one I've visited.

[inkyatari]

Illinois:

Another vote for Starved Rock, but stay away on holiday weekends.  I still love the place, but the crowds can ruin the experience.
Also

Giant City
Mississippi Palisades
Castle Rock
Lowden
Cave in Rock
Ferne Clyffe
Dixon Springs
Cache River