State / National parks that are no more

[inkyatari]

In digging through the Illinois roadmaps on the state archives, I noticed that there's a state park in Ottawa, Fox River state park that must have been decommissioned in the late 50's / early 60's.  I've driven through the river valley there, and noticed abandoned picnic shelters that look like they were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and was wondering what was up with that.  I've done search after search, but have found no information on this particular park.

Looking up the proposal for Driftless Rivers National Park (A proposed national park in Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois, that will never happen,) I saw something interesting..  Where the Savanna, IL Army Ammunition Depot is, used to be Savanna National Forest, once upon a time.  Yes, Illinois once had TWO national forests.

Another thing I found interesting is that Mackinac Island in Michigan was actually one of the first few National Parks at one time.

Anybody have any examples of this sort of thing in their area?

[Max Rockatansky]

Pagago Park in Phoenix was a National Monument from 1914 to 1930.  Apparently it didn't meet what the criteria of what Congress thought made it worth of National Monument Status. 

[SP Cook]

WV has four former state parks. 

Grandview State Park, near Beckley, was given to the federal government in 1990 and is a part of the New River Gorge National River (which is a different thing from a national park, WV has no national parks).

Mont Chateau State Park, near Morgantown, was a part of a 1950s and 60s "economic development" idea of building  a chain of "resort" state parks.  It was economically unviable and abandoned in 1977. 

Morgan Monument, which really was just that, a small monument beside the road to the (alledeged) first white settler in what became WV, was turned over to the WVDOH as a roadside rest area.  AFAIK it has since fallen into disrepair.

Rumsey Monument, again just a small monument to James Rumsey, an inventor, was turned over the the town of Shephardstown as a city park in 1977.

BTW, in the federal system a "national forest" is under the Department of Agriculture and is charged with "conservation, timber harvesting, livestock grazing, wildlife adn watershed protection and recreation as the case may be from time to time".  A "national park" is under the Department of Interior, and as to the "natural" (as opposed to the "historical") ones are to be "forever preserved".  Totally different concepts.

[Brandon]

Another thing I found interesting is that Mackinac Island in Michigan was actually one of the first few National Parks at one time.

Mackinac Island was actually the second national park (after Yellowstone), and was handed to the state to take care of.  The state then made it a state park, the first such state park in the state.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackinac_Island_State_Park

[Rothman]

Fossil Cycad National Monument was dissolved.  I believe this was the one that taught us that if you are not ready to establish at the time of announcement, the poachers and other interests rush in.

In short, by the time it was established, the place was picked clean.

See also Great Smoky Mountains for a parallel experience:  When it was being considered, loggers greatly increased their logging before designation (some ridiculous number of acres were razed every day in their efforts).  Of course, not enough damage to not create the park.

[empirestate]

Miner Lake State Park in NY was disestablished and given over to the Ganienkeh band of Mohawk as part of an as-yet-unresolved sovereignty dispute. Although in truth, I don't know how fully established or developed Miner Lake actually ever was as a park site.


iPhone

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Minnesota has 16 former state parks; most of them were glorified city parks that were given back to those cities.

[bmorrill]

The Chickasaw National Recreation Area in Oklahoma used to be Platt National Park. Went there in the late 50s. Chief attraction was the mineral springs/spa.

[texaskdog]

Another thing I found interesting is that Mackinac Island in Michigan was actually one of the first few National Parks at one time.

Mackinac Island was actually the second national park (after Yellowstone), and was handed to the state to take care of.  The state then made it a state park, the first such state park in the state.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackinac_Island_State_Park

I proudly notified Wikipedia of this, my only claim to fame lol

[texaskdog]

The Chickasaw National Recreation Area in Oklahoma used to be Platt National Park. Went there in the late 50s. Chief attraction was the mineral springs/spa.

It is a nice park but I see why it is no longer, it works better as a NRA.  We went there earlier this year.  It was at one time the 2nd most visited NP!

[wxfree]

Texas has a former state park highway.  I remember reading about the history, but don't remember where.  As I recall, the legislature wanted a state park in the area but made no appropriation to buy land and the owner wouldn't donate it.  As an alternative, a state park highway was established along SH 166, which still serves as a scenic loop around the mountains.  Later the land for a park was donated and the state park highway idea was abandoned.

The park is mentioned in the highway designation file.
http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/sh/sh0166.htm

The road still has a neat park called Point of Rocks.  There's a parking area and a small piece of public land where people can climb up a rocky hill.
https://www.google.com/maps/@30.533727,-104.0640148,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sDI5lHCCEGd7351aPXbqA5g!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DDI5lHCCEGd7351aPXbqA5g%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D192.44899%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

[MNHighwayMan]

Minnesota has 16 former state parks; most of them were glorified city parks that were given back to those cities.

Do you have a list/source for those? I'm curious to know what/where they were.

[epzik8]

There's Palmer State Park along Deer Creek to the northeast of Bel Air, Maryland, just off U.S. Route 1, which is basically just trees now. Forge Hill Road, a previous alignment of U.S. 1 which then became Maryland Route 590 before being downgraded to Harford County maintenance, goes through it.

Also, Deer Creek State Park in Harford became Rocks State Park, which is still alive and kicking today.

[JJBers]

There's Palmer State Park along Deer Creek to the northeast of Bel Air, Maryland, just off U.S. Route 1, which is basically just trees now. Forge Hill Road, a previous alignment of U.S. 1 which then became Maryland Route 590 before being downgraded to Harford County maintenance, goes through it.

Also, Deer Creek State Park in Harford became Rocks State Park, which is still alive and kicking today.

We have a state park the fringes the borders of Hartford and Tolland counties.

In Connecticut.

[hotdogPi]

There's Palmer State Park along Deer Creek to the northeast of Bel Air, Maryland, just off U.S. Route 1, which is basically just trees now. Forge Hill Road, a previous alignment of U.S. 1 which then became Maryland Route 590 before being downgraded to Harford County maintenance, goes through it.

Also, Deer Creek State Park in Harford became Rocks State Park, which is still alive and kicking today.

We have a state park the fringes the borders of Hartford and Tolland counties.

In Connecticut.

"Harford" wasn't a typo.

[JJBers]

There's Palmer State Park along Deer Creek to the northeast of Bel Air, Maryland, just off U.S. Route 1, which is basically just trees now. Forge Hill Road, a previous alignment of U.S. 1 which then became Maryland Route 590 before being downgraded to Harford County maintenance, goes through it.

Also, Deer Creek State Park in Harford became Rocks State Park, which is still alive and kicking today.

We have a state park the fringes the borders of Hartford and Tolland counties.

In Connecticut.

"Harford" wasn't a typo.

But it's close enough to get confused.

[inkyatari]

Anybody from Northern IL have any information on Fox River State Park / Conservation area in Ottawa?  I'm looking for old park maps and such.  Really, any information.

[mgk920]

I'm not up on the details, but there is a decommissioned state park (former Lost Dauphin State Park) in the Green Bay, WI area, overlooking the Fox River along Brown County 'D' just southwest (upstream) of De Pere, WI.

Mike

[Revive 755]

IIRC there were two state parks in Missouri in the St. Louis area that were downgraded or changed:

* Fort Zumwalt State Park in St. Charles County - which at one time had a MO 175 leading to it per one of the Missouri highways websites.  Appears to have been downgraded to either a county or municipal park.

* Mastodon State Park - changed to a 'State Historic Site'.

[rte66man]

The Chickasaw National Recreation Area in Oklahoma used to be Platt National Park. Went there in the late 50s. Chief attraction was the mineral springs/spa.

It is a nice park but I see why it is no longer, it works better as a NRA.  We went there earlier this year.  It was at one time the 2nd most visited NP!

The boundaries of Platt NP were far less than the current NRA.  Platt was just the part immediately adjacent to downtown Sulphur, including the Travertine Springs area.  We used to go over there from Duncan at least once a summer to drink from the springs and generally cool off in the creeks as they weren't filled with red mud as were the streams and lakes in our area.

[inkyatari]

I've found information about Fox River State Park.  It was on a topo map as late as 1970, disappeared from Illinois road maps once I-80 went through, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources still owns the property.

[Roadgeekteen]

All of them if I get my way.

[texaskdog]

The Chickasaw National Recreation Area in Oklahoma used to be Platt National Park. Went there in the late 50s. Chief attraction was the mineral springs/spa.

It is a nice park but I see why it is no longer, it works better as a NRA.  We went there earlier this year.  It was at one time the 2nd most visited NP!

The boundaries of Platt NP were far less than the current NRA.  Platt was just the part immediately adjacent to downtown Sulphur, including the Travertine Springs area.  We used to go over there from Duncan at least once a summer to drink from the springs and generally cool off in the creeks as they weren't filled with red mud as were the streams and lakes in our area.

It's a nice area but pretty sparsely visited. 

[TravelingBethelite]

All of them if I get my way.

Why though? Do realize the immense value of all these parks?!

[Rothman]

The Chickasaw National Recreation Area in Oklahoma used to be Platt National Park. Went there in the late 50s. Chief attraction was the mineral springs/spa.

It is a nice park but I see why it is no longer, it works better as a NRA.  We went there earlier this year.  It was at one time the 2nd most visited NP!

The boundaries of Platt NP were far less than the current NRA.  Platt was just the part immediately adjacent to downtown Sulphur, including the Travertine Springs area.  We used to go over there from Duncan at least once a summer to drink from the springs and generally cool off in the creeks as they weren't filled with red mud as were the streams and lakes in our area.

It's a nice area but pretty sparsely visited.

Chickasaw NRA gets 1.3m visits a year, per the NPS site.