State parks that should be national parks

[MATraveler128]

With the fairly recent designation of New River Gorge National Park, are there any state parks that could be promoted to national status? My vote would be Baxter State Park in northern Maine because it is home to Mt. Katahdin and the start of the iconic Appalachian Trail. Any others?

[Rothman]

Niagara Falls State Park

[Max Rockatansky]

Numerous ones in the Big Sur area of California and Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada.

[webny99]

Certainly Niagara. Also Adirondack State Park, maybe not the whole thing but at least part of it.

And if Cuyahoga Valley NP is the bar? Add at least a few more from NY... Allegany and Letchworth, for starters.

[rlb2024]

None -- unless adequate resources are provided to properly maintain the parks.  And I say this as a HUGE fan of the National Parks -- my wife and I have been to 42 of the 51 full National Parks in the lower 48 states, and well over half of the NPS-administered places (National Memorials, National Monuments, etc.).

With that being said, the three that jump out at me are Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada, Custer State Park in South Dakota, and Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas.  All spectacular and unique.

[Max Rockatansky]

None -- unless adequate resources are provided to properly maintain the parks.  And I say this as a HUGE fan of the National Parks -- my wife and I have been to 42 of the 51 full National Parks in the lower 48 states, and well over half of the NPS-administered places (National Memorials, National Monuments, etc.).

With that being said, the three that jump out at me are Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada, Custer State Park in South Dakota, and Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas.  All spectacular and unique.

Custer could just be annexed into Wind Cave National Park.  SD 87/Needles Highway even begins in NPS owned lands already. 

I would say that I think the NPS is a better steward than the state of California for Redwood parks.  The NPS was pretty prepared for the KNP Fire with years of controlled burns whereas places like Big Basin State Park were an overgrown tinder box waiting to happen.  The parks I referred to above in Big Sur similarly are minimally managed by the state and have had some near misses in Coastal Redwood groves.

[NWI_Irish96]

Niagara Falls State Park

I was there this past summer and I guess I didn't even realize that it was a state park and not a National Park.

[rlb2024]

None -- unless adequate resources are provided to properly maintain the parks.  And I say this as a HUGE fan of the National Parks -- my wife and I have been to 42 of the 51 full National Parks in the lower 48 states, and well over half of the NPS-administered places (National Memorials, National Monuments, etc.).

With that being said, the three that jump out at me are Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada, Custer State Park in South Dakota, and Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas.  All spectacular and unique.

Custer could just be annexed into Wind Cave National Park.  SD 87/Needles Highway even begins in NPS owned lands already. 

I would say that I think the NPS is a better steward than the state of California for Redwood parks.  The NPS was pretty prepared for the KNP Fire with years of controlled burns whereas places like Big Basin State Park were an overgrown tinder box waiting to happen.  The parks I referred to above in Big Sur similarly are minimally managed by the state and have had some near misses in Coastal Redwood groves.

I agree that the NPS does better than California (and most states), but in our visits to the parks I see the funds really getting stretched.  And certain administrations like to throw more areas under the management of the NPS without providing adequate funding.

I haven't been to Custer since Moby Dick was a guppy so I'm not that familiar with its proximity to Wind Cave -- my selection of that park was based mostly on talks with friends and listening to podcasts.  Several of our remaining parks to go to are in the Dakotas, and we are thinking about heading that way next summer.  (Isle Royale and Voyageurs are in the plans for this year.)  We have been to both Valley of Fire and Palo Duro Canyon within the past five years, and would strongly advocate for them to be promoted.

[Max Rockatansky]

None -- unless adequate resources are provided to properly maintain the parks.  And I say this as a HUGE fan of the National Parks -- my wife and I have been to 42 of the 51 full National Parks in the lower 48 states, and well over half of the NPS-administered places (National Memorials, National Monuments, etc.).

With that being said, the three that jump out at me are Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada, Custer State Park in South Dakota, and Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas.  All spectacular and unique.

Custer could just be annexed into Wind Cave National Park.  SD 87/Needles Highway even begins in NPS owned lands already. 

I would say that I think the NPS is a better steward than the state of California for Redwood parks.  The NPS was pretty prepared for the KNP Fire with years of controlled burns whereas places like Big Basin State Park were an overgrown tinder box waiting to happen.  The parks I referred to above in Big Sur similarly are minimally managed by the state and have had some near misses in Coastal Redwood groves.

I agree that the NPS does better than California (and most states), but in our visits to the parks I see the funds really getting stretched.  And certain administrations like to throw more areas under the management of the NPS without providing adequate funding.

I haven't been to Custer since Moby Dick was a guppy so I'm not that familiar with its proximity to Wind Cave -- my selection of that park was based mostly on talks with friends and listening to podcasts.  Several of our remaining parks to go to are in the Dakotas, and we are thinking about heading that way next summer.  (Isle Royale and Voyageurs are in the plans for this year.)  We have been to both Valley of Fire and Palo Duro Canyon within the past five years, and would strongly advocate for them to be promoted.

Even the difference in funding between the NPS and NFS is massive.  The fires down in Sequoia National Forest last year were way more intense than Sequoia National Park. At minimum the former at least had more road infrastructure to move resources through to fully surround the fire.

[kphoger]

Dead Horse Point State Park should become part of Canyonlands National Park.

[Max Rockatansky]

^^^

Goblin Valley State Park to the west or Dead Horse/Canyonlands might be National Park worthy if some BLM lands in the San Rafael Swell was added to it. 

[Roadgeekteen]

Not a state park but parts of the white mountains national forest should be a national park.

[Dirt Roads]

With the fairly recent designation of New River Gorge National Park, are there any state parks that could be promoted to national status?

For those not familiar, BlueOutback7 is eluding to the West Virginia state park on the south rim (Grandview) that is literally the backbone of the newest National Park.  But the two state parks on the north rim might even be more deserving:  Hawks Nest and Babcock.  Although Babcock is included in the Preserve, the entirety of Hawks Nest remains on the far northwestern edge of the National Park.  I'm somewhat surprised that they were not incorporated into the National Park itself, but West Virginia is mighty proud of its state park system and these are two of the gemstones. 

Make sure you plan your trip to New River Gorge when the rhododendron are in bloom.  The best part of Babcock is hiking into Glade Creek Hollow through the boulders beneath a canopy of rhododendron thicket.  The Catawbas bloom in mid-May/late-May, whereas the Great Rhododendrons bloom in late-June/early-July.  One source says to check with the State Park ranger in advance to get a better idea of when to expect the blooms to be at their peak.  Same can be said for the trails at Hawks Nest.

(Don't get confused.  There is a Glade Creek on both the north side and the south side of the New River Gorge.  Glade Creek Hollow is on the north side and Glade Creek Gorge is on the south side.  The lower part of Glade Creek Gorge is also in the National Park, located upstream of Grandview.  I've heard that those trails are great as well, but you ought to contact the National Park ranger to get the rhododendron status).

[kalvado]

None -- unless adequate resources are provided to properly maintain the parks.  And I say this as a HUGE fan of the National Parks -- my wife and I have been to 42 of the 51 full National Parks in the lower 48 states, and well over half of the NPS-administered places (National Memorials, National Monuments, etc.).

With that being said, the three that jump out at me are Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada, Custer State Park in South Dakota, and Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas.  All spectacular and unique.

A really interesting question is if any parks are actually making money for the NPS, and if any of the sites listed here can become profitable. As of 2019, NPS receipts were about 20% of overall budget, but I suspect things may differ from site to site. Looks like half of their receipts  was from Statue of Liberty ticket sales alone.
I wonder how things work with Niagara park for NYS. There is no entrance fee for pedestrians, but a lot of attraction ticket sales and parking fees. Visitation is huge, it would be 4th most visited NPS location.  I bet Niagara is a money-maker for NYS parks.
We discussed that more than once - but my strong impression is that Niagara is not properly managed by NYS and would benefit from NPS management. Not that everyone agrees with that, apparently. I can find some older threads and not to mess with this one. 
Again, if it is actually a money-maker, NYS would resist the transfer, and additional funding to straighten things would be paid off.

[Dirt Roads]

Another shout-out to an Appalachian canyon park:  Breaks Interstate Park on the Virginia/Kentucky line.  It used to be called the Russell Fork Canyon, but nowadays folks simply call it "The Breaks" or "Breaks Canyon".  Not as spectacular as the New River Gorge, but deeper and certainly worthy of a way-out-the way roadtrip.  That section of the Russell Fork of the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River (that's a mouthful of rivers) is the deepest canyon in the East.

[vdeane]

Given that the national parks are subject to the whims of an increasingly dysfunctional federal government and government shutdowns, I am very thankful that our NYS parks are NOT national parks.  I don't want what happened to Joshua Tree National Park to happen here.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/28/joshua-tree-national-park-damage-government-shutdown

[rlb2024]

None -- unless adequate resources are provided to properly maintain the parks.  And I say this as a HUGE fan of the National Parks -- my wife and I have been to 42 of the 51 full National Parks in the lower 48 states, and well over half of the NPS-administered places (National Memorials, National Monuments, etc.).

With that being said, the three that jump out at me are Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada, Custer State Park in South Dakota, and Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas.  All spectacular and unique.

A really interesting question is if any parks are actually making money for the NPS, and if any of the sites listed here can become profitable. As of 2019, NPS receipts were about 20% of overall budget, but I suspect things may differ from site to site. Looks like half of their receipts  was from Statue of Liberty ticket sales alone.
I wonder how things work with Niagara park for NYS. There is no entrance fee for pedestrians, but a lot of attraction ticket sales and parking fees. Visitation is huge, it would be 4th most visited NPS location.  I bet Niagara is a money-maker for NYS parks.
We discussed that more than once - but my strong impression is that Niagara is not properly managed by NYS and would benefit from NPS management. Not that everyone agrees with that, apparently. I can find some older threads and not to mess with this one. 
Again, if it is actually a money-maker, NYS would resist the transfer, and additional funding to straighten things would be paid off.

I'm not sure how many of the National Parks charge admission now -- I have a Senior Pass (good for the rest of my life for a one-time $80 fee) so I don't pay that much attention.  The most-visited park (Great Smoky Mountains, with upwards of 10 million visitors per year) has no entrance fee; I believe that is because US 441 traverses the park.  Many of the western parks have a $30 entrance fee that is good for seven days, and they are also implementing an admission reservation system for entrance to the park because they are becoming so crowded.

[Rothman]

I find the need to adequately fund the NPS to be a separate issue from the question in the OP.

That said, the need for increased maintenance and law enforcement funding is quite evident.  NPS relies far too much on untrained volunteers as is.

[Brandon]

Not necessarily should be, but could be:

Mackinac Island State Park, Michigan - actually was a national park, the second national park ever, from 1875 to 1895.

Starved Rock State Park, Illinois.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

MN contenders:

Lake Itasca State Park
Minnehaha Falls Regional Park in Minneapolis

[kkt]

None -- unless adequate resources are provided to properly maintain the parks.  And I say this as a HUGE fan of the National Parks -- my wife and I have been to 42 of the 51 full National Parks in the lower 48 states, and well over half of the NPS-administered places (National Memorials, National Monuments, etc.).

With that being said, the three that jump out at me are Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada, Custer State Park in South Dakota, and Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas.  All spectacular and unique.

Well said.  Congress is happy to make new national parks, but not so great about funding upkeep even for the existing ones, and worse things happen during Federal government shutdowns than just the parks being closed to visitors.

Many of the California, Oregon, and Washington coastal beaches and adjacent lands are beautiful enough to be national parks, but I'm not sure they'd be better taken care of or funded than they are now.

Perhaps Mount Saint Helens, although it's not eligible according to the question because it's now national forest, not state park.

Kodachrome Basin in Utah could make a good national park, although I know you can scarcely throw a rock in Utah without hitting a national park.

[Bruce]

Palouse State Park should be a national monument, if only to give the east side of the state something.

Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park could use the same treatment.

I think a lot of the large Western Washington state parks (like Deception Pass) would become unbearably crowded if they were bumped up to national park status.

[Rothman]

Palouse State Park should be a national monument, if only to give the east side of the state something.

Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park could use the same treatment.

I think a lot of the large Western Washington state parks (like Deception Pass) would become unbearably crowded if they were bumped up to national park status.

Ebey's Landing is already an NPS site...

[kalvado]

Given that the national parks are subject to the whims of an increasingly dysfunctional federal government and government shutdowns, I am very thankful that our NYS parks are NOT national parks.  I don't want what happened to Joshua Tree National Park to happen here.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/28/joshua-tree-national-park-damage-government-shutdown

Not that state governments are much better. If I remember correctly, NY parks were shutdown under Patterson. Budget extension in ongoing budget cycle should keep things moving, but doesn't help the case of functional state government.

[formulanone]

Given that the national parks are subject to the whims of an increasingly dysfunctional federal government and government shutdowns, I am very thankful that our NYS parks are NOT national parks.  I don't want what happened to Joshua Tree National Park to happen here.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/28/joshua-tree-national-park-damage-government-shutdown

Not that state governments are much better. If I remember correctly, NY parks were shutdown under Patterson. Budget extension in ongoing budget cycle should keep things moving, but doesn't help the case of functional state government.

In an ideal world, each state would have at least one National Park, but upkeep on National Parks seem to be dwindling. Not every state park gets the right amount of upkeep, either. I usually figure at least one or two things aren't functioning due to age, vandalism, or lack of support.

On a very local level, we get about the same level of quality of park upkeep and acquisition from a non-profit volunteer organization like the Land Trust of North Alabama, since the state has limited coffers. There's even a few "private land preserves" which are kind enough to let you stroll around on weekends; but you must stick to the rules, like toting away your own garbage, stay in the preserve limits, and don't steal things, or you're banned (these are rules I can agree with).