The Best State Parks in America: A Complete Bucket-List Checklist (41 Parks)

41 of the best state parks in the country, region by region.

State parks are America's best-kept travel secret — often as stunning as the national parks, with a fraction of the crowds and, in some cases, the older pedigree. This is a curated checklist of 41 of the best state parks across the country, grouped by region, with each park's location and what it's known for — from the waterfall gorges of New York to the red-rock hoodoos of Utah and the sea cliffs of Kauai.

Northeast

State Park	Location	Known For
Watkins Glen State Park	Watkins Glen, NY	19 waterfalls along Gorge Trail
Letchworth State Park (Grand Canyon of the East)	Castile, NY	Three massive waterfalls in the Genesee River canyon
Niagara Falls State Park	Niagara Falls, NY	Oldest U.S. state park (1885)
Ricketts Glen State Park	Benton, PA	21 named waterfalls on the Falls Trail
Camden Hills State Park	Camden, ME	Mt. Battie summit views over Penobscot Bay
Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park	Freeport, ME	Maine coast trails
Robert H. Treman State Park	Ithaca, NY	Lucifer Falls + swimming hole
Baxter State Park	Millinocket, ME	Mount Katahdin, AT terminus
Allegany State Park	Salamanca, NY	Largest NY state park, hiking + swimming

South & Southeast

State Park	Location	Known For
Hunting Island State Park	Beaufort County, SC	Climbable lighthouse + barrier island
Devils Fork State Park	Salem, SC	Lake Jocassee + waterfalls accessible only by boat
Cumberland Falls State Park (Niagara of the South)	Corbin, KY	Moonbow visible nights of full moon
Fall Creek Falls State Park	Spencer, TN	256-ft waterfall, largest in eastern U.S.
Caddo Lake State Park	Karnack, TX	Cypress swamp, paddling
Palo Duro Canyon State Park (Grand Canyon of Texas)	Canyon, TX	Second-largest canyon in U.S.
Garner State Park	Concan, TX	Frio River swimming + dance hall tradition
Gulf State Park	Gulf Shores, AL	Alabama Gulf Coast white-sand beach + dune lakes
Devil's Den State Park	West Fork, AR	CCC stone architecture + crevices

Midwest

State Park	Location	Known For
Hocking Hills State Park	Logan, OH	Old Man's Cave + recess caves + waterfalls
Starved Rock State Park	Oglesby, IL	18 sandstone canyons + waterfalls
Door County State Parks (Peninsula, Whitefish Dunes, Newport)	Door County, WI	Wisconsin's 'Cape Cod'
Itasca State Park	Park Rapids, MN	Source of the Mississippi River
Maquoketa Caves State Park	Maquoketa, IA	13 caves to explore
Custer State Park	Custer, SD	1,300 free-roaming bison
Brown County State Park	Nashville, IN	Indiana's most beautiful fall colors
Ludington State Park	Ludington, MI	Lake Michigan dunes + lighthouse

Mountain West

State Park	Location	Known For
Goblin Valley State Park	Wayne County, UT	Hoodoo formations you can wander among
Dead Horse Point State Park	Moab, UT	Colorado River overlook (Thelma & Louise filming location)
Snow Canyon State Park	Ivins, UT	Red rock + lava tubes
Valley of Fire State Park	Overton, NV	Nevada's oldest state park, red sandstone
Smith Rock State Park	Terrebonne, OR	Birthplace of American sport climbing
Ecola State Park	Cannon Beach, OR	Cannon Beach views ('Goonies' filming)
Hot Springs State Park	Thermopolis, WY	Free public mineral hot springs
Eldorado Canyon State Park	Eldorado Springs, CO	Colorado climbing crag + scenic canyon

California & Pacific

State Park	Location	Known For
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park	Borrego Springs, CA	California's largest state park (600,000+ acres) + spring wildflowers
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park	Big Sur, CA	Big Sur redwoods + Pfeiffer Falls
Crystal Cove State Park	Newport Beach, CA	Beach + 1930s cottage colony
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park	Big Sur, CA	McWay Falls dropping into the Pacific
Humboldt Redwoods State Park	Weott, CA	Avenue of the Giants + Founders Grove
Diamond Head State Monument	Honolulu, HI	Crater hike with Honolulu views
Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park	Kauai, HI	Kalalau Trail along sea cliffs

Planning Tips

Buy the annual state-park pass for any state where you'll visit three or more parks in a year — it almost always beats paying per visit. Go midweek and in shoulder season; even the famous state parks empty out compared to national parks. Reserve campsites and cabins early — the CCC-era lodges and lakeside sites book out months ahead in summer. Check for filming-location and moonbow timing — Cumberland Falls' moonbow only appears on clear full-moon nights, and it's worth planning around.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the oldest state park in the United States?

Niagara Falls State Park in New York, established in 1885, is the oldest state park in the country — it predates the National Park Service by three decades and set the model for public land protection at the state level.

Do state parks charge an entrance fee?

Most state park systems charge a per-vehicle day-use fee, sell an annual state-park pass, or both — and a handful are free. If you visit several parks in one state each year, the annual pass usually pays for itself after three to six visits.

Which state parks are best for waterfalls?

Watkins Glen and Letchworth in New York, Ricketts Glen in Pennsylvania, Hocking Hills in Ohio, and Fall Creek Falls in Tennessee are among the best — Ricketts Glen alone has 21 named waterfalls on one trail.

Are state parks good for camping and hiking?

Yes — many state parks were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s specifically for recreation, and they often have well-maintained campgrounds, cabins, and trail networks that rival national parks with far smaller crowds.

How do I keep track of the state parks I've visited?

A printable state-park passport — a curated checklist grouped by region, a detail page for each park, suggested road-trip routes, and achievement badges — makes it easy to mark off each one as you explore.