Best State Park

Great River Bluffs State Park Goat Prairies are steep, dry, south-facing bluff prairies located within Great River Bluffs State Park in southeastern Minnesota. The park sits atop the Mississippi River bluffs and preserves fragments of native goat prairie habitat, which is characterized by thin soils...

Silver Falls State Park features a remarkable series of eight distinct waterfalls cascading down a moss-covered gorge in Oregon's Silverton district. The trail provides a unique walkable experience allowing visitors to closely observe the tiered falls and surrounding lush rainforest environment. It’...

Afton State Park is a Minnesota state park located along the St. Croix River in Washington County. The park encompasses rolling terrain along river bluffs and includes restored tallgrass prairie, oak savanna, and hardwood forest communities. Ongoing prairie restoration projects aim to re-establish n...

The Glade Creek Grist Mill is a functioning watermill replica located within Babcock State Park in West Virginia. Constructed in 1976, it replicates a historic grist mill from Stony Creek and demonstrates early milling techniques. The mill provides insight into the region’s agricultural past and is...

Makena Beach, located within Makena State Park on Maui’s south shore, is notable for its expansive, wide sandy beach and dramatic cliffs. The park's shoreline extends over a mile, offering significant space for recreation. It’s popular with families, photographers seeking scenic views, and those wis...

Palo Duro Canyon is an extensive canyon system in the Texas Panhandle, southeast of Amarillo, carved primarily by the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River. Its multicolored sedimentary layers, steep walls, mesas, and hoodoos are protected in Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Roads, trails, campsites, a...

Waubonsie State Park is a conservation area located in the unique Loess Hills region of southwestern Iowa, near the Missouri border. Established to protect the area's distinctive rugged landscape of steep ridges and sharp peaks, the park spans over 2,000 acres of natural terrain. It is named in hono...

McConnell’s Mill represents a significant example of early American water-powered milling technology. Located within Slippery Rock State Park in Pennsylvania, the mill operated from the late 18th century until the mid-20th century. It originally ground grain into flour and cornmeal using traditional...

Whitewater State Park Goat Prairies in Minnesota are fragile, sun-drenched bluff ecosystems hosting rare prairie specialist species.

Blue Spring State Park is a protected conservation area located in Volusia County, Florida, along the St. Johns River. The park centers around a first-magnitude freshwater spring that discharges millions of gallons of water daily, maintaining a consistent temperature throughout the winter. This warm...

The Spring Mill State Park Grist Mill represents an important piece of Indiana’s early industrial heritage. This working watermill utilizes the flow of water from Hamer Cave to grind grain, demonstrating a traditional method of food production. Constructed in the mid-19th century, it is a valuable e...

Steptoe Butte is a quartzite landform in Whitman County, Washington, rising to about 3,612 feet above sea level and standing prominently above the surrounding Palouse farmland. It is a monadnock, meaning that its resistant rock remained after erosion lowered the surrounding terrain. Protected as a s...

Wakulla Springs is one of the world's largest and deepest known freshwater springs, located in Wakulla County, Florida, within Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park. The spring system feeds the Wakulla River and has been explored by cave divers to depths exceeding 90 m. Underwater archaeological di...

The Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park safeguards a significant portion of Florida’s native dry prairie ecosystem. This expansive preserve represents one of the largest remaining examples of this habitat in the United States. Its designation as an International Dark Sky Park highlights exceptiona...

The Bale Grist Mill is a preserved 1846 watermill located within California State Park. This historic structure features a substantial 36-foot wooden water wheel and demonstrates early grist milling techniques. Constructed to grind grain using the power of flowing water, it offers insight into agric...

Goblin Valley State Park is a protected landscape in central Utah known for dense concentrations of unusually shaped sandstone hoodoos locally called goblins. The formations developed through erosion of rock associated with the Jurassic Entrada Sandstone, producing isolated pillars and rounded figur...

Stone State Park Prairie in Iowa protects significant Loess Hills tallgrass prairie ecosystems spanning the Iowa and South Dakota border.

Partington Cove is a coastal inlet located in the Big Sur region of central California, situated within Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. The cove is accessed via a historic trail and a hand-dug tunnel that leads down to the rocky shoreline. In the late 19th century, the site was utilized by John Par...

Silver Springs is a massive artesian spring system located in Marion County, Florida, feeding the Silver River. Historically renowned for its crystal-clear waters, the site began offering iconic glass-bottom boat tours in the late 1870s, allowing visitors to observe the underwater life and formation...

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park encompasses a vast Florida savanna wetland area spanning 21,000 acres. It’s notable for maintaining a free-ranging herd of American bison and horses, remnants of historic livestock populations. The park provides critical habitat for diverse wildlife including wadin...

The Pine Creek Gristmill is a historic watermill located within Wildcat Den State Park in Iowa. Constructed in 1848 by Benjamin Nye, it represents an early example of agricultural machinery in the region. The mill’s operation relied on harnessing the power of Pine Creek to grind grain into flour. It...

Preparation Canyon State Park Prairie in Iowa features rugged Loess Hills terrain and preserves the site of an 1850s Mormon settlement.

Steamboat Rock is a large basalt butte rising above Banks Lake in Grant County, Washington, within Steamboat Rock State Park. It is a remnant of Columbia River basalt isolated by erosion and the immense Ice Age floods that shaped the Grand Coulee. Trails lead onto its broad summit, while the surroun...

The Carrizo Badlands are an expanse of deeply eroded sedimentary terrain in and around the southern portion of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California. Folded and faulted layers, dry washes, mud hills, and narrow canyons record the tectonic development of the Salton Trough. Fossil-bearing Pliocen...

Carley State Park Prairie in Minnesota features steep bluff prairies along the Whitewater River valley, known for spring wildflower blooms.

Rock Run Grist Mill is a restored water-powered mill in Maryland's Susquehanna State Park, built in 1794 by businessman and landowner John Stump.

Cumberland Falls is a significant waterfall located in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge State Park. Its unique plunging cascade creates optical illusions known as “moonbows” – rainbow displays visible only during specific lunar conditions. The falls are notable for this rare phenomenon and their impressiv...

Fall Creek Falls is a prominent waterfall located within Fall Creek Falls State Park in Tennessee, North America. It’s notable for being one of the tallest free-falling waterfalls in the eastern United States reaching over 185 feet. The falls offer significant recreational opportunities including hi...

Fort Rock is a crescent-shaped volcanic tuff ring in Lake County, Oregon, formed when rising magma interacted explosively with water in the prehistoric Fort Rock basin. Erosion by waves from the former lake helped produce the breached, cliff-lined landform visible today. The formation lies within Fo...