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State parks areparks or otherprotected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational potential. There are state parks under the administration of the government of eachU.S. state, some of theMexican states, and inBrazil. The term is also used in theAustralian states ofVictoria andNew South Wales.[1] The equivalent term used in Canada, Argentina, South Africa, and Belgium, isprovincial park. Similar systems of local government maintained parks exist in other countries, but the terminology varies.
State parks are thus similar tonational parks, but under state rather than federal administration. Similarly,local government entities below state level may maintain parks, e.g.,regional parks orcounty parks. In general, state parks are smaller than national parks, with a few exceptions such asAnza-Borrego Desert State Park in California, andWood-Tikchik State Park in Alaska, the largest state park in theUnited States.
In addition to preservingnatural landscapes and providing recreational opportunities, many state parks also serve as importanteducational resources. They often offer guided tours, interpretive programs, and exhibits that help visitors learn about the localflora,fauna,geology, andcultural history of the area. These programs are designed not only to enhance the visitor experience but also to promote conservation awareness and encourage responsible enjoyment of natural resources.[2]
There are 6,792 state park units in the United States, according to theNational Association of State Park Directors (NASPD).[3] There are some 813 million annual visits to the country's state parks.[3] The NASPD further counts over 43,000 miles (69,000 km) of trail, 217,367 campsites, and 8,277 cabins and lodges across U.S. state parks.[3] The largest state park system in the United States isAlaska State Parks, with over 100 sites encompassing 3.3 million acres.[4]
Many states include designations beyond "state park" in their state parks systems. Other designations might be staterecreation areas, state beaches, and statenature reserves. Some state park systems include long-distance trails andhistoric sites. To encouragetourism inrural areas, several states have simple lodges, inns, hotels, or motels (usually with a restaurant) for lodging at some parks. These typically use "Resort" in the name, such as "_____ Resort State Park" inWest Virginia state parks and "_____ State Resort Park" in neighboringKentucky state parks, which has 17 such resort parks, the most of any state. Other states use the Resort name inconsistently (likeDeGray Lake Resort State Park, the only one out of three resorts inArkansas state parks), or have only one such park (South Carolina state parks'Hickory Knob State Resort Park), or do not use the designation at all (such as the lodges ofGeorgia state parks). The term "lodge" may also refer to ahiking lodge, essentially a large cabin for hikers rather than a large facility with private rooms and a restaurant. Other lodging may includeyurts andtipis.[citation needed]
Some parks are called "State Natural Areas", for example in theWisconsin State Natural Areas program.[5]
Not all parks owned by a state are necessarily part of its state-park system, such asStone Mountain Park near Atlanta. SomeTexas state parks are aland lease from theU.S. government, whileMackinac National Park was handed down to become the first of theMichigan state parks. As with national parks, facilities at state parks are often leased toconcessionaires to operate.Breaks Interstate Park is operated under aninterstate compact byVirginia state parks, although it is also one of theKentucky state parks, straddling both sides of the state line. Other multi-state parks are legally two separate parks with the same name and more informal cooperation between them.
The title of oldest state park in the United States is claimed byNiagara Falls State Park inNew York, established in 1885.[6][7] Several public parks previously or currently maintained at the state level pre-date it.[8]Indian Springs State Park has been operated continuously by the state ofGeorgia as a public park since 1825, although it did not gain the title "State Park" until 1931.[9] In 1864Yosemite Valley andMariposa Grove were ceded by the federal government to California[8] untilYosemite National Park was proclaimed in 1890.[10] In 1878Wisconsin set aside a vast swath of its northern forests as "The State Park" but, needing money, sold most of it to lumber companies within 20 years.[11] Mackinac National Park was established in 1875 as the second U.S. national park before being converted to a state park in 1895. The first state park with the designation of "state park" wasItasca State Park inMinnesota, established in 1891.[12]
Many state park systems date to the 1930s, when around 800 state parks (and several national ones) across the country were developed with assistance from federaljob-creation programs like theCivilian Conservation Corps andWorks Progress Administration.[13]
