American State Parks

The American State Parks System Can Only Be Described In One Way - Awe Inspiring

The numbers are simply amazing. To date there are over 7,500 parks, which receive 740 million visitors every year. There are 220,000 campsites and 44,000 miles of trails

Every one of the fifty states of this incredible country have set aside the very best parts of their land for the enjoyment of the people.

Some of the parks were chosen for their stunning beauty, others for their historic value and many others as places where visitors can simply relax and enjoy their surroundings.

The amount of land preserved as American State Parks is massive. Some states may only have a handful of parks, but they could cover thousands of acres. Other states may have dozens of parks but many may be relatively small. Every state is different. Every state is unique.

There were two "golden eras" in the history of American State Parks.

The first was during the Depression years of the 1930`s when job creation schemes begun by President Roosevelt had organisations such as the Civilian Conservation Corps building hundreds of public areas across the United States.

The second was after World War Two when people began to find themselves with more leisure time and larger disposable incomes. Therefore you will find many State Parks that were created in the 1950`s and early 1960`s.

However, state parks originated well before those two eras.

Georgia lays claim to having the oldest of the American State Parks. Their Indian Springs State Park has been running under state ownership since 1825!

Many other states claim parks with their origins going back to the 19th century. On the other hand, parks are still coming into the system right up to the present day.

So what can you expect to find here at American State Parks?

Each state has a brief description of its geography and the types of parks it has. There is then a complete listing of all the state parks that come under the control of that state`s managing authority.

The only areas covered are those that have the name "state park." Other places such as nature reservations and recreation areas are not dealt with here.

Within the list under each state there will then be a description of the individual parks. This will tell you about its location, historical background, facilities, activities and any other features that may be of interest.

Obviously with thousands of state parks to research and write about, it may take a little time to do them all.

However, click on the icons below to read about your favorite state and if you want me to write about your special park, contact me and I will include it as soon as possible.