America has 8,565 state parks nationwide, almost every town is only a short drive away from the nearest one. Each park offers something unique to visitors. You can enjoy a range of activities, including hiking, horseback riding, surfing and scuba diving.
In 2017, state parks recorded an all-time record of 807 million visitors.
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HomeToGo’s 2020 US State Park Index ranked the best state parks, based on four factors important to visitors: the size in acres and the number of annual visitors, the number of activities offered, the biodiversity of plants and animals in the park, and the availability of nearby accommodation.
Two Texas state parks — Palo Duro Canyon State Park and Brazos Bend State Park — came in second and third respectively among the list of 20 state parks.
Top 10 state parks on the 2020 US State Park Index:
- Letchworth State Park, New York
- Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas
- Brazos Bend State Park, Texas
- Blue Spring State Park, Florida
- Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
- Rainbow Springs State Park, Florida
- Tettegouche State Park, Minnesota
- Baxter State Park, Maine
- Bear Mountain State Park, New York
- Devil’s Lake State Park, Wisconsin