Red House Lake with the forested hills of Allegany State Park behind it

State parks

Start with your state

Pick a state to see its parks, its reservation system, and the booking windows, vehicle passes, and camping quirks that actually shape the trip. We cover all 50.

Find your state

Every state page collects its national and state parks, its official reservation portal, and the booking rules that change from one state to the next.

Alabama2 park guides Alaska9 park guides Arizona5 park guides Arkansas5 park guides California18 park guides Colorado11 park guides Connecticut3 park guides Delaware2 park guides Florida10 park guides Georgia4 park guides Hawaii4 park guides Idaho3 park guides Illinois2 park guides Indiana3 park guides Iowa1 park guide Kansas2 park guides Kentucky3 park guides Louisiana2 park guides Maine4 park guides Maryland3 park guides Massachusetts2 park guides Michigan3 park guides Minnesota6 park guides Mississippi2 park guides Missouri4 park guides Montana4 park guides Nebraska1 park guide Nevada5 park guides New Hampshire1 park guide New Jersey1 park guide New Mexico5 park guides New York9 park guides North Carolina3 park guides North Dakota2 park guides Ohio3 park guides Oklahoma4 park guides Oregon7 park guides Pennsylvania5 park guides Rhode Island1 park guide South Carolina4 park guides South Dakota4 park guides Tennessee4 park guides Texas8 park guides Utah12 park guides Vermont1 park guide Virginia6 park guides Washington9 park guides West Virginia3 park guides Wisconsin4 park guides Wyoming4 park guides

Featured state park guides

A few of the parks we have built out end to end, with imagery, campground choices, reservation windows, and what to pack.

New York

Allegany State Park

New York's largest state park: 65,000 acres of un-glaciated forest, the Red House and Quaker areas, rock-city boulders, lake beaches, and reservable cabins and campsites.

New York State Park reservations run through ReserveAmerica and can generally be made up to nine months before arrival.

Towering white sand dunes topped with golden sea oats at Anastasia State Park, the Atlantic surf and a wide quartz-sand beach beyond, bright blue sky

Florida

One of Florida's most popular state parks, just across the bridge from historic St. Augustine: four miles of white-quartz beach, towering ancient dunes, a tidal lagoon for paddling, and a large oceanfront campground tucked under coastal hammock.

Florida State Parks routes camping reservations through its official system, bookable up to 11 months in advance. Reservations can also be made by phone at (800) 326-3521.

A herd of free-ranging bison grazing on the golden grasslands of Antelope Island, the silver expanse of the Great Salt Lake and the Wasatch Mountains behind them, warm late-afternoon light

Utah

Antelope Island State Park

The largest island in the Great Salt Lake, with free-ranging bison, Frary Peak, salty swimming beaches, dark skies, and primitive lakeside camping near Salt Lake City.

Utah State Parks uses ReserveAmerica. Individual campsites generally open on a four-month rolling window, with group sites available farther ahead.

California

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

California's huge desert park: palm canyons, badlands, wildflowers, dirt roads, primitive camping, and a winter-to-spring planning window.

ReserveCalifornia handles reservable California State Parks campgrounds. Treat popular winter and wildflower dates as early booking windows.

Maryland

Assateague State Park

Maryland's only oceanfront state park, on a barrier island shared with wild horses, where ocean and bay sit two miles apart. Two miles of beach, marsh paddling, and a popular campground that books out a year ahead.

Maryland State Park reservations open up to 365 days in advance through parkreservations.maryland.gov. For summer weekends, book the moment the window opens, since electric sites go in minutes.

The iconic Glade Creek Grist Mill, a weathered wooden water mill on a rocky creek, framed by brilliant orange and red autumn foliage at peak fall color, water cascading past the mill, West Virginia

West Virginia

Babcock State Park

A 4,127-acre southern West Virginia park near the New River Gorge, home to the Glade Creek Grist Mill, one of the most photographed sights in the state, plus log cabins, a campground, and 20 miles of trail.

West Virginia State Parks handles cabin and campsite reservations through its official lodging and camping reservation pages.

Why we organize by state

Every state has its own rules

State parks do not share a reservation system the way the national parks lean on Recreation.gov. Each state runs its own portal, vehicle-pass rules, booking windows, and camping quirks, so the state page is the right starting point. Behind the 50 state guides sits a broader 3,596-park directory we are expanding into full guides over time.

Official reservation portal
Booking window and same-day rules
Campground season and closure notes
Vehicle pass or day-use requirement