Get Your "Back to Nature" Fix!~Visit a close by State Park

Depending on where you live in this great Nation of ours, you may or may not be relatively close to one of our beautiful National Parks.  Fear not, the State parks hold many wonderful treasures that frequently mirror the beauty and splendor of their "big Brother" National Parks.  Sometimes state parks are overlooked as a travel destination, but not only are they more readily accessible they frequently deliver a fantastic travel experience and if you are within your own state...a sense of civic pride surfaces enjoying what wonders are found in your very own Homeland. It's amazing to think that in the United States, there are over 7,000 state parks.  In my home state alone, Illinois, there are sixty. Now that's quite a few parks to choose from.

La Salle Canyon

According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the most visited state park in Illinois is Starved Rock State Park in the central area of the state near Utica.  With its varied terrain, hiking trails and sandstone bluffs, no wonder it is the most visited state park in Illinois. My husband and I visited and were amazed at all the natural beauty to be found.  The park is also located along the Illinois River, and has several high bluffs with fantastic views of the river and the surrounding woodlands. The park is home to at least six seasonal waterfalls (best viewed in the melting thaws of springtime) and several scenic canyons.  Most of the canyons are easily accessible, although some are quite steep.  It is so interesting to hike through the wooded areas and have the opportunity to see up close the layers and layers of rock and the cool formations.  Here is a picture of  one of the deeper canyons: LaSalle.  For purposes of navigating your way around, they have named all the major canyons and maps can be found at the visitors center.  If you want to make it longer than a day trip to the area, they do have a historic lodge on the premises and lodging in nearby Peru.  The park was established in 1911 and the beautiful Lodge was built, in part, by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930's. For more information on the Park, and also reservations on the Lodge, you can check out the web site at: www.starvedrockstatepark.org 

Niagra Falls

 It is interesting that the oldest state park in the country is often viewed as a "national" treasure.  Niagra Falls State Park in New York was established in 1885 and is a popular destination averaging over 28 million tourists annually.  Niagra Falls are made up of three sets of waterfalls that are on the border between Canada and the United States. The Falls can be viewed by both the American and Canadian sides and each side offers a different perspective.

 The combined Falls form the highest flow rate of any waterfall in the world.  In addition to tourism, the falls provide an abundant source of hydro-electric power for the area.  
A fun way of finding a park near you is exploring a really fun web-site called: America's State Parks.  They have lots of information on all the parks including historical, activities available, lodging and local events.  One of the most nifty aspects of the site is a map of the U.S. showing how many state parks are in each state.  Just hover the cursor over each state to get a count.  California has a whopping 278 state parks, and much fewer are found in the state of North Dakota: only 15.  You can check out this site at: www.americastateparks.org

When travel planning, keep in mind the fantastic sites and adventures that can be found in all of our State Parks.  Frequently, travelers head to a National Park and forget the beauty that can be found in a nearby State park in the same vicinity.

When traveling to Alaska, many of course view Denali National Park~ a must see when there. Yet, when I was recently there, we spent an afternoon hiking in Chugach State Park: a 500,000 acre park near Anchorage.  This park is home to Flattop Mountain, with an elevation of 3,510 feet, it provides beautiful views of  the city of Anchorage, Denali, Mount Foraker and Mount Spurr.  Since Flattop Mountain is very accessible from Anchorage, it is the most climbed mountain in the state.  We did not make it quite to the summit...but climbed to one of the higher plateaus for a fantastic view!

     So, next time you plan a trip, even a short weekend get-away, seek out the adventures in your very own state~ ~ what treasures are held in your State Parks?