An RV blog asked readers to name their favorite state park. I was pleased to see that these state gems span across the entire U.S. There’s probably one near you!
Read about these five state parks that received top recommendations. Then add your own favorite state park(s) in the comments section.
Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park (Vantage, Washington)
Location and access: 4511 Huntzinger Road, Vantage, WA 98950, just off I-90 at Exit 142 toward Vantage/George
Day-use park: RV camping is across the highway at Wanapum Recreation Area (50 full-hookup sites)
RV amenities: 50 full-hookup sites (electric, water, sewer), 60-ft. max length, vault toilets, potable water, fire pits, picnic tables, dump station, no on-site showers—nearest in Vantage (5 mi.)
Activities and highlights:
- Trees of Stone Trail: 1.5- and 2.5-mile loops past 22 species of petrified logs
- Interpretive Center: Ancient Wanapum petroglyphs and polished wood specimens
- Columbia River access: Boating, fishing, swimming at Wanapum Recreation Area
- Wildlife viewing: waterfowl, raptors, occasional mule deer
Contact and reservations:
Phone: (509) 856-2290
Reservations: Check here.
Best time to visit:
April – June and September – October for moderate temps (50–75°F), wildflowers in spring, and fall color around the riverbanks.
Palisades State Park (Garretson, South Dakota)
Location and access: 43205 293rd St, Garretson, SD 57030; 10 mi. east of Sioux Falls on SD-42, north on County Road 273
Easy pull-through sites: large rigs welcome
RV amenities: 49 campsites (30/50 amp), picnic shelter with electricity, potable water, modern restrooms and showers, dump station
Activities and highlights:
- Sioux Quartzite cliffs: 50-ft. walls carved by Split Rock Creek, overlook campsites, open year-round
- Hiking and biking: 3 mi. of trails, plus the adjacent Good Earth State Park loop
- Fishing and kayaking: Split Rock Creek’s trout stream
- Swimming: Small sandy beach area
Contact and reservations:
Phone: (605) 594-2310
Online: Check here.
Best time to visit:
Late spring – early fall (May–September), when wildflowers bloom and creek flows are high; autumn brings vivid foliage.
Cape Henlopen State Park (Lewes, Delaware)
Location and access: 15099 Cape Henlopen Drive, Lewes, DE 19958; off DE-1 near Delmarva Peninsula’s southern tip
RV amenities: 90 pull-through sites with water and electric (20/30/50 amp), dump station, showers, restrooms, group shelters, free Wi-Fi at Nature Center, beach access via parking shuttle
Activities and highlights:
- Historic Fort Miles: WWII batteries and underground bunkers tour
- Broadkill Beach and Bay: Surf fishing, crabbing, kayaking
- Trails and wildlife: 9 mi. of multi-use trails through dunes, maritime forest; prime birding spot on Atlantic flyway
- Junior Ranger Programs: Interactive at Nature Center
Contact and reservations:
Phone: (302) 645-8983
Online: Find more information here.
Best time to visit:
April – June for migratory birds; July – August for beachgoers; September – October for mild weather and lower crowds.
Greenleaf State Park (Braggs, Oklahoma)
Location and access: 60081 OK-28, Braggs, OK 74423; 40 mi. east of Tulsa on US-412
RV amenities: 37 campsites (20/30/50 amp) with water and sewer hookups, modern restrooms, showers, a dump station, picnic tables, playground
Activities and highlights:
- Greenleaf Lake: 1,500-acre clear reservoir for boating, fishing (bass, crappie), jet-skiing
- Hiking trails: 6-mile wooded loops with creek crossings
- Geocaching and wildlife: Deer, turkey, migratory waterfowl
Contact and reservations:
Phone: (918) 864-3797
Online: Check here.
Best time to visit:
March – May and September – November for mild temps (60–80°F), wildflowers and fall foliage; summer (June – August) sees peak water recreation.
Cathedral Gorge State Park (Eaton, Nevada)
Location and access: 2280 Cathedral Gorge Road, Panaca, NV 89042; off US-93 near the eastern Nevada border
RV amenities: 64 sites (20/30/50 amp) with water, dump station, restrooms, picnic shelters, group facilities
Activities and highlights:
- Slot-Canyon formations: Eroded bentonite cliffs sculpted into spires, cathedrals
- Hiking: 5 miles of trails (East/West and Bumblebee trails) winding through hoodoos
- Camping among spires: Sites tucked into sandstone amphitheaters—otherworldly sunsets
- Dark sky viewing: Minimal light pollution for Milky Way photography
Contact and reservations:
Phone: (775) 728-4476
Online: Find information here.
Best time to visit:
April – May and September – October when temperatures (50–80°F) are ideal; avoid midsummer’s extreme heat and winter’s occasional snow.
Your turn!
Do you have a favorite state park? Share it with us below. Thanks!
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RVT1206
Custer State Park in SD is amazing, but you need a car to drive through the tunnels. I have also been to Dead Horse and Goblin Valley in Utah. Hard to get a campsite there, but the views are wonderful. I think both are dark sky parks.
Thank you, Gail, for the list and extensive descriptions. Our favorite state park is Denali State Park in Trapper Creek (not really, but is nearest town) and its K’esugi Ken Campground (https://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/matsu/kesugiken.html). The sites have power but no water or sewer. There are vault toilets but no dump station. Have a great week and safe travels!
Just up the road from Greenleaf State Park is the Camp Gruber OHV Area. It’s a great place to crawl with your Jeep, dirt bike or ATV. Great trails, beautiful scenery and clean.
Johnson Shut Ins State Park in Missouri is one of our favorites. So much so that we have been camp hosts there for the past 7 years. There is some history to the creation of the new campground that opened in 2007. This park is located in the eastern part of the Ozark region and is close to Elephant Rocks State Park, Taum Sauk State Park, this is the highest point in Missouri, and many other points of interest. Beautiful clear rivers and streams and loads of hiking trails all within the park and short drives. The Ozark National Scenic Riverways is about an hour or so drive taking you to many other awesome places in nature. Awesome campground with very spacious sites with varying amenities.
Stone Mountain State Park, 3042 Frank Parkway, Roaring Gap, NC 28668, offers camping, with 41 sites on one loop with electricity and water, a heated bathhouse, dump station, a stream running through the loop, and great hiking on a huge 600-feet high granite dome, plus in various trails and streams. Several notable waterfalls are close by the campground within the park, which is close to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Itasca State Park in Minnesota is our favorite. We’ve easily spent 30 weekends when working and now spend a week there since we’re retired.
Great hiking, biking, and fishing. Plus the campgrounds are not near noisy highways.
Vantage has excellent showers! I believe they are now free to keep the bad characters from destroying our parks.
This is my favorite Wa. State Park, Steamboat Rock comes in 2nd along with Lake Wenatchee.
Custer State Park in South Dakota. Great wildlife, but tough to get a reservation.
I wonder if that article was written by AI. I’ve stayed a number of times at Cape Henlopen. There are only a handful of pull-through sites. Most of the sites are short, so very few spots for a rig over 30 feet. It’s very popular, so you need to make reservations as soon as they become available. The bike trails are the best providing connections between Lewes and Rehoboth.
Usery Mountain Regional Park near Mesa, Arizona. Part of the Maricopa County Parks system (so not really a state park). Electric and water; has a dump station. Beautiful campground in a mountain desert environment.
If you find yourself traveling on I-20 in Louisiana don’t miss Poverty Point State Park. It’s a few miles south of Poverty Point World Heritage Park. Both are well worth your time.
Wanapum State Park is our go-to when traveling along I-90 to and from the coast. Beautiful, well-maintained campground with beautiful views of the Columbia River. Just be forewarned that it can get windy at day or night. Our first time there, my wife was convinced that our travel trailer was going to get blown over in the middle of the night.