Best State Park (2015)

Nicknamed the "Grand Canyon of the East," New York's Letchworth State Park is considered one of the most scenic areas in the Eastern USA. The Genesee River runs through a gorge cutting through the park, passing over three magnificent waterfalls along the way. Hikers have access to 66 miles of trail, and rafting, kayaking, horseback riding, mountain biking and hot air ballooning are also on offer.

The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, or the "Porkies" as its known to frequent visitors, encompasses 60,000 acres of lakes, rivers and virgin forest. The park offers camping on the shores of Lake Superior, 90 miles of hiking trails, kayak rentals, mountain biking and, in the winter, access to the Porcupine Mountains Ski Area.
Photo courtesy of PetrBednarik

Located in the scenic Finger Lakes region of New York, Watkins Glen State Park features an amazing 19 waterfalls. As visitors walk along the glen, the stream cutting through the park descends more than 400 feet with 200-foot cliffs to either side, all within the space of 2 miles. The result is some truly breathtaking scenery.
Photo courtesy of Lamar Gore/USFWS

Perched on the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri, Ha Ha Tonka State Park is equal parts nature and history. The central landmark of the park is the ruined European-style stone castle, built in 1905 by a local businessman, atop a bluff overlooking the lake. More than 15 miles of trails wind through the park, and picnicking, fishing and camping are also available.
Photo courtesy of Karen Blaha/Flickr

One of the top destinations in the Midwest for rock climbing, Devil's Lake State Park is famous for its 500-foot quartzite bluffs created by glacial activity tens of thousands of years ago.  The 9,217-acre park is also home to a nature center, several American Indian burial mounds, portions of the Baraboo Mountain Range and 41 miles of hiking trails.
Photo courtesy of Wirepec

Fall Creek Falls, Tennessee's largest and most visited state park, gets its name from the 256-foot cascade – one of the highest in the eastern United States – that numbers among the park's many other waterfalls and gorges. The park encompasses 26,000 acres and more than 34 miles of trails, ranging from short day hikes to two long-distance overnight trails. A nature center, golf course, horse stables, playgrounds and picnic pavilions add to the appeal.
Photo courtesy of JanetEverhard

Indiana Dunes State Park on the southern coast of Lake Michigan protects 2,182 acres of Hoosier landscape, including just over 3 miles of beach fronted by large sand dunes, come rising more than 200 feet above sea level. In the warmer months, the park attracts hikers, swimmers and picnickers, while during the winter, cross-country skiing is available.
Photo courtesy of sheffieldb / Flickr

Maryland's only oceanfront state park, Assateague barrier island is sandwiched between the Atlantic and the Sinepuxent Bay. Just nine miles outside of Ocean City, this scenic seaside park offers 2 miles of ocean beaches perfect for swimming, sunning and shelling, as well as kayaking and canoeing opportunities in the bayside coves and marshes, where it's possible to spot waterfowl, deer and the island's famed feral horses.
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Dodge

Located in the rugged Black Hills of South Dakota, Custer State Park protects 71,000 acres of terrain and a herd of some 1,300 bison – one of the largest publicly owned herds on the planet – who are known to stop traffic along the park's Wildlife Loop Road from time to time. Besides viewing elk, pronghorn deer, mountain goats and other park residents, visitors can summit Harney Peak, the park's tallest point, for sweeping views over the prairies, hills and granite needles that make Custer so unique.
Photo courtesy of South Dakota Department of Tourism

Hunting Island, South Carolina's most visited state park, attracts more than a million visitors each year. Many of them come to enjoy the 5 miles of pristine sandy beach, others to tour the only publicly accessible lighthouse in the state and still others to fish the saltwater lagoon or from the beach fishing pier. In the summer months, loggerhead sea turtles come to nest in Hunting Island State Park.
Photo courtesy of Jupiterimages