There are approximately 3,675 state parks in the United States.
The term ‘State Park' generally refers to an area of land that is under the administration of the government of U.S. State that is preserved for its natural beauty, historic interests or recreational opportunities. State Parks are basically the same as National Parks, but State Parks are controlled by an individual U.S. State rather than the National Park Service.
State Parks in the United States have an older history than National Parks. The oldest State Park is Georgia 's Indian Springs State Park . Since around 1825, Indian Springs has been open to the public, under the operation of the State of Georgia , although it did not gain the title "State Park" until 1931. Since 1893, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has operated Valley Forge as a state-owned park.
The first state park with the designation of "State Park" was Mackinac Island State Park in Michigan . Mackinac National Park , was the nation's second park created in 1875, was transferred from federal control to the State of Michigan in 1895. Many State Parks were started in the 1930's as part of the ‘New Deal', when dozens of state parks across the country were established with the help of the creation of the CCC, or the Civilian Conservation Corps.
