state parks | Public Parks

Heritage Farm at General Coffee State Park, Georgia. Hurricane damage will see the park closed until January 1.

Southeast state parks still recovering from Hurricane Helene (update)

November 8, 2024

Dozens of American state parks in the US Southeast are still closed to the public weeks after Hurricane Helene swept through the region. Meanwhile, another hurricane threatens the Gulf of Mexico but may be moving […]

State parks still recovering from Hurricane Helene

October 28, 2024

Dozens of American state parks remain shuttered weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated vast swaths of the United States Southeast. The closures are in force in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina, the states hardest hit by […]

An injured Sumatran tiger photographed by a camera trap.

Sumatra’s tigers are disappearing due to lack of protected habitat

October 25, 2024

Tigers on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia are disappearing due to an absence of conservation measures, ecologists are now warning. Ecologists surveying the population of tigers calling western Sumatra home said they’ve turned up […]

New York celebrates expansion of state park

October 25, 2024

A popular recreation spot just north of New York City is now larger than ever. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation announced yesterday that it has completed its expansion of […]

US state parks systems still reeling from inflation years, cost spikes

October 18, 2024

Inflation pressure in the United States has eased, but its impact on outdoor recreation lingers. A number of state park authorities across the US have confirmed to Public Parks that cost overruns are ...

The view from the summit of Mt. Philo State Park (the first park in the Vermont State Park system).

Celebrating 100 years, Vermont’s state park system ponders the future

October 18, 2024

Vermont’s legislature is poised to debate the future of Vermont State Parks as the system celebrates its 100th anniversary. Increasingly popular, Vermont’s network of 55 state parks finds itself at so...

State parks brace for Hurricane Helene

September 26, 2024

State park systems in the Southeast United States are preparing for the landfall of Hurricane Helene, a large a violent storm predicted to cause enormous damage. The storm is projected to make landfal...

New York celebrates the 100th anniversary of its state park system

September 16, 2024

In 1885, the State of New York broke the mold by establishing the nation’s first state park. Niagara Falls State Park was made possible by passionate philanthropists who understood that the treasure w...

A view from Ecola State Park on Oregon's Pacific Coast.

Oregon’s parks system plagued by fires, funding crunch, inflation

September 13, 2024

One of the nation’s most beautiful state park systems is facing strains as inflation crimps repair budgets and summer fires force closures and evacuations. Oregon is renowned for its public lands. Tho...

South Carolina closes out parking reservations experiment

September 2, 2024

Labor Day marked the end of the first season of parking reservations at two South Carolina state parks. During the summer months, South Carolina allowed visitors to reserve parking at two coastal stat...

New state park opens in Tennessee

August 14, 2024

Travelers in Tennessee are invited to explore the state’s newest state park, which opened this week. Middle Fork Bottoms State Park can be found in the western portion of the state just north of the <...

George Wyth State Park in Iowa will close due to flooding.

Flooding shutters state parks in Iowa

June 24, 2024

Heavy rains and flooding in northern Iowa, USA are forcing the closure of state parks in the region. Meanwhile, state officials are warning residents throughout that part of the state that their water...