Avoid the crowds: 7 state parks replacing national parks

avoid the – With the U.S. National Park Service logging nearly 323 million recreational visits in 2025, travelers hunting for the same kind of awe—without the crush—are looking to state parks. Here are seven standout state parks where you can still find giant trees, slot-

For the third weekend in a row, the “quick” detour turned into a long wait—parking lots filling before sunrise and trails feeling more like a conveyor belt than a getaway. National parks are wonderful, but the numbers keep getting harder to ignore.

In 2025, the National Park Service recorded a record-breaking 323 million recreational visitors. With summer travel already in full swing, the question for many travelers isn’t whether the parks are worth it—it’s whether they can actually enjoy them once they arrive.

If you’re looking for a different way to reach similar scenery—rocky coasts. granite peaks. red rock canyons. and everything in between—state parks are stepping into the spotlight. Across America. there are nearly 10. 000 state parks. and seven of them deliver postcard views and hands-on outdoor time that rivals the most famous national parks.

Start in California with Calaveras Big Trees State Park, a 6,500-acre preserve opened to the public in 1852—nearly 40 years before Yosemite became the nation’s second national park. Just two hours north of Yosemite, it’s built around two groves of giant sequoias that can grow up to 279 feet.

These aren’t the only giants worth seeking out. The coast redwoods—native only to California and red-listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as an endangered species—have been under increasing threat from climate change-related wildfires. with an estimated 20% lost in the past 10 years. Visitors typically begin at the North Grove, where a 1 1/2-mile trail meanders among the trees. The South Grove is quieter, with a moderate 1 1/2-mile climb required to reach it. There’s also an additional 3-mile hike that loops you through the trees and back. plus a side spur to the Agassiz Tree. the largest in the park.

While no tree in Calaveras Big Trees State Park matches Sequoia National Park’s world-record-holding General Sherman Tree, the park still carries its own legends—like the Palace Hotel Tree in the South Grove. It survived a fire and now has a scar big enough to enter “like a cave.”

For a place to stay, Angel’s Camp is about 20 minutes from the park. Mark Twain’s “The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” put the town on the map. and the area offers dozens of dining options. a golf course. and a museum housed in a clapboard church with an impressive collection of carriages and wagons. The Travelodge by Wyndham Angels Camp has large rooms with balconies. free parking. and a warm welcome for pets. with rates starting at $98 or 15. 000 Wyndham Rewards points per night.

If your idea of the perfect escape comes with whitewater and high peaks. Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area in Colorado stretches along the 152 miles of the wild and turbulent Arkansas River. It’s known for some of the best whitewater rafting in the U.S. and it also works as a gateway into Colorado’s Sawatch Range—home to a dense constellation of 14-ers. peaks over 14. 000 feet.

Hikers and mountaineers come for Mount Elbert. the highest peak in the Rockies. as well as the Collegiate Peaks—named for Princeton. Harvard. Yale and Oxford. The 57-mile Collegiate Peaks Scenic Byway helps you take it in. and wherever you are. the park is a place to keep an eye out for pronghorn antelope. bighorn sheep. elk and moose.

There are biking routes too. including the Methodist Mountain Loop. which circles the flanks of this 11. 700-foot peak. and the Rainbow Trail loop. which gains and loses 2. 800 feet across 22 miles. When the day is done. people often turn to the Salida Hot Springs Aquatic Center. which includes a 25-meter lap pool. a smaller hot pool. and private tubs fed by natural mineral water.

Arkansas Headwaters is co-managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Bureau of Land Management, but visitor services are state-run. Campsites and the visitor center are state-run and operate regularly; vehicle passes, day passes and fishing licenses are booked through the state park system.

A lot of travelers use Salida as their base. Once an important railroad hub. it became a sleepy backwater in the 1970s and 1980s before being discovered by artists and mountain biking enthusiasts. Today. Colorado’s largest national historic district offers streets lined with coffee shops. boutiques. galleries and outdoor outfitters housed in colorful clapboard and brick buildings. The Hampton Inn & Suites Salida offers an indoor pool. free hot breakfast. and family- and pet-friendly rooms. with rates starting from $149 or 46. 000 Hilton Honors points per night.

For those chasing southern Appalachian drama, Grandfather Mountain State Park in North Carolina sits at 6,000 feet and is capped by a knobby outcropping of the Blue Ridge escarpment. It showcases a dramatic stretch of the southern Appalachians just off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Adventure-seekers tackle the about 2-mile Grandfather Trail and the 6-mile. out-and-back Daniel Boone Scout Trail. both featuring ladders and cables to aid the climb up Calloway Peak. the park’s highest point. For a shorter route with big views, there’s the about 1-mile Nuwati Trail to Storyteller’s Rock.

Then there’s the Mile High Swinging Bridge: a 228-foot suspension footbridge that’s the highest suspension footbridge in the country. located in a privately owned reserve adjoining the park. Further south on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Linville Falls drops 90 feet into steep-walled Linville Gorge. and the Erwins View Trail takes you past four viewpoints overlooking the falls.

In Boone, the closest town to the park, Rhodes Motor Lodge opened in 2024. It offers a midcentury modern take on a mountain lodge with rooms starting at $149 per night. For more options, Asheville is an hour south and described as the liveliest base for exploring the southern Appalachians. The Aloft Asheville Downtown is highlighted for its cartoon-bright colors and playful attitude. with rates starting from $125 or 56. 000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

Asheville’s welcoming plan has had its own real-world pause: after a necessary hiatus to rebuild following Hurricane Helene, Asheville has begun welcoming visitors back this spring, and a visit is expected to provide a much-appreciated economic boost.

In Utah, the quiet version of Great Sand Dunes turns up in Coral Pink Dunes State Park. The sand’s rosy color comes from Navajo sandstone sifted over the past 10,000 years. The park is a compact alternative to Great Sand Dunes National Park, and it has become a destination for sandboarding.

To join the fun, visitors can rent sit-down sand sleds from the park visitor’s center, or bring a stand-up sandboard and helmet for a more intense ride. Riding an all-terrain vehicle is another option, and 90% of the dunes are open for riding.

Start at the overlook to get the landscape in your head, then follow the guided nature path that circles the dunes and teaches you about creatures, plants and habitat unique to the park—especially the endemic coral pink tiger beetle, found only within park bounds.

Many travelers stay in Kanab. where you can check out the Maynard Dixon Living History Museum and eat at the Rocking V Cafe. The cafe serves bison tenderloin, cowboy chicken, rangeland ribeye and other dishes reflecting Kanab’s Wild West roots. Kanab’s La Quinta & Suites by Wyndham is described as receiving high marks for airy rooms. a generous breakfast bar. and a pet-friendly welcome. with rates starting from $104 or 15. 000 Wyndham Rewards points per night.

Arizona’s big sky can be just as vivid at Catalina State Park. where more than 5. 000 saguaros call the park home. It stretches from a few miles north of Tucson up to 3,000 feet in the Coronado National Forest. Tucked against the Santa Catalina Mountains, the park draws birdwatchers tracking more than 150 native and migrating species. Coyotes, jackrabbits and javelinas are also regulars.

The park’s 11 trails range from easy strolls to gritty climbs. The nearly 1-mile Romero Ruins Interpretive Trail leads to the remains of an ancient Hohokam village. The Sutherland Trail is the park’s most ambitious route. gaining 6. 000 feet in elevation as it climbs 10 miles into the Catalina Mountains. People also explore by horseback by joining trail rides organized by park concessionaire Rancho de los Cerros.

For a resort-style desert reset. the tip is to stay in Tucson at Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort and Spa. located at the northernmost end of the city and about 10 minutes from the park. Transformed from a former hacienda into an 80-acre desert playground. it features three pools. tennis courts. and acres of manicured desert landscaping threaded by walking paths. Rates start at $137 or 30,000 Wyndham Rewards points per night.

Oregon offers a different kind of “crowd-control” appeal at Silver Falls State Park, Oregon’s largest state park. Spread across 9. 000 acres and about a 30-minute drive east of Salem. it’s centered on the Trail of Ten Falls—a roughly 7-mile loop passing 10 waterfalls. including South Falls. a 177-foot wall of water that the trail passes behind.

There are also shorter routes that reach some of the falls more directly. The 1-mile North Rim Trail, which opened in 2023, provides easy walking access on a broad, flat surface. While many visitors come for the waterfalls. the park also offers more than 35 miles of backcountry trail where bears and cougars frequently visit the area.

Many travelers base themselves in the park’s massive campground with more than 100 sites for tents and RVs. but there’s another option for those who want points and proximity: hotels at the southeast end of Salem. The Hampton Suites by Hilton is highlighted for its indoor pool and pet-friendly policy. with rooms starting from $137 or 43. 000 Hilton Honors points per night.

And if you want red rock canyon energy without feeling like you’re competing for space. Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada is positioned as a lookalike of Zion and Arches. Look at the birthday-cake layers of white and red sandstone. and you might forget you aren’t in Utah’s famed canyon country. The park is described as having lookalike formations with self-identifying names like White Domes, Rainbow Vista and Arch Rock.

There’s also a bonus treat: a sheer-walled slot canyon on the White Domes Trail that offers a taste of Antelope Canyon in Arizona and Utah’s Little Wild Horse Canyon in San Rafael Swell.

Valley of Fire’s location just north of Lake Mead makes houseboat rentals a popular option, available for two nights or longer, from $1,788. It’s also an easy day trip from Las Vegas—about an hour away—where the lodging options are plentiful.

These state parks won’t replace every national park pilgrimage, and they don’t try to. But with 323 million recreational visitors already tallied for 2025, the math of comfort is getting harder to ignore. If what you want is the scenery. the trails. and the stories a trip can leave you with. these seven state parks are already giving travelers a way around the crush—while keeping the magic close.

state parks avoid crowds national parks Calaveras Big Trees State Park Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area Grandfather Mountain State Park Coral Pink Dunes State Park Catalina State Park Silver Falls State Park Valley of Fire State Park