Valley of Fire is a gorgeous state park in Nevada with a colorful desert landscape. It’s a short drive from Las Vegas. If you’re looking to escape the crowds of the Strip, this is a great option for a day trip.
The 3 Dune Challenge is a difficult 1.5 mile trail at Indiana Dunes State Park. It makes up parts of Trail #8 and Trail #4, and is a loop that starts and finishes at the Nature Center. The challenge goes to the tops of the three tallest dunes in the park for a total of 552 feet of vertical climbing.
There are over 16 miles of trails at Indiana Dunes State Park. All of the trails pass through the Dunes Nature Preserve, which was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1974.
Indiana Dunes State Park is the older sister of the Indiana Dunes National Park. Founded in 1925 after years of efforts by conservationists, the park is surrounded on three sides by the National Park and by Lake Michigan to the north. It consists of 2,182 acres of natural landscape a few miles north of the town of Chesterton.
We didn’t originally plan to visit Big Bend Ranch State Park, but were impressed by the scenery as we drove through on our way to Big Bend National Park.
Goosenecks State Park is a small park in southeast Utah, not too far from Mexican Hat and Bluff. It provides views of one of the most incredible river meanders in the world.
If you’re looking for a hidden gem in Utah, Kodachrome Basin State Park fits the bill. This small state park is overshadowed by nearby Bryce Canyon National Park, but it’s worth a visit if you’re in the area.
Anasazi State Park Museum is a museum and Ancestral Puebloan archaeological site. It’s located in Boulder, Utah, along Scenic Byway 12.
Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum, located in Blanding, Utah, is a museum and Native American archaeological site.
Dead Horse Point State Park provides some of the most dramatic views in Utah. It’s located near the entrance to Canyonlands National Park’s Island in the Sky district and also not too far from Arches National Park and the town of Moab.