By rssfeeds-admin National Geographic’s list names state parks to visit in lieu of busy national parks, calling the state parks “less famous but just as unforgettable.”
“If long lines and packed parking lots have you rethinking your travel plans to some of the busiest national parks, consider one of these eight state park alternatives that deliver the awe without the crowds,” National Geographic said.
For those thinking of visiting Olympic National Park in Washington, National Geographic instead recommends Oregon’s Harris Beach State Park near Brookings.
“Washington’s Olympic National Park encompasses three distinct landscapes: wild Pacific coastline, mountains, and temperate rainforests. Outside of Alaska, it’s hard for other public lands to compare, but a state park and its immediate surroundings in the southern corner of Oregon come close,” National Geographic said.
“Harris Beach State Park’s sea stacks epitomize the Pacific Northwest coast. While the main road ramps down to easy coastline access, the Rockaway Beach Trailhead’s steep descent yields hidden tidepools in front of the notched Goat Island,” the outlet added. “Search for sea stars, anemones, and crabs as waves crash through the gap in the rocky outcrop. To the immediate north, the area offers more cliff walks and a natural stone arch bridge.”
National Geographic continued, “The nearby Klamath Mountains and California’s Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park—just 30 minutes south—complete the Olympic-experience trifecta.”
Other underrated state parks on the list are Cathedral Gorge State Park, Nevada; Palo Duro State Park, Texas; Custer State Park, South Dakota; Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire and Camden Hills State Park, Maine and Catalina State Park, Arizona.
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