Quick answer: there is no single official count of state parks in the United States, because each state decides for itself what it calls a state park. Our own database counts 2,400+ state parks among 4,086 park profiles in all 50 states. We tag a unit as a state park only when the agency that runs it names it one.
Below you find, for every state, the count its park agency publishes, the acreage and the annual visits, each with its source and year. We checked every figure against the state agencies in October 2026. Where an agency publishes no current number, we say so instead of guessing.
Curious what they cost? See our fee study of all 50 systems, with day-use fees and annual passes checked against each state’s official sources in July 2026.
Why state park counts differ
“State park” is not a national category. Every state draws its own line, and the headline number on an agency website often counts more than state parks:
- Nebraska counts 78 park areas, but only 8 are state parks; 60 are state recreation areas and 10 are state historical parks.
- Illinois has about 60 state parks, plus 19 state recreation areas and 24 state historic sites in the same land report.
- Maryland has 53 general state parks inside a 90-unit system.
- Oregon speaks of more than 250 properties, while its own park list shows about 190 named parks.
- Massachusetts and Rhode Island publish no separate state-park count at all. Their agencies report all properties they manage.
Acreage and visitor numbers have the same problem. Some states report only their parks, others the whole system with forests, trails and lakes. Some count visits, others visitors, and the latest official year ranges from 2016 to 2026. That is why the table names the year and what each figure covers.
Which state has the most state parks?
It depends on what you count. Among the counts that refer to state parks alone, New York leads with about 180. California has 280 park units, but they include state beaches, historic parks and off-highway vehicle areas. Massachusetts reports more than 400 properties and Oregon more than 250, both counting every kind of property. By land, Alaska is far ahead with more than 3.3 million acres, followed by California at about 1.65 million and Florida at about 820,000.
State park counts by state at a glance
| State | Agency count | Acres | Annual visits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 21 state parks | 48,000+ | 6.2 million (undated) |
| Alaska | 157 park units | 3.3 million+ | 5.4 million (undated) |
| Arizona | 33 state parks | 64,000+ | 3 million+ (2026) |
| Arkansas | 52 state parks | about 55,000 | about 8 million (undated) |
| California | 280 park units | 1.65 million (FY2021/22) | 68 million+ |
| Colorado | 43 state parks | 220,000 (land and water) | 18 million+ (2024) |
| Connecticut | 110 state parks (+32 forests) | about 34,700 (parks only) | 15 million+ (2026) |
| Delaware | 17 state parks | 27,000+ (2026) | 7.4 million (2024) |
| Florida | about 175 park units | about 820,000 | 30 million+ (FY2023–24) |
| Georgia | 48 state parks (+15 historic sites) | 84,000+ (2021) | 13 million+ (FY2025) |
| Hawaii | 50 state parks | about 30,000 | — |
| Idaho | 30 state parks | about 60,000 | about 7 million (2020–23 avg.) |
| Illinois | about 60 state parks (+19 recreation areas) | about 122,500 (parks only) | about 27 million (FY2024) |
| Indiana | 24 state parks | about 81,000 (parks only) | 18.2 million (FY2024/25, 36 properties) |
| Iowa | — | — | about 13.5 million (2025) |
| Kansas | 28 state parks | about 32,200 land (+35,000 water) | 7 million+ (FY2024 est.) |
| Kentucky | 44 state parks | 49,000+ (2022) | 7.9 million (2019) |
| Louisiana | 21 state parks (+16 historic sites) | — | 1.36 million (FY2022) |
| Maine | 48 parks and historic sites | about 85,600 | 3 million+ (2024) |
| Maryland | 53 state parks (90 units) | 142,000+ (system, 2023) | 20.6 million (2021) |
| Massachusetts | 400+ DCR properties | about 450,000 (all DCR land) | 33 million (FY2016 est.) |
| Michigan | 103 parks and recreation areas | about 306,000 | about 38 million (2023) |
| Minnesota | 64 state parks (+9 recreation areas) | 240,000 (all units) | 11.3 million (2023) |
| Mississippi | 25 state parks | about 23,600 (2019) | just over 1 million (2019) |
| Missouri | 93 parks and historic sites | 160,000+ | about 19 million (2026) |
| Montana | 55 state parks | about 41,000 | 3.38 million (2025) |
| Nebraska | 78 park areas | about 104,000 (2024) | about 6.5 million (2025) |
| Nevada | 27 state parks | — | 3.6 million+ (2018) |
| New Hampshire | 93 park properties | — | about 6 million (FY2019) |
| New Jersey | 40+ state parks (+11 forests) | about 456,000 (whole system) | 17.2 million (FY2025)* |
| New Mexico | 35 state parks | — | — |
| New York | about 180 state parks (+35 historic sites) | 360,000+ (whole system) | 88.3 million (2024) |
| North Carolina | 35 state parks (+4 recreation areas) | about 262,000 (end of 2023) | about 16 million (2025) |
| North Dakota | 13 state parks | about 21,300 | 1.2 million (2024) |
| Ohio | 76 state parks | 174,000 (FY2016) | — |
| Oklahoma | 38 state parks | about 76,000 | about 9.6 million (FY2025) |
| Oregon | 250+ properties | about 113,000 | 51.5 million day-use visits (2025)* |
| Pennsylvania | 125 state parks | 300,000+ | nearly 40 million (2023) |
| Rhode Island | 25 parks and areas (+8 beaches) | 8,200 (2019) | 9 million+ (2019) |
| South Carolina | 50 state parks | 90,000+ | 8.1 million (FY2017) |
| South Dakota | 13 state parks (+43 recreation areas) | about 102,400 (all units) | about 9 million (2025) |
| Tennessee | — | — | about 36 million (FY2022) |
| Texas | — | — | 9.2 million (2025)* |
| Utah | 46 state parks* | — | about 12 million (FY2026)* |
| Vermont | 55 state parks* | — | 1 million+ (2024) |
| Virginia | 44 state parks | — | 8 million+ (2023) |
| Washington | 124 developed state parks | about 122,000 | 41 million+ (2023) |
| West Virginia | 36 state parks | about 77,700 (parks only) | nearly 10 million (2024–25) |
| Wisconsin | 50 parks and recreation areas* | about 74,000 (parks only) | almost 21 million (2025) |
| Wyoming | 11 state parks | — | 5 million (2025, incl. historic sites) |
— means the agency publishes no current figure we could read. * marks a figure reported by news media from agency data, not published by the agency in a source we could read. Counts follow each agency’s own definition, so they are not added up to a national total.
How Many State Parks in Alabama?
Alabama has 21 state parks covering more than 48,000 acres, according to Alabama State Parks. The division’s fact sheet lists 6.2 million annual visitors but gives no year, and its About page says 4–5 million, so treat visitor totals for Alabama as a range rather than a single number.
Sources: Alabama State Parks: About; Alabama State Parks fact sheet (PDF). Plan your trip with our Alabama state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Alaska?
Alaska State Parks manages 157 park units across more than 3.3 million acres. The 157 units include state recreation areas and sites, historic parks and the 34 state marine parks set out in state law, which is why the division’s own fact page still lists a lower count of 123. The division reports about 5.4 million visitors a year.
Sources: Alaska DNR, Division of Parks: park facts; Alaska Statutes AS 41.21.300–.306 (state marine parks). Plan your trip with our Alaska state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Arizona?
Arizona has 33 state parks on more than 64,000 acres, according to Arizona State Parks and Trails, and they draw more than 3 million visitors a year (agency release, June 2026).
Sources: Arizona State Parks and Trails: who we are; Arizona State Parks and Trails: economic impact release (June 2026). Plan your trip with our Arizona state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Arkansas?
Arkansas has 52 state parks on about 55,000 acres, and the parks see about 8 million visits a year, according to the Arkansas State Parks media kit. The 52 include historic sites and museums, so not every unit is a park in the camping-and-trails sense.
Sources: Arkansas State Parks media kit. Plan your trip with our Arkansas state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in California?
California’s state park system has 280 units, from beaches and redwood groves to historic parks and off-highway vehicle areas. They cover about 1.65 million acres, including land the department manages but does not own (statistical report, FY2021/22). The department puts annual visitation at more than 68 million.
Sources: California State Parks: about us; California State Parks Statistical Report FY2021/22 (PDF). Plan your trip with our California state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Colorado?
Colorado has 43 state parks with about 220,000 acres of land and water, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The parks recorded more than 18 million visits in 2024.
Sources: CPW news, July 2025 (43 parks, 2024 visits); CPW news, September 2024 (acreage). Plan your trip with our Colorado state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Connecticut?
Connecticut has 110 state parks plus 32 state forests, according to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The state’s Register and Manual lists 34,744 acres of state parks and 228,046 acres of state forests. DEEP reports more than 15 million visitors a year (2026).
Sources: CT DEEP news release, 2026; Connecticut Register and Manual: DEEP. Plan your trip with our Connecticut state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Delaware?
Delaware has 17 state parks, and the Division of Parks and Recreation also runs the Brandywine Zoo and a marina. The system covers more than 27,000 acres (February 2026) and had 7.4 million visitors in 2024.
Sources: Delaware news, February 2026; Delaware news, September 2025 (2024 visitors). Plan your trip with our Delaware state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Florida?
Florida’s state park system has about 175 units, including state parks, preserves, trails and historic sites. The Department of Environmental Protection’s park boundary data list 176 distinct units with about 821,600 acres in total (October 2026). More than 30 million people visited in fiscal year 2023–24.
Sources: FDEP park boundaries (open data); FDEP public access report, January 2025 (PDF). Plan your trip with our Florida state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Georgia?
Georgia has 48 state parks and 15 state historic sites, according to the Department of Natural Resources (FY2025). Together they protect more than 84,000 acres (2021 figure) and drew more than 13 million visitors in fiscal year 2025.
Sources: Georgia DNR, State of the Department 2023–2025 (PDF); Georgia State Parks, 90th anniversary (acreage). Plan your trip with our Georgia state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Hawaii?
Hawaii has 50 state parks on five islands, covering about 30,000 acres, according to the Division of State Parks. The state’s Data Book lists 33,619 acres across 64 areas when historic sites are included (June 2023). We found no official annual visitor total.
Sources: Hawaii DLNR, Division of State Parks; State of Hawaii Data Book 2024, table 7.41 (PDF). Plan your trip with our Hawaii state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Idaho?
Idaho has 30 state parks, the newest being Twin Peaks Ranch. Idaho Parks and Recreation reports about 60,000 acres and an average of about 7.1 million visits a year from 2020 to 2023.
Sources: Idaho Parks and Recreation: about; IDPR economic impact update 2024 (PDF). Plan your trip with our Idaho state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Illinois?
Illinois has about 60 state parks in the Department of Natural Resources’ land report, plus 19 state recreation areas and 24 state historic sites. The state parks alone cover about 122,500 acres of land and water and recorded about 27.2 million visits in fiscal year 2024. Figures near 475,000 acres describe nearly all land the IDNR manages, not the state parks.
Sources: IDNR Land and Water Report FY2024 (PDF). Plan your trip with our Illinois state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Indiana?
Indiana’s DNR manages 24 state parks, plus seven small satellite locations, eight reservoir properties and other recreation lands. The 24 parks own 81,048 acres (July 2026). The DNR estimates 18.2 million visits for fiscal year 2024/25, but that total covers all 36 properties, reservoirs included. White River State Park in Indianapolis is run separately by its own state commission.
Sources: Indiana DNR: parks and lakes; Indiana DNR: state lands overview; Indiana DNR annual visits FY2024/25 (PDF). Plan your trip with our Indiana state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Iowa?
Iowa’s Department of Natural Resources counts its system as state parks and recreation areas together, and we could not find a current official count or acreage from the agency. What it does publish is visitation: 13,481,185 visits in 2025.
Sources: Iowa Legislature: DNR budget document (PDF). Plan your trip with our Iowa state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Kansas?
Kansas has 28 designated state parks. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks budget papers list 32,200 acres of park land and another 35,000 acres of lakes, and they estimate more than 7 million visits a year (FY2024 budget).
Sources: Kansas Legislative Research: KDWP budget summary (PDF). Plan your trip with our Kansas state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Kentucky?
Kentucky has 44 state parks: 17 resort parks with lodges, 19 recreational parks, 8 historic sites, two trails and the Breaks Interstate Park shared with Virginia. They cover more than 49,000 acres (2022). The most recent official visitor figure we found is 7.9 million, from 2019.
Sources: Kentucky State Parks capital proposal, Nov. 2022 (PDF); Kentucky State Parks overview (PDF). Plan your trip with our Kentucky state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Louisiana?
Louisiana has 21 state parks and 16 state historic sites, according to a 2023 report by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. The same report counted 1.36 million visitors in fiscal year 2022 (1.27 million at the parks, 84,000 at the historic sites). We found no official acreage.
Sources: Louisiana Legislative Auditor report, July 2023 (PDF). Plan your trip with our Louisiana state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Maine?
Maine has 48 state parks and historic sites, according to the Bureau of Parks and Lands. They sit on 85,602 acres of park, historic-site and boat-access land (FY2025). The bureau also manages more than 645,000 acres of Public Lands, which are not state parks. Visits topped 3 million in 2024. Baxter State Park is run by its own authority and is not part of the bureau’s count.
Sources: Maine BPL newsletter, December 2024; BPL report to the Legislature, March 2026. Plan your trip with our Maine state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Maryland?
Maryland has 53 general state parks inside a 90-unit system that also includes natural resource management areas, natural environment areas, rail trails and two battlefields (Maryland Manual, 2023). The whole system covers 142,384 acres, the 53 parks 98,344 of them. The latest official visitor figure we found is 20.6 million, from 2021.
Sources: Maryland Manual: state parks. Plan your trip with our Maryland state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts does not publish a separate state-park count. The Department of Conservation and Recreation cares for more than 400 properties, from state parks, forests and beaches to reservations, parkways and watershed land, on about 450,000 acres. Its budget estimated 33 million visits a year to those properties (FY2016, the latest official figure we found).
Sources: Massachusetts FY2016 budget: DCR; DCR resource management plan, executive summary (PDF). Plan your trip with our Massachusetts state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Michigan?
Michigan has 103 state parks and recreation areas, according to the Department of Natural Resources. The DNR’s park boundary data cover about 306,000 acres; the department describes about 360,000 acres managed for outdoor recreation. The parks counted about 38 million visits in 2023.
Sources: Michigan House Fiscal Agency: DNR parks testimony, March 2025 (PDF); Michigan DNR management boundaries (open data). Plan your trip with our Michigan state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Minnesota?
Minnesota has 64 state parks, plus 9 state recreation areas and 9 waysides. All of these together cover about 240,000 acres and drew 11.3 million visits in 2023, according to the DNR.
Sources: Minnesota DNR by the Numbers 2025 (PDF). Plan your trip with our Minnesota state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Mississippi?
Mississippi has 25 state parks (Blue Book 2024–2028). The most recent official acreage and visitor figures come from a 2021 legislative PEER report: 23,620 acres and just over 1 million visitors in 2019.
Sources: Mississippi Blue Book 2024–2028, natural resources (PDF); Mississippi PEER report 653 (PDF). Plan your trip with our Mississippi state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Missouri?
Missouri has 93 state parks and historic sites, plus the Roger Pryor Pioneer Backcountry. Missouri State Parks lists more than 160,000 acres; the DNR’s own pages say more than 150,000. The DNR estimates about 19 million visitors a year, 1.3 million of them overnight guests (July 2026).
Sources: Missouri State Parks: about the system; Missouri DNR: state parks leadership; Missouri Resources, July 2026. Plan your trip with our Missouri state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Montana?
Montana has 55 state parks, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The six Flathead Lake units count separately. FWP’s park boundary data add up to about 41,000 acres, and the parks recorded 3.38 million visits in 2025.
Sources: Montana FWP: state parks. Plan your trip with our Montana state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Nebraska?
Nebraska Game and Parks counts 78 park areas, but only 8 of them are state parks. The rest are 60 state recreation areas and 10 state historical parks. The 2024 annual report lists 31,994 acres for the parks, 65,427 for the recreation areas and 2,497 for the historical parks, about 104,000 acres with the two state trails. Visits reached about 6.5 million in 2025.
Sources: Nebraska Game and Parks annual report 2025; Nebraska Game and Parks annual report 2024. Plan your trip with our Nebraska state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Nevada?
Nevada has 27 state parks, as cited from the Division of State Parks in a 2024 University of Nevada visitor survey. The most recent official visitor total we found is from 2018: more than 3.6 million. We found no official acreage.
Sources: University of Nevada Extension visitor use survey 2024 (PDF); Nevada DCNR: the year that was (2018). Plan your trip with our Nevada state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in New Hampshire?
New Hampshire’s Division of Parks and Recreation runs 93 properties: state parks, campgrounds, beaches, natural areas, waysides, historic sites and trails. The division reports more than 489,000 acres of state reservations, but shares that land with the Division of Forests and Lands, so it is not a state-park acreage. Its latest estimate is about 6 million visitors (FY2019).
Sources: NH State Parks: who we are; NH Division of Parks and Recreation annual report FY2019 (PDF). Plan your trip with our New Hampshire state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in New Jersey?
New Jersey has more than 40 state parks and 11 state forests. The State Park Service also manages recreation areas, natural areas and historic sites. NJDEP’s state land data add up to about 456,000 acres for the whole system, of which state parks hold about 104,000 and state forests about 245,000 (October 2026). Visitation was 17.2 million in fiscal year 2025, a budget figure reported by the Pinelands Preservation Alliance.
Sources: NJDEP state-owned open space data; Pinelands Preservation Alliance (FY2025 visitation). Plan your trip with our New Jersey state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in New Mexico?
New Mexico has 35 state parks, according to the State Parks Division of EMNRD. We found no current official acreage or visitor total we could read ourselves.
Sources: EMNRD State Parks Division. Plan your trip with our New Mexico state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in New York?
New York has about 180 state parks and park preserves (172 state parks and 7 preserves in the state’s open data), plus 35 state historic sites. Counted with trails, golf courses, boat launches and campgrounds, the agency speaks of more than 250 places. The whole system covers more than 360,000 acres and set a record of 88.3 million visits in 2024.
Sources: NY open data: state park facilities; NY State Parks: about; Governor of New York, January 2025 (2024 attendance). Plan your trip with our New York state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in North Carolina?
North Carolina has 35 state parks and 4 state recreation areas. The system also includes state natural areas and state trails, and together they reached 262,074 acres at the end of 2023. Visitation in 2025 was just under 16 million, down from more than 20 million in 2023.
Sources: NC DNCR news, September 2024; NC DNCR news, January 2024 (system size); NC State Parks: annual visitation. Plan your trip with our North Carolina state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in North Dakota?
North Dakota has 13 state parks, plus the Pembina Gorge State Recreation Area. North Dakota Parks and Recreation manages 21,287 acres and counted 1.2 million visitors in 2024.
Sources: ND Parks and Recreation: by the numbers; ND Legislature testimony, January 2025 (PDF). Plan your trip with our North Dakota state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Ohio?
Ohio has 76 state parks, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (FY2024 annual report). The latest acreage ODNR published is 174,000 acres of park land and water, from FY2016. We found no current official visitor total.
Sources: ODNR annual report 2024 (PDF); ODNR annual report 2016 (PDF). Plan your trip with our Ohio state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma has 38 state parks, plus six lodges and seven golf courses run by the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department. Its FY2027 budget review estimates about 76,000 acres, including the lodges and golf courses. The parks recorded about 9.6 million visits in fiscal year 2025, down from 12 million in FY2021.
Sources: OTRD budget performance review FY2027 (PDF). Plan your trip with our Oklahoma state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Oregon?
Oregon Parks and Recreation counts more than 250 properties, with parks, waysides and recreation areas counted together (Oregon Blue Book). The agency’s own park list shows about 190 named parks. Its 2025–27 budget review lists 113,000 acres. Day-use visits in 2025 were about 51.5 million, as reported by KDRV from agency figures.
Sources: Oregon Blue Book: Parks and Recreation Department; Oregon Legislature: OPRD budget review 2025–27; KDRV, 2025 visitation. Plan your trip with our Oregon state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has 125 state parks on more than 300,000 acres; the 125th is Laurel Caverns, which joined the system in 2026. The state put annual visitation at nearly 40 million in 2023.
Sources: PA DCNR: state parks; PA DCED news, 2023. Plan your trip with our Pennsylvania state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island does not publish a separate state-park count. In 2019 the Department of Environmental Management described 8,200 acres of parkland in 25 parks, management areas and nature preserves, plus 8 saltwater beaches, with more than 9 million visits a year.
Sources: State of Rhode Island press release, February 2019. Plan your trip with our Rhode Island state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in South Carolina?
South Carolina has 50 state parks on more than 90,000 acres, according to the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism (FY2026–27 budget presentation). The latest official visitor figure we found is 8.1 million, from fiscal year 2017.
Sources: SCPRT FY2026–27 budget presentation (PDF); SC State Parks presentation to the House Oversight Committee (PDF). Plan your trip with our South Carolina state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in South Dakota?
South Dakota has 13 state parks, plus 43 recreation areas, 5 nature areas, a historic prairie and dozens of lakeside use areas. All of them together cover 102,418 acres (Game, Fish and Parks, January 2026) and drew 8,976,000 visits in 2025.
Sources: SD Legislature: GFP presentation, January 2026 (PDF); SD GFP annual report 2025 (PDF). Plan your trip with our South Dakota state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Tennessee?
We could not confirm Tennessee’s current state park count from the Department of Environment and Conservation (tn.gov did not respond to our requests in October 2026). TDEC’s own visitation data add up to about 36.4 million visits across its parks in fiscal year 2022.
Sources: TDEC park visitation data (open data). Plan your trip with our Tennessee state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Texas?
We did not find a current official Texas state park count or acreage from Texas Parks and Wildlife that we could read ourselves. Visits in 2025 were about 9.2 million, as reported by FOX 7 Austin from department figures.
Sources: FOX 7 Austin, 2025 visitation. Plan your trip with our Texas state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Utah?
Utah has 46 state parks, which recorded more than 12.1 million visits in the year to June 2026, as reported by the Deseret News from Utah State Parks data. We found no official acreage we could read ourselves.
Sources: Deseret News, August 2026. Plan your trip with our Utah state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Vermont?
Vermont has 55 state parks, as reported by VTDigger. Vermont State Parks told the legislature in January 2025 that the parks had more than 1 million visits in 2024. We found no official acreage for the parks alone; figures around 350,000 acres describe all land of the Agency of Natural Resources.
Sources: VTDigger, August 2023; Vermont State Parks overview to the legislature, January 2025 (PDF). Plan your trip with our Vermont state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Virginia?
Virginia has 44 state parks since Hayfields State Park opened on October 20, 2025, according to the Department of Conservation and Recreation. DCR reported more than 8 million visits in 2023. We found no official acreage we could read ourselves.
Sources: Virginia DCR: 2025 year in review; DCR budget presentation, January 2024 (PDF). Plan your trip with our Virginia state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Washington?
Washington has 124 developed state parks, plus 61 undeveloped properties. The State Parks and Recreation Commission owns or leases about 122,000 acres and counted more than 41 million visits in 2023.
Sources: Washington State Parks overview, January 2025 (DOCX). Plan your trip with our Washington state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in West Virginia?
West Virginia has 36 state parks, plus 9 state forests and 3 rail trails. The 36 parks cover about 77,700 acres; with the forests and trails the system reaches 161,000 acres. The system drew nearly 10 million visitors in 2024–25, according to the Division of Natural Resources.
Sources: WVDNR annual report FY2025 (PDF). Plan your trip with our West Virginia state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin counts 50 state parks and recreation areas, as reported by Wisconsin Public Radio. The DNR describes the wider system as about 125 properties, including state forests and trails. The DNR’s managed-lands data add up to about 74,000 acres for the properties named “State Park” (October 2026). The whole system drew almost 21 million visits in 2025.
Sources: Wisconsin DNR: state parks; Wisconsin DNR managed lands (open data); Wisconsin Public Radio, 125th anniversary. Plan your trip with our Wisconsin state parks guide.
How Many State Parks in Wyoming?
Wyoming has 11 state parks under state law (W.S. Title 36, Chapter 8), plus state historic and archaeological sites such as Fort Fred Steele and the Wyoming Territorial Prison. Parks and historic sites together drew 5,048,419 visitors in 2025. We found no official acreage.
Sources: Wyoming Statutes, Title 36 (PDF); Wyoming State Parks press release, 2025 visitation. Plan your trip with our Wyoming state parks guide.
How we checked these numbers
The America’s State Parks Editorial Team read each figure in an agency page, report, budget document, statute or official open-data set in October 2026, and linked the source in each state section. Where an agency site refused our requests, we did not use copies or workarounds and left the figure out. Where we added up official data ourselves, for example acreage from a state’s park boundary data, the state section says so.
Our own count of 2,400+ state parks updates automatically as we add, merge or reclassify park profiles. Learn more in our Editorial Policy & Review Methodology.
Header photo: the first section of the White Domes Loop in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada. Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.