Natural Areas

Since October 2026 we take the type from the official name the managing state agency uses. A unit is a State Park only if the agency calls it “… State Park”. Otherwise it gets the type its official name states, such as State Recreation Area or State Historic Site. Every profile carries one type at most.

Units run by federal agencies, tribes or private operators, and parts of a larger park, carry no type. Their profiles say who runs them. Older assignments are being checked against the agencies, so a profile can still change type. More on our sources: editorial and review methodology.