There are 6,792 state parks in the U.S. The first was Niagara Falls in 1885. California has the most at 270 and Rhode Island the fewest at 15. For August and September, we will visit eight of these parks. The first three show just how diverse state parks can be.
Crowley’s Ridge
Consisting of only 291 acres, Crowley’s Ridge is located in southeast Arkansas. It is one of the six original Arkansas state parks. The Civilian Conservation Corps built the lodge and the Park opened in 1933. The first photo is dated 1948.
Indiana Dunes State Park
Indiana Dunes State Park is located along the southern shore of Lake Michigan. Consisting of 2,182 acres, it is 10 times the size of Crowley’s Ridge. The Park was established in 1925 and should not be confused with Indiana Dunes National Park, which was established in 2019 and occupies a total of 13,000 acres on the east and west sides of the State Park. The first photo shows the parking lot side of the Pavilion in 1935, and the second photo shows the beach side in 1933.
Custer State Park
Custer State Park is located near Deadwood South Dakota. Established in 1912, it consists of 71,000 acres, making it 32 times the size of Indiana Dunes State Park. The current State Game Lodge was built in 1920. It served as the summer White House for Calvin Coolidge. The first photo is undated.
The original Sylvan Lake Lodge was built in 1893 and was destroyed by fire in 1935. It was replaced near the site by the current lodge in 1937. The first photo is dated 1906 and the second is undated.
There is abundant wildlife in the Park that can be viewed from your car on the 18-mile Wildlife Loop. Chances are you will see some of the 1,500 bison; all of the 15 burros will find you.
