12 state parks that are just as beautiful as national parks — and they’re free
This guide highlights 12 free-to-enter US state parks offering dramatic scenery, outdoor activities and relatively uncrowded trails. From [[Hocking Hills State Park]] in Ohio with its iconic [[Old Man's Cave]] and [[Cedar Falls]], to Pennsylvania’s [[Ricketts Glen State Park]] and its 22 waterfalls including [[Ganoga Falls]], the selection spans forests, gorges, sandstone arches and mountaintop plateaus. Other picks include West Virginia’s [[Blackwater Falls State Park]]; Kentucky’s [[Natural Bridge State Resort Park]]; Arkansas’s [[Mount Magazine State Park]] and [[Petit Jean State Park]]; Missouri’s [[Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park]] and [[Ha Ha Tonka State Park]]; Illinois’s [[Starved Rock State Park]]; Iowa’s [[Pikes Peak State Park]]; and [[Ohiopyle State Park]] in Pennsylvania. The article notes amenities such as hiking, kayaking, viewpoints and campsites while reminding readers some parks charge for camping or cabins despite free entry.