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State Parks, Forests, and Recreation Areas
All 50 states have state park systems, totaling more than 6,600 state park units throughout the country that are visited by 725 million people per year. Locally and regionally, Friends groups actively participate in the mission to conserve the natural, cultural, scenic, and recreational resources of state parks, as well as to provide a variety of recreational and educational opportunities.
Thirty-eight states have state forests, as does one territory, Puerto Rico. State Forests are typically managed by state departments of natural resources or state forestry department for a variety of conservation and recreational purposes.
Our country’s state parks, forests, and recreation areas are as varied as the areas around them--there are forests, prairies, lakes, rivers, hills, and valleys. You'll find campgrounds, trails, historic and archaeological sites, places for solitude and places for large group gatherings. Friends Groups and other nonprofit partners help to engage the public and promote environmental stewardship of our country's state managed natural areas.
