Our 5 favorite state parks this summer

Our travels this summer took us to the midwest and back, and throughout our route we stayed primarily in state parks. Nine, in fact, over the course of 30 days. Every single one of them was a hit. 

State parks are always our first choice when we travel in the Airstream and here are a few reasons why:

• First and foremost, they are parks, which means they have abundant natural beauty and the campgrounds are almost always pretty.
• The campsites are larger than a typical RV park or "resort." Often they have trees or bushes between them, giving you more privacy from your neighbors. 
• State parks offer amenities like walking trails, hiking options, bike paths, beaches, lakes, reservoirs, horseback riding, fishing, kayaking, and more. We usually travel with our bicycles so we seek out state parks that offer good riding options.
• State parks are usually protecting something, so they can contain historically significant buildings, interesting wildlife, natural areas, or fascinating ecological formations. They also have visitor centers and an educational focus that can include ranger talks and activities.
• As if the previous perks weren't enough, state parks cost less than most RV parks and resorts.

Pro Tip: When it comes to hookups, every state park system is different. Many offer at least some electric and water hookups, and there's always a freshwater source. Although most don't have a sewer hookup at each campsite, they usually have a dump station. 

Because we batted 1000 with our state park picks this summer, it was hard to make a list of the top five. But here's our countdown to #1, with a bonus mention at the end.

#5: Sugarite Canyon State Park | Raton, New Mexico 

This drop-dead gorgeous park was so quiet it made my ears ring. 

At an elevation of about 7,800 feet, our campsite was one of the harder ones to get to, and Rich enjoyed the challenge of towing (and fishtailing) the Airstream up steep switchbacks to get there.

Sugarite Canyon SP has two campgrounds and 40 developed campsites with hookups. But we chose a boondocking site so we could give our new Sorein 400-Watt Solar Panel a good test run. 

Abundant wildlife viewing, hiking trails, boating, fishing, horseback riding, and hunting are some of recreational activities here, but we took the opportunity to just simply chill and be quiet. A few short walks and one "Coffee with a Ranger" was the extent of our activity. We read, I cooked, and we both caught up on work projects. Despite the remote location (there was no cell signal in our campsite), we didn't miss the latest episode of Widow's Bay, courtesy of a Starlink Mini powered by our AIR GEAR MiniLink.

High points that made this state park a favorite: Clean air, extremely quiet, sweeping canyon views, great walking options for Mickey, and perfect place to relax.

#4: Richard Bong State Recreation Area | Brighton, Wisconsin

Smoke from Canadian wildfires threw a wrench in our plans to visit Michigan's Upper Peninsula in early July. After one night of courtesy parking with an old Airstreaming friend in DeTour, the air quality was so incredibly bad we bailed on our reservation at a state park on the western part of the U.P. and drove as close to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin – our next planned stop, in southern Wisconsin – as we could handle in one day, to escape the smoke. As you can see in this photo, it was a good decision.

En route, we realized the site we booked in Bigfoot Beach State Park had no electric hookup – which was not going to work with the wildfire smoke and high humidity. After being told that all other electric sites were sold out for our visit dates, we were advised to check availability in the much-larger Richard Bong Recreational Area, only 25 minutes away. The switch turned out to be one of the best decisions of our trip.

This rural, 4,500 acre state park greeted us with vast meadows and wetlands supporting birds, butterflies, turtles, and other wildlife. The entire place was teeming with glorious color from summer wildflowers and the comforting sound of summer insects making their way through the life cycle. As a kid from the midwest, it made me feel both nostalgic and itchy.

Originally intended as a jet fighter base, the park is named after Major Richard I. Bong, a pilot who shot down 40 Japanese fighters in World War II. The air base was abandoned three days before concrete was to be poured for a 12,500-foot runway and locals fought to protect it as open space. Today, that "almost runway" is available for biking, as long as you watch out for turtles.

The park has two large campgrounds with hundreds of individual and group sites, yet each of them is very private. 

Staying here felt remote, yet we were only a 25 minute drive from the friends we were visiting in Lake Geneva – and about the same distance to Kenosha. Kenosha, by the way, is worth the trip to the waterfront area to visit a Civil War Museum focused exclusively on the midwest's role and participation, ride an historic trolley, and enjoy public art and fancy boats in the harbor. Plus, you can pick up dozens of different cheddars and all kinds of gourmet groceries at the Mars Cheese Castle just off I-41 on the way back. After all, we were in Wisconsin.

High points that made this state park a favorite: Flower-filled meadows, quiet and private campsite, proximity to our friends in Lake Geneva, the Civil War Museum and waterfront in Kenosha, great biking and nature trails, and an interesting Richard Bong exhibit in the visitor center.

#3: Cherry Creek State Park | Aurora, Colorado

Unlike most state parks, this one is right in the heart of the Denver metro area. With Aurora to the east and downtown Denver to the west, you're immersed in 4,227 acres that include a large reservoir, 35 miles of trails, and hundreds of beautiful campsites – yet you're only 10 minutes away from things like Target and Trader Joe's, and less than 30 minutes from downtown Denver. Crazy, right? At the risk of sounding a bit dramatic, this is the place to camp if you're going through Denver.

Given our route to and from the midwest, we stayed in Cherry Creek State Park on our way north and on our home. Even over the Fourth of July when the campground was sold out, it was remarkably relaxed and quiet.

If you're a biker, runner, or walker, you'll love the 35-mile trail system, which has views of downtown Denver from a number of vantage points.

If you enjoy water sports or the beach, the reservoir will be your spot. If you're a birder you're in for a treat because 300+ species have been spotted here. And if you like to shoot, you can get your fix at the shooting range. All of this plus excellent laundry facilities, great ranger programs, and easy access to anything you want to do in Denver – like meet your nephew for lunch at one of his favorite neighborhood spots.

High points that made this state park a favorite: coffee with beautiful sunrises on the patio, excellent biking, Ranger-led trivia on the 4th of July, top-notch laundry room, easy access to provisions outside the park, lunch with my nephew, and an up close look at a bald eagle in a tree on our final morning. 

#2: Fool Hollow Lake State Recreation Area | Show Low, Arizona

We've stayed in this state park three times before and it's our #1 pick in the entire Arizona State Park system. At about 6,300 feet, this campground is in the high country of Northern Arizona. It's filled with some of the best and most peaceful campsites anywhere. Many of them overlook the lake, which offers fishing and shoreline nature trails. The ponderosa pine forest is magical, the birding is excellent, and the lake is delightfully picturesque – although sadly on this visit, it was at a historically low level. 

We stayed here on the last night of our one-month adventure, and were grateful for cool nighttime temperatures that allowed us to keep the windows open all night – a luxury that had eluded us for most of the trip.

Fool Hollow Lake State Park is conveniently adjacent to the charming mountain town of Show Low and close to the Mogollon Rim – a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts due to its pristine lakes, great hiking, and geological formations. If you're a fan of cold weather camping, as we are, we recommend it as a winter camping spot too.

High points that made this state park a favorite: The smell of pine trees, crisp clean air, easy paths and trails for people and dogs, and a perfectly pine-shaded campsite overlooking the river.

#1: Petoskey State Park | Petoskey, Michigan

I first learned of this state park last summer while staying on my brother's boat. After we dropped anchor in Little Traverse Bay and took the dinghy to shore, I noticed a bunch of people on the beach–which turned out to be part of the campground area. It was a eureka moment: After three summers of flying to Michigan to visit family, I saw it as a great destination for the Airstream. Turns out I was right. But I underestimated just how incredible the experience would be. 

The entire park itself is situated a beautiful Pure Michigan forest. Every campsite is lovely and at least partially shaded. (Keep that in mind if you're trying to work remotely from this campground. Our Starlink worked for most things, but not Zoom meetings.)

The park's many trails are padded with pine needles, lush with greenery, and offer a cool respite from the hot sun. (The photo of Mickey at the top of this post was taken on his favorite trail.) And because the park sits on Little Traverse Bay, it's also got a sizable, sandy beach within a few minutes walk from the campground. Mornings were glorious here.

Then there were the extensive biking options, both inside the park and out. Paths inside the park lead to paved paths that you can ride for miles and miles and miles along the shoreline to places like the historic town of Petoskey and the smaller and even more charming historic town of Harbor Springs. Truth is, during our one-week stay, we drove our truck only a few times because there were so many places we could ride our bikes to: coffee shops, retail shops, restaurants, waterfront parks, and other sights. And all on protected bike trails or general use sidewalks. 

Finally, there's the proximity of so many cool things to do outside the park. In addition to visiting Petoskey and Harbor Springs and spending time on my brother's boat, we took the ferry to Mackinac Island (the ferry dock is about an hour from the state park). This island has been a favorite summer getaway for more than a century, and to this day does not allow cars. It's quite crowded in summer, but worth visiting. We rented bikes, enjoyed the gardens and grounds of the Grand Hotel and the historic Fort Mackinac, grabbed lunch, and simply explored. The ferry allows dogs and most of the places on the island are dog friendly so Mickey was able to come along.

If you're planning a trip to Northern Michigan, Petoskey State Park is quite simply the most perfect place to camp. 

High points that made this state park a favorite: The smell of pine trees and campfires, the most delicious freshwater out of the state park's many water spigots, 2 minute access to the beach, extensive biking options, dozens of things to do in downtown Petoskey and Harbor Springs, spending time with family, and hands down the best laundromat I've ever been to (Bayview Laundry).

Bonus Mention: Cedar Rock State Park | Quasqueton, Iowa

Although there's no camping here, this state park is worth a visit if you enjoy history or architecture, and was a top-three highlight of our entire summer trip.

Cedar Rock State Park is home to an historic estate designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Owners Agnes and Lowell Walter donated the home to the Iowa State Park System in the 1950s and when they did so, they left most of their personal belongings in it. So it's a time-capsule not only of Frank Lloyd Wright's interior design and furniture, but also of life as it was during that era. Docent-led tours are available Wednesday - Sunday.

We learned a great deal about the original owners and their interesting relationship with Mr. Wright, walked the grounds, peeked into the old boathouse (the estate is situated on the bank of the Wapsipinicon River), and I was invited to play the custom-built Steinway that Mr. Wright insisted be placed in this exact spot.

Runners Up

As I said at the start of this post, it was very hard to choose our top 5 state parks. They were all great. So we decided to at least share our top two runners up:

Van Buren State Park | Near South Haven, Michigan

Highlights: Beautiful wooded campground with access to spectacular beachfront and many miles of biking paths that connect it to small towns in the area.

Ledges State Park | Madrid, Iowa

Highlights: Quiet, beautiful shaded and unshaded sites, ample common spaces, and offers aluminum, glass, cardboard, and multiple plastics recycling. Also has four miles of trails that include 100-foot high sandstone ledges that overlook the Des Moines River.