Sports & Outdoors

Photo courtesy of Getty Images / gradyreese

The United States is home to more than 10,000 state parks, attracting more than 700 million annual visitors. As more and more travelers seek the open road and open spaces, those numbers have continued to grow. Many of these parks cater to tent campers and RV travelers, with campgrounds, full hookups and other amenities available. To find the best, a panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Read on to learn more about the winners.

Photo courtesy of Ranger Aaron Webster, Cape Disappointment State Park

No. 10: Cape Disappointment State Park – Ilwaco, Washington

The Pacific Ocean meets the Columbia River at this Washington state park. Explore lighthouses, military bunkers and natural habitats within the park (beaches, old-growth forests, freshwater lakes and saltwater marshes). The campground has 50 full hookup sites and 18 partial hookup sites, as well as a dump station, restrooms and showers.

Photo courtesy of jenifoto // Getty Images

No. 9: Lost Dutchman State Park – Junction, Arizona

The Lost Dutchman State Park is located in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, about 40 miles east of Phoenix. RV camping is available at 138 sites, with 68 of them providing water and electric hookup services; restrooms and showers are located nearby. Hiking, mountain biking and year-round wildlife viewing opportunities are available for guests.

Photo courtesy of Wyoming State Parks

No. 8: Curt Gowdy State Park – Cheyenne, Wyoming

10Best contributor Chez Chesak tells us about this state park, “Located just 25 minutes west of downtown Cheyenne, this natural gem is nestled in the pine-covered foothills of the Rocky Mountains and offers seven sections of richly varied landscape.”

Numerous outdoor adventures are found in the park, including an archery range, mountain biking, fishing, boating, hiking, horseback riding, paddleboarding and more. Both back-in and pull-thru RV sites are available, with an additional fee for electric hookups.

Photo courtesy of iStock / tonda

No. 7: Custer State Park – Custer, South Dakota

Located in the rugged Black Hills of South Dakota, Custer State Park protects 71,000 acres of terrain and a herd of some 1,300 bison – one of the largest publicly owned herds on the planet – who are known to stop traffic along the park’s Wildlife Loop Road from time to time. The park has nine campgrounds to…