 Petit Jean State Park is a day-hiking paradise about 65 miles northwest of Little Rock via I-40. A diverse system of over 20 miles of interconnecting trails winds through the forest and along Petit Jean Mountain overlooking the Arkansas River. Cedar Falls, Seven Hollows and Cedar Creek Trails are designated as National Recreation Trails because of their rich history and beauty. The park offers 126 individual campsites (including 37 pull-through sites) with full hook-ups.
Campground History
Adrienne Dumont was a young, beautiful French woman engaged to Chavert, a nobleman set to explore the New World in the early 1700s. Without her fiance's knowledge, she disguised herself as a cabin boy named Jean to won passage on his ship.They sailed up the Mississippi River, and then up the Arkansas River, where they stopped at the foot of a beautiful mountain for the summer. Sailors dubbed her Petit Jean (French for “Little John”).
Alas, a sad ending to this love story. The night before Chavert’s party was to set sail for home, Petit Jean became very ill. With death imminent, she confessed her deception to Chavert and begged his forgiveness. She asked to be taken to the mountaintop she loved, and with Chavert at her side, died there at sunset. Years later, a low mound of earth was found on the mountaintop - Petit Jean’s Grave. That has become the park’s main attraction.
Petit Jean State Park is Arkansas’ first state park. It sits atop a picturesque mountain 1,100 feet above the Arkansas River Valley in central Arkansas. Visitors to the park find a vast number of recreational and educational opportunities from camping, hiking and fishing to learning about the unique natural features and the early human history of the area.
Park website is: www.petitjeanstatepark.com or call 501/727-5441
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Filed under State Parks by Myrtha Chang.
Kiptopeke State Park located at the southern end of Virginia's Eastern Shore and just a few miles from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Virginia is not just for lovers, it has some pretty lovely beaches, too. The 375-acre Virginia State Park offers nearly 4300-feet of beach that's perfect for swimming, surf fishing, or taking leisurely sunset walks.
The campsites are set away from the beach with sand dunes in between; and each campsite offers a picnic table, fire ring and a pole to hang your camping lantern. The state park's campgrounds include a total of 147 campsites. 86 campsites are open to RVs up to 40 feet in length. There are tents sites and pop-up sites. However, there are no electricity hook-ups.
Before you run away, read about their 5 new lodges built just this year (2007).
The lodges are open year-round and are very popular. The amenities listed on the website for each lodge doesn't sound much different from the room amenities list at Holiday Inn.
- Kitchen comes with refrigerator, coffeemaker, stove, dishes, silverware, even dish towels.
- The bedrooms come with linens (but no room maid to change them daily). You may wish to bring your own pillow as well as a comforter for chilly nights.
- Each lodge has six bedrooms and sleep 16 total. Great for family reunions.
- Porches, heat, air-conditioning, fireplace gas logs make for a very comfortable camping experience, if you still want to call it camping.
For more information: Call (757) 331-2267 or go to their campground website at: http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/kip.shtml
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Filed under State Parks by Myrtha Chang.
Agua Caliente Hot Springs is a 910-acre San Diego County Park, complete with a picnic area and a large campground with shady trees at some sites. It is located near the south end of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in southern California. There are 2 hot spring pools here. One is a large outdoor pool that is kept at a natural 90 degrees (Fahrenheit). The other pool (102 degrees F) is protected inside a glass-walled building and - ready for this? - equipped with whirlpool jets.
Because this is one of San Diego County's most popular parks, don’t expect to Read more
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Technorati tags: florida state parks, winter camping florida, winter campgrounds
In Florida, camping doesn't stop in winter. "What winter?" you may ask. Being a New Englander myself, I totally agree with you. Winter camping in Florida is actually preferred by some campers to avoid the annoying ever-present flies in the hot, humid summer months.
Bahia Honda State Park, Big Pine Key
Bahia Honda is one of the best beaches in South Florida. It is located along both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Popular activities include swimming, snorkeling, and fishing. Camping, cabins, 2 exceptional boat ramps, a certified "Clean Marina," and a concession and gift store make Bahia Honda an outstanding recreational destination. Click here for the park photos.
Honeymoon Island State Park, Dunedin
Originally called Hog Island, it became Honeymoon Isle in 1939 when a New York developer built 50 palm - thatched bungalows for honeymooners. Today, visitors can drive across Dunedin Causeway to enjoy the sun - Read more
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Technorati Tags: winter camping, winter state parks, winter campgrounds
Snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and other winter sports combined with a temperate winter keep California’s state parks system busy through winter. The three parks that were iselected here offer unique opportunities in addition to the common winter sports found in other parks.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park , San Diego
Winter Attraction: Desert wildflowers – they start blooming in late February or early March. For a special wildflower recorded message, call (760) 767-4684. Or mail a self-addressed stamped postcard in an envelope to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, 200 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA 92004. The kind Anza-Borrego folks will mail the card back at just the right time.
Ano Nuevo State Reserve, San Mateo
Winter Attraction: This is the site of the world’s largest mainland breeding colony for the northern elephant seal. Every winter, visitors come to observe the males battle for mates Read more
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Technorati: state parks,california state parks
Darren Smith, author of Parks Directory of the United States contacted the directors of each of the 50 state parks systems and posed the following question:
If you were trying to showcase your state park system, what would be your recommendation to visitors for 2-3 "must see" parks and why?
I must say, this is a difficult task for any park director, it's like a parent being asked to play favorites. Well, trust Darren to persuade them to share their list of top favorites, so here they are. Some of the park directors stretched it a bit and gave 4 or 5 parks. Darren let it slide.
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As mentioned in State Parks - Best of the Best, here are the top California State Parks:
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Big Basin Redwoods State park
Huntington State Beach
Prairie Creek Redwoods State park
Leo Carillo State Park (I added this one, don't know why it didn't make the director's list, it's a wonderful camping beach park).
To reserve any California State Park, call 1-800-444-PARK (7275) or click here
California - Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
 Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest state park in California. Five-hundred miles of dirt roads, 12 wilderness areas and miles of hiking trails provide visitors with an unparalleled opportunity to experience the wonders of the Colorado Desert. The park is named after Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and the Spanish name borrego, or bighorn sheep. The park features washes, wildflowers, palm groves, cacti and sweeping vistas. Visitors may also have the chance to see roadrunner, golden eagles, kit foxes, mule deer and bighorn sheep as well as iguanas, chuckwallas and the red diamond rattlesnake.
For more information, check out the official website of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
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California - Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Big Basin is California's oldest State Park, established in 1902. Home to the largest continuous stand of Ancient Coast Redwoods south of San Francisco, the park consists of Old Growth and recovering Redwood Forest, with mixed conifer, oaks, chaparral, and riparian habitats.
Elevations in the park vary from sea level to over 2,000 feet. The climate ranges from foggy and damp near the ocean to sunny, warm ridge tops. The park has over 80 miles of trails. Be sure and pick up a map at park headquarters before your hike to find the most popular trails, but more importantly so you don't get lost!
For more information, check out the official website of: Big Basin Redwoods State Park
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Huntington State Beach
Huntington State Beach is the site of a nesting sanctuary for the California least tern, a rare and endangered species. The beach is also sanctuary for the threatened snowy plover. The park also features a bicycle trail. Surfing, skating and surf fishing are also popular. The park has fire rings for bonfires.
This popular beach extends two miles from Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach south to the Santa Ana River on the Newport Beach boundary.
For reservations, directions and more information, check out the state's official web site of Huntington State Beach.
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Prairie Creek Redwoods State park
Set aside in the early 1920’s by the forethought of the people of California and the generosity of the Save-the-Redwoods League, Prairie Creek is a sanctuary of old growth coast redwood.
Prairie Creek offers hiking, nature study, wildlife viewing, beach combing, picnicking, a visitor center with exhibits and a nature store.
For reservations, directions and more information, check out the official web site of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.
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Leo Carillo State Park
The park has 1.5 miles of beach for swimming, surfing, windsurfing, surf fishing and beachcombing. The beach also has tide pools, coastal caves and reefs for exploring. Giant sycamores shade the main campgrounds. The park also features back-country hiking.
Nature walks and campfire programs are offered and a small visitor center has interpretive displays. During the summer, children's programs are available
Read one family's experience at Leo Carillo SP.
For reservations, directions and more information, check out the official web site of Leo Carillo State Park.
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Reason #10. You have tried everything else to peel the kids (or the hubby?) away from the TV and Xbox. One thing I learn as a parent, when I yell, "Turn that TV off!" I need to provide an alternative. Kids can't substitute TV for vacuum. Gotta give them something to occupy their active minds like Surviving in the Wilderness.
Reason #9. You can't remember the last time you gazed at the stars. It's time to see the Big Dipper beyond the printed page.
Reason # 8. The only bird chirping you have ever woken up to is the cuckoo clock in the living room.
Reason # 7. Ten years from now, when your kids lament to their therapists that you were absent in their lives, you can show videos and pictures of your family camping experience.
Reason # 6. Food tastes better outdoors. I'll tell you about the Baby Weber Grill at another time.
 Reason # 5. Its affordable. You can buy very nice camping gear with the equivalent of a couple nights hotel stay. And you get to keep the gear. (Its like owning your own home instead of renting).
Reason # 4. Enjoy the inheritance that was saved for you. In 1916, your grandparents and mine made a commitment to preserve, protect and share the natural beauty of this land through the National Park Service. When was the last time your eyes feasted on the natural beauty of our [tag/]national parks[/tag]?
Reason # 3. Camping is so easy today. Down-filled sleeping bags, 10-minute-set-up tents, instant fire starters, and yes, that Baby Weber Grill. Today's camping equipment is easy enough for the beginner campers.
Reason # 2. There are many ways to camp, so you can choose what suits you best. There's rustic cabin camping, car camping, luxury camping such as at the Adirondacks, RV camping and backpacking. Start with something you are comfortable with. Chances are, you'll explore other more adventurous camping with time.
Reason # 1. You have never gone camping before. Well, then you absolutely have to go camping this year. Do it before you are set in your ways. Do it before you take yourselves too seriously. Do it before the kids leave the nest. Do it before you can't do it. In other words, just do it.
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Filed under Ghost Stories & Jokes, Camping Activities, Beginner Campers, Other Camping Gear, Safety Tips, Family Camping, National Parks, Campfire desserts, Build a Campfire, Sleeping Bags, Camp Kitchen, Find Campground, Camping Recipes, Camping Gear, Campfire Tips, State Parks, Family Campground, Camping Tents, Foil Wrap Cooking, Dutch Oven Cooking, Camping Tips & Ideas by Myrtha Chang.
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