Spokane Tribe Drummers practice
Terri Webster Schrandt

Sunday Stills: Why State and Local #Parks Are Worthwhile Tourist Attractions

In June, we spent a lot of time at home celebrating the outdoors. July is no different. Summer in the northern hemisphere is the time for vacations, day trips, or extended road trips and discovering new tourist attractions. Two weeks ago, I took you on a tour of Yosemite National Park.

Tunnel View of Yosemite Half Dome
Tunnel View of Half Dome

This week, we’ll explore the unique features of several state and local parks. Some are close to home, and many are located in other western states. There is a lot of information in this post; feel free to skim.

Americans love their outdoor recreation opportunities. “Americans go on nearly 11 billion recreation outings each year. The Outdoor Industry Association calls public lands and waterways “the backbone of our outdoor recreation economy.” Source

Public lands are the backdrop of much of that recreation. These lands are categorized into National Parks, State Parks, Local County and City parks. Private and Tribal lands also factor into outdoor spaces for enjoying and exploring.

“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta

United States Federal Government

“The establishment of the National Park Service is justified by considerations of good administration, of the value of natural beauty as a national asset, and of the effectiveness of outdoor life and recreation in the production of good citizenship.” ~ President Theodore Roosevelt, 1912

In the US, federal spending on recreation is channeled through four major land management agencies. The Department of the Interior houses the National Park Service (national parks), the Bureau of Land Management, and the Fish and Wildlife Service. The Forest Service is housed within the Department of Agriculture.

Revenues from US federal lands amount to billions of dollars, including congressional funding, entrance fees, concessionaires, private donations, etc. It’s too complicated to explain everything in this post, but suffice it to say that the US values its federal lands and aims to preserve and conserve them all. I also know that countless other countries invest in their own public lands.

Two Bloggers
Terri and Marsha at Sequoia National Park

“The gladdest moment in human life, methinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” – Sir Richard Burton

The Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area, home to the majestic Multnomah Falls in Oregon, is operated by the US Forest Service, which is part of the federal government. Parking is free in the off-season months.

Multnomah Falls and Sign
Multnomah Falls sunburst
Multnomah Falls

What Local Parks Are Found in Your Backyard?

Now that the feds are out of the way let’s talk about State and Local parks. State and local parks are also traditionally operated by government entities. Like national parks, they acquire funds through admission fees, local tax bases, and other sources.

“State parks cover nearly 14 million acres across the United States and receive more than 700 million visits each year—more than twice as many visits as the National Park Service (NPS) but on less than 20 percent of the acreage.” Source

Over 75% of state park operating budgets are generated through general fund dollars and park-generated revenue (user fees, concessions).

Washington’s State Parks

When we moved from California to the Spokane area of the state of Washington, little did I know the breadth and variety of incredible tourist attractions found within its public lands.

I’ve been blessed to visit several Washington State Park attractions. There is something very special about discovering these off-the-beaten-path gems in your own backyard.

Pavilion at Spokane's Riverfront Park
1974 World’s Fair Pavilion at Spokane’s Riverfront Park

The Centennial Trail is a feature of the State of Washington’s Riverside State Park and is partially funded by state parking passes (at a whopping $30/year or $10/one-day pass), fishing and hunting licenses, and the Riverside State Park Foundation. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) generates over a billion dollars in revenues.

Spring at Deep Creek Steel Bridge
Spring at Deep Creek Steel Bridge
Palouse Falls Washington
Palouse Falls (State Park) is located two hours south of Spokane

At the local level, for example, cities in local jurisdictions fund their municipal operations through the collection of property and sales taxes, user fees, grants, and corporate partnerships.

Tall Pines Park Lake Spokane Parks District
Tall Pines Park Lake Spokane Parks District in Nine Mile Falls operates on grants

A “local” blogger friend, Susanne, who lives in the Western part of the state, showcases her visits to many areas of our fair state. Here is an example of her recent visit.

California’s Diverse Local Attractions

Non-profit foundations like “Friends of XX Park” also factor into the funding and manpower through volunteer efforts.

One example I’m familiar with is the Delta Conservancy, a California State agency, which involves mobilizing volunteers for area clean-ups along the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta’s fragile levees shores to help maintain outdoor recreational opportunities that include boating, fishing, and wind sports.

Sacramento River Delta Clean Up
Doing my part for the Delta Clean up in 2015.
Map Sacramento Delta

We spent countless weekends enjoying the delta’s shores and waterways for over ten years. The cooling summer delta breeze is well-known in the Sacramento area, and this humble region attracts professional and amateur wind sports enthusiasts from all over the world.

Windsurfer

The American River Bike Trail, spanning 32 miles, is an example of a county-funded park/trail system in Sacramento, California.

A Tortoise Crossed the Road
Park Rangers Protect Everyone!
Outdoor Fitness
Users on American River Bike Trail

The attractions of Mammoth Lakes, California, located in the Eastern Sierra Nevadas, are an example of the areas managed in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service and operated with partners from the National Park Service, the Town of Mammoth Lakes, and the Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association.

Popular tourist stops include the Devil’s Postpile and Mammoth’s twelve scenic lakes.

Devil's Postpile Mammoth Lakes
Devil’s Postpile, Mammoth Lakes

“Oh, the places you’ll go!” – Dr Seuss

The States of Nevada and Arizona

Over the years, I have been blessed with many opportunities to visit other state tourist attractions.

The Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada boasts 40,000 acres of red rocks and limestone, which can be hiked and driven through to explore its desert beauty. The $10 entry fee is worth every penny.

Entering the Narrows of Valley of Fire
Entering the Narrows of Valley of Fire
Elephant Rock, Valley of Fire
Elephant Rock in Valley of Fire

Antelope Canyon in Page, Arizona, is a recreation area under the jurisdiction of the Navajo Nation Reservation and is considered Tribal private land. Various concessionaires operate the tours and charge various fees for entry and guided tours. These fees fund the tour guides and seasonal maintenance.

Antelope Cyn's twisted walls
A twisted view
Looking up in Antelope Canyon
Best view is up!?
Iconic Horseshoe Bend, Page, Arizona

Horseshoe Bend in Page, Arizona, located just a few miles away, is a blend of jurisdictions, including Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Grand Canyon NP, the Cities of Page, AZ & Kanab, Utah, and the Navajo Nation. The City of Page manages $10 parking fees.

Be a tourist in your own community by exploring what tourist attractions lie in your own “backyard.”

red white blue swatch

Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Reminders

The Sunday Stills weekly-themed photo challenge is easy to join. You have all week to share and link your post. Please use your own original images, whether new or from your archives.

  • Remember to title your blog post a little differently than mine.
  • Please create a new post for the theme or link a recent one.
  • Entries for this theme can be posted all week.
  • Tag your post “Sunday Stills.”
  • Don’t forget to create a pingback to this post so that other participants can read your post.
  • I also recommend adding your post’s URL to the comments.

Sharing this week for Johnbo’s Cellpic Sunday and Lens-Artists: Tourist Attractions.

As a US citizen, what are your favorite state and local parks? What are your favorite local places and spaces for those of you who live outside the US?

This week, we celebrate my dad’s 88th birthday. He loved to travel in his younger days and is still always ready to go!

Dad with New Bag

I can’t wait to see how you interpret this week’s theme! Creativity is encouraged, so please share your own photographs (old or new), poems, original short stories, and music inspired by the theme. Join me next week as we explore the theme “wings.”

awesome week bitmoji

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105 comments

  3. Omg the surfer 🏄 was superb plus all other photos we’re nicely shot…US is blessed with plenty of parks, plus the government seems to support and make concrete laws and strategies to sustain them..

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  12. Living in such a large country, you’re almost spoiled for choice with national parks, Terri. I’m pleased to have visited some of them.

    Although the UK is much smaller, we have some fantastic national parks—nothing on the scale of the ones in your part of the world. I’ve visited some of them, but sadly, I don’t have many photos of them. The nearest one to me in Wales is The Brecon Beacons. The following picture is taken on the southern edge of the Brecon Beacons.

    It is hostile during the winter and when we have a hot summer but beautiful the rest of the time.

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    • Hi Hugh, sorry I didn’t see this comment 😦 I recall reading it then tried to click on the image from jetpack. Anyway, thank you for commenting. I’m glad you have had the opportunity to visit some US national parks. They sure are spread out aren’t they?

      Gosh what a gorgeous image you shared. It looks cool and inviting on this hot summers day! Have a great weekend!

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  13. Fabulous photos, Terri. And a surprise to see both of us together smiling at all our blogging friends. We need to travel some more and take some new pictures!!! You’ve been to several places I haven’t seen yet. Palouse Falls looks almost violent. It reminds me of the turbulent waters in Yosemite and King’s Canyon in 2017. We haven’t been to any parks this week, but my post is all about weather. Yours will fit into that category nicely. You’ve covered almost all the seasons. I smiled at how many places were familiar to me because of the time we spent together. 🙂 xxxxxxx

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    • Thank you, Marsha! Hooray for friendships! Palouse Falls apparently runs year round, unlike some falls that peter out seasonally. I have fond memories of our jaunt to Sequoia. We’re going to take some day trips when D and C arrive. We need to chat soon!

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  19. Terri,

    I’ve always felt that our National and State Parks are the greatest gifts we’ve given to ourselves. We’re blessed to have the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in our backyard. It receives over 10 million visitors a year, including us. On our trip west we visited Kartchner Caverns State Park in Arizona. The picture below shows the Whetstone Mountains that rim the area. Great pictures, Terri! Joe

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  29. You really have been all over Terri. I traveled as a youngster with my parents as we made several cross-country trips ad other domestic trips, most when we still lived in Canada. I was young when we did Route 66 and wish I remembered more about that trip. I have only visited four of the National Parks to date and none in Michigan. Our state park passes are available on our license renewal but I’ve only been to one of the state parks. I spend most of my walking time in local parks or Metroparks.

    Since I retired three months ago, I have only visited one new nature place on my nature venue agenda and so I am slow to fulfill my hoped-for five new venues a year. I blame that on the weather, not for lack of interest or trying on my part. The weather has been terrible and quite honestly, even a day like today, the various weather stations predicted not one, not two, but maybe three bouts of severe weather today. They ended up backing off – now only one later today, but ramping up all day tomorrow and Tuesday with torrential downpours, hail and gusty winds. All that rain has to go somewhere, so big park walking will take a back seat in deference to Mother Nature, even by Wednesday when it will be cooler and sunny.

    I hope this Summer is an anomaly and not the norm going forward due to climate change. Sigh. Right now it is 84 with a real feel of 90 … at 5:30 this morning it was 71 – ugh.

    Here is my post, hot off the press:

    Happy trails to you, er … me!

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    • Thank you, Linda! I’ve been around a bit of the west–still so much to see, yet. I didn’t realize you retired! What bad timing with the crazy weather. I imagine autumn will be normal and you can get outside more consistently. Can you send some rain our way? Its so hot and dry here, for the foreseeable future! At least we don’t get the humidity–I can barely handle that. I’m inside today working on some bird pics for next week. I ID’s a new bird, a red crossbill! So cool!

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      • I was out West when I was young Terri, but I really wasn’t old enough to remember a lot of it.

        We traveled from Oakville (Ontario) to California when my father had a job interview. He had two weeks’ vacation and most of it was spent in the car. But we did get to see some tourist-type sites, mostly for my benefit. I remember going through Death Valley and we had to go to the E.R. as my father got sun poisoning from having his elbow resting on the car’s window well.

        We also went to Oklahoma for another job interview for him. I was younger on that trip and it was taken in a VW Beetle with no air conditioning – ugh.

        Our humidity is what makes it so uncomfortable, you’ve got that right … it was 99% humidity when I went out this morning … you feel dragged out before you walk very far.

        I Googled red crossbill – very cool. I have been sorting through photos all weekend due to this heat and expected storms. I finally saw white pelicans but you’ll have to imagine they are pelicans as they were high up and look more like silhouettes. I had intended to put them on my Birdie Bucket List this year. 🙂

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  31. Wow, Terri, this post should be in a State Parks magazine. It’s amazing you’ve been to so many. 😍 The Horseshoe of Bend in Page, AZ is interesting with that funny face on the rock, looks like winking one eye.
    It’s so hot here. We’re staying home.

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  32. Great job Terri, you could get a job with the National Parks Service!! It’s amazing how many natural wonders we have across the country, particularly out west. I’ve done most of the national parks but will admit very few of the state parks. Your photos of Antelope Canyon make me REALLY want to get there. We tried to hike through the Narrows in Zion but when we arrived at its start they wouldn’t let us through due to flooding at the other end. As we were driving home a humongous burst of water came literally flying through the side of the canyon. We thanked our lucky stars that ranger had been there to stop us!! here’s to second chances!

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    • Thank you, Tina! When I taught collage courses in park mgmt, I dealt with a lot of these details 😂
      I’m glad you’ve been to so many NPs! And really glad the Rangers kept you safe from the flooding in the narrows at Zion.

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  34. I noticed still more amazing canyon pictures in this post! So many local places to see and you’ve scratched a LOT of surfaces! Near up Parks Canada sights? When do you come up to Canada?

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    • Thank you, Graham! You are right on about the smaller parks. Washington’s state parks are vast and numerous. I can’t believe the Discover Pass is only $30 annually. Compared to California’s $200/yr, well, no comparison.

      When researching for the post, it was interesting to discover so many partnerships with many of these attractions. Great for budgets!

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      • Some of those park passes are a great deal. I have a National Parks pass that cost $75, or maybe less, when I bought It. Trouble is, there are only two parks on the island where I can use it and I’m usually down there before anyone is staffing the gates!

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      • That’s kind of funny, Graham. I happily bought my lifetime national park pass when I turned 62. $80 for life. I love that our govt seems to care about the well being of children and seniors. The pass paid for itself when we used it to enter Bryce Canyon in 2022.

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  41. So many awesome photos, Terri! Hard to choose my favorites, but the picture of Riverfront Park is gorgeous, and so is your capture of the windsurfer! And I love all your red rock pictures from the southwest, too!

    And thanks so much for sharing my recent trip to Mt. Walker! Much appreciated!

    I hope to be back later this week with something even closer to home!

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  43. Terri, you have featured some fantastic state, local and national parks. I enjoyed all your images of the state and local parks you have enjoyed. Your photos from Valley of Fire and Antelope Canyon are stunning. During our RVing days we spent several nights at Cape Disappointment State Park in Washington. We loved it!

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    • So true! After living most of my life in Cal, I’ve seen most everything and there’s a lot! Washington has a ridiculous amount of sights to see. I’ve barely scratched the surface! But the Alaska cruise out of Seattle to the inner harbors looks inviting!

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