State Parks Are Free To Visit In These Friendly, Welcoming States

Accessing the national parks in the U.S. is getting tougher. Between budget and staffing cuts and timed entries due to overcrowding, visiting one of the country's more than 6,000 state parks might be a bit more appealing. In order to maintain these beautiful natural spaces, most state parks charge an entrance or daily parking fee. However, there are a handful of parks that you can experience for free. Here are eight of them.

We'll start in the South with Tennessee. Although some activities may require permits or reservations once you're inside, all 59 of the Volunteer State's parks are free to enter. There are more than 80 waterfalls to explore and plenty of incredible vistas to take in across the state's gorgeous Appalachian Mountains. Free adventures within the parks include biking the trails at Montgomery Bell State Park just outside of Nashville, exploring the limestone caves of Eastern Tennessee, and rock climbing on the massive boulders inside the Cumberland Trail State Park.

Tennessee's neighbor to the north also welcomes visitors for free. With its many lakes and streams, Kentucky's state parks have plenty of options for anglers. Some locations, such as the Natural Bridge State Park, even offer free fishing gear for visitors. Or if sunning and swimming is more your style, enjoy the sandy beaches of the Green River Lake State Park. With the money you saved on the entrance fee, you can purchase a special craft brew that honors the 100th anniversary of the Bluegrass State's beloved parks.

Head west from Kentucky to visit one of Missouri's 57 state parks or one of its 36 historic sites. In addition to the free admission, several of the sites also offer free informational tours. Learn about the birthplace of Harry S. Truman, the country's only president born in Missouri. Or see the cabin where the famed author Mark Twain was born. The home showcases first editions of Twain's works as well as a handwritten copy of the beloved "Adventures of Tom Sawyer."

Right below Missouri, park goers also get free admission at each of Arkansas' 52 state parks. The Petit Jean State Park was the first park established in the state and is a fan favorite with 20 hiking trails and a majestic 95-foot waterfall. Or go digging for actual diamonds in a volcanic crater at Crater Diamond State Park. The activity costs $15 for adults, $7 for kids ages 6 to 12, and is free for those under 6. But any diamonds you uncover are yours to keep and may even cover the price you paid to find them!

Due north of Missouri and Arkansas, all but two of Iowa's state parks welcome visitors for free. Lake Manawa and Waubonsie state parks charge an entrance fee of $5 for any out-of-state vehicles. But it's a small price to pay to access Manawa's 18,000 square foot Dream Playground, designed from the drawings of local school kids. The park gets its name from the Native American word "manawa," which means peace and comfort.

East of Iowa, travelers can explore the 69 state parks located in Illinois. Just over the border on the banks of the Mississippi River is Nauvoo State Park. During Labor Day weekend, this park celebrates the annual ripening of the area's grapes with a festival that includes parades, carnival games, and a car show. When the ground is covered in snow, Nauvoo visitors can go sledding or cross-country skiing on slopes next to the park's 13-acre Lake Horton.

If you keep traveling east, you'll arrive in Ohio. There are 76 state parks to choose from here, all with no entrance fee. Just 40 miles east of Cleveland sits Punderson State Park, an underrated lakeside park offering camping and recreation. The park surrounds the 150-acre Punderson Lake, Ohio's biggest and deepest natural kettle lake. These bodies of water form when a chunk of glacier ice detaches and creates a pit where the ice eventually melts, leaving behind a perfect spot for all sorts of water activities.

Further northeast, park enthusiasts will enjoy free admission at all of Pennsylvania's 124 state parks. You can't talk about this state without talking about its main attraction: the Pocono Mountains. Explore these stunning peaks at Hickory Run State Park, a breathtaking park featuring boulder fields and waterfalls located in the western foothills. Along with the fishing, hiking, and hunting the park offers, it also contains an enormous Mother Nature-made boulder field that's recognized as a National Natural Landmark. Created roughly 20,000 years ago, the massive 16-acre rock landscape features boulders up to 26 feet long.