State Park News June 2023
Here are the top state park news stories for June 2023. We are working to provide you with a summary of the most interesting state park news stories each month. If you have a state park news story we missed, let us know by leaving a comment.
Pembina Gorge State Park Announced
North Dakota will open its 14th state park. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum recently announced the development of Pembina Gorge State Park. The North Dakota legislature approved $6M in funding for the park which will open in approximately two years.
Pembina Gorge will be located near Walhalla, ND just south of the US-Canada border. According to Valley News Live, the park will include an approximately 35-site campground, six all-season, full-service cabins, a comfort station, and a shop.
While many people visit the western part of North Dakota and Theodore Roosevelt National Park, the land where this park will be located in also interesting and worth a visit. While much of the state is flat and open farmland, the Pembina Gorge offers a variety of year-round outdoor activities including downhill skiing and mountain biking. Check out Frostfire Park for more details.
In related news, North Dakota will offer new and upgraded features at state parks in 2023. According to the Grand Forks Herald, there will be new camper cabins at Grahams Island and Turtle River state parks, the first full year for the new south campground loop at Fort Stevenson State Park and expanded boat rentals including pontoon boats at Lake Metigoshe, Fort Stevenson and Lake Sakakawea state parks.
Indiana State Park Upgrades
It sounds like North Dakota isn’t the only state working to upgrade its parks this summer. Indiana has also announced a variety of fixes and upgrades for 2023. You can find a complete list on the Indiana DNR web site. Here are a few highlights.
- An EZ Dock with kayak launch was installed at Chain O’Lakes State Park
- New trail signage was added to Clifty Falls State Park
- Dream Lake SRA recently received a new campground playground
- Forty-two campsites at Hardy Lake State Park have been upgraded to 50 amp electricity
- Three new full hook-up accessible campsites were added to Mississinewa Lake State Park.
- 30 campsites at Versailles State Park have been upgraded to 50 amp electricity
We haven’t had the opportunity to visit an Indiana State Park yet. We’d love to hear your experience with them. What’s your favorite?
Fairfield Lake State Park Update
Earlier this year, we reported that Fairfield Lake State Park in Texas was closing. It looks like Texas might be changing course. According to KCENTV, “In a public meeting on Thursday, May 25, the Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) Commission unanimously voted to authorize the executive director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to take any steps necessary to purchase the park, and significantly more land with it.”
Rather than losing a state park, Texas would expand Fairfield Lake from 1,800 acres to 5,000 acres by purchasing additional land for the park.
Disc Golf at Natural Bridge State Park
Disc Golf can be a fun outdoor activity. On June 3, a new 18 hold disc golf course will open at Natural Bridge State Park in Virginia. According to WFXRTV, volunteers have been working for months to clean and prepare the course to get it ready for opening.
We have found disc golf courses at a variety of parks and campgrounds such as Newport News Park, Waller Mill Park, and the Williamsburg Campground. However, we haven’t found too many state parks with frisbee golf courses. If you know of one, let us know.
Florida State Park Reservations Changes
Florida is changing its state park reservation policy to enable Florida residents an advantage in reserving campsites. With the new approach, Florida residents will now be able to make a reservation 11 months in advance while non-Florida residents can reserve 10 months in advance.
You can read the Florida park reservation bill which will go into effect on January 1, 2024.
Grand Opening of New Groton Nature Center in Vermont
We like to point out one event each month that might be worth checking out. The newly restored Groton Nature Center will open on Sunday, June 11. The center is located in the Groton State Forest which is surrounded by seven state parks. Ribbon cutting for the nature center will be at 11:30 am.
State Park News on YouTube
We share state park news on our YouTube channel. Check out our June 2023 state park news video.
Share Your Thoughts
If you have a state park news story to share, we’d love to hear it. Leave a comment to let us know.
We love state parks. We shared six reasons why we love state parks in our recent post and video. If you love state parks, too, let us know your favorite.
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