Visit State Parks For Photo Opportunities and Family Fun

Visiting state parks in almost every area of the US can be filled with exciting photo opportunities. Enjoy family gatherings and vacations that refresh and renew your spirit

Choose any state in the United States and you will find a large selection of parks and forest preserves to visit. Many states base their main income on these tourist attractions. Others provide hidden surprises for you to find and explore.

State Parks and Forests are awesome places to visit and find nature and flower photo opportunities. Mushrooms bloom overnight after a rain. It can be exciting walking a forest path to find a multitude of mushroom species popping up along the forest floor.

Matheson State Park Illinois

And it's fun to walk along paths spotting beautiful tiny wildflowers peeping out from under a bed of leaves where they've spent the winter. Those brown leaves serve to enhance any flowers beautiful color.

Your walk continues into an open field. All summer and even sometimes into fall you will be met with golden flowers bending in the wind. Now that's an awesome picture to capture against bright blue sky and white fluffy clouds.

Matheson State Park in Utica, Illinois is one such park. We spent a lovely afternoon hiking through this forest. You want to be sure and study up on taking photographs in low light before you make this hike a part of your travel photo opportunities.

Coopers Rock State Forest in West Virginia

Coopers Rock State Forest Overlook

Coopers Rock State Forest gets its name from a legend about a fugitive who hid from the law near what is now the overlook. A cooper by trade, he resumed making barrels at his new mountain hideout, selling them to people in nearby communities. He lived and worked in the forest for many years...quoted from Coopers Rock State Forest web site.

This state park holds lots of fond childhood memories. As kids we used to love hiking through through rocky paths all over the hillside. We loved it so much that it has become a family tradition.

We visit at least once a year for our family reunion. And every generation is as excited to adventure through rattlesnake path as the generation before them.

Your State Park Adventure

Now it's your turn to share your state park adventures. Do you have a favorite park story you would like to share? Click here to share your story

No matter what season you pick to visit a state park you are sure to find something that pleases your senses. Every day presents a new opportunity to capture an award winning photo.

Mid summer presents you with a variety of fragrances to enjoy. A walk along the lake at Herrick Forest Preserve in Illinois is one of the most pleasant of walks. Milkweed buds fill the air with a sweet aroma that is invigorating. Butterflies love these blooms so you are sure to be met with many flights of fancy along your walk.

No matter what season you choose to visit a state park or forest you will be met with a blend of colors that will please the eye.

Seneca Caverns Takes You a Level Deeper

Put on Your Hard Hat for Seneca Caverns West Virginia

Now here is a park that you will remember for a long time. It's called Seneca Caverns named for the Seneca Indian Tribe that used these caves for their home. The caverns are visited by guided tour only. And as your tour guide leads the way, you will learn the history of not only the mountain from the inside out. But the people who dwelled there as well.

Pricketts Fort West Virginia

Back to the surface and a different look at Indians and Pioneers. Prickets Fort is a replica of the fort built during early settler days as a temporary housing during the occasional uprising.

Settlers would gather at the fort for safety. And during the summer months you can actually see daily reinactments of those early days.

Summer isn't the only time to visit parks and forests though. Autumn may well be one onf the best times for capturing nature at her most brilliant.

Almost every park in West Virginia or even Illinois have their share of autumn colors on display.

I realize that West Virginia and Illinoise are the only parks I am mentioning at this time. This is because Illinois has been my home for the past seven years. And West Virginia is where I grew up. I would love to hear from you about your personal favorite state parks and forests.

The next most popular season for visiting parks and forests would be winter. If you love to ski, you will definitely want to check out Canaan Valley in WV.

Canaan Valley offers camping, hiking trails, cabins, picnic areas and so much more.

Friendly Deer at Canaan Valley WV

And one of the more is going to the park before the snow falls. My sister and I traveled up that way in October. Leaves had all fallen off the trees so we didn't get any autumn colors.

But one thing we did get were lots of deer pictures. This picture you might notice the rim of window glass at the bottom of the photo. That is my car window. Bambi was poking his nose in for a taste of something to eat.

Be sure and visit my deer pictures page to read all about that adventure. You'll see a few more deer pictures as well. And speaking of photos, you may want to check out my new free photo gallery to enjoy even more photos.

Before I wrap this article up, I would like to talk about one more of my favorite state parks. And that is Valley Falls. It's another favorite of our family.

Valley Falls State Park in West Virginia

Valley Falls Scenic Photo Ops

Valley Falls has become a family traditional summer visit. This past summer I traveled up with my daughters and my grandchildren. It was a first time visit for the grandkids.

Climbing on rocks a little too close to the water made the adults a little nervous. With 4 fearless youngsters climbing as if they had never seen a rock before, it got harder and harder to reel them in.

We adults in the group remember stories of reckless teens falling into that rapid moving river, never to return. Though this water is not for swimming, it makes for awesome photo opportunities.

A new addition to this popular park is a large gazebo ready made for wedding and prom dance photography. We got to witness a young bride having her pictures taken while we were there.

Enter Your Best One to Four Photos Today

Show off to the world the best shots you can take. Get featured on Nature and Flower Pictures home page for one full month.

If you have an online business this is a great way to build your reputation.

Photo a Name