Looking for a Texas getaway? These 2 state parks rank among America's best

Two Texas destinations earned spots among the nation's top state parks in USA Today's 2026 10Best Reader's Choice Awards, with Palo Duro Canyon State Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park both cracking the top 10.

Palo Duro Canyon State Park, near Amarillo, ranked No. 6, while Big Bend Ranch State Park in far West Texas came in at No. 8. The rankings were determined by public voting after a panel of USA Today editors and travel experts selected 20 nominees from across the country.

Often called the "Grand Canyon of Texas," Palo Duro Canyon State Park is home to the nation's second-largest canyon. The park features more than 30 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails, exposed rock formations dating back 250 million years and the long-running outdoor musical "TEXAS," performed each summer in the park's natural amphitheater.

Big Bend Ranch State Park is the largest state park in Texas, spanning more than 311,000 acres in the Chihuahuan Desert near the U.S.-Mexico border. Visitors can explore more than 250 miles of trails, paddle sections of the Rio Grande and stargaze in one of Texas' designated International Dark Sky Parks.

The top spot in the USA Today rankings was claimed by Gooseberry Falls State Park in Minnesota.

Here's a list of the other state parks that made the cut.

USA Today's top 10 state parks of 2026

1. Gooseberry Falls State Park - Two Harbors, Minn.
2. Mohican State Park - Loudonville, Ohio
3. Peninsula State Park - Fish Creek, Wis.
4. Hocking Hills State Park - Logan, Ohio
5. Jockey's Ridge State Park - Nags Head, N.C.
6. Palo Duro Canyon State Park - Canyon, Texas
7. Ha Ha Tonka State Park - Camdenton, Mo.
8. Big Bend Ranch State Park - Terlingua, Texas
9. Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park - Ontonagon, Mich.
10. Lost Dutchman State Park - Apache Junction, Ariz.

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