A provincial park (or territorial park ) is a park administered by one of the provinces of a country, as opposed to a national park . They are similar to state parks in other countries. They are typically open to the public for recreation. Their environment may be more or less strictly protected.
24-472: Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park is a state park of California , United States, marking the discovery of gold by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in 1848, sparking the California Gold Rush . The park grounds include much of the historic town of Coloma, California , which is now considered a ghost town as well as a National Historic Landmark District . The park contains
48-526: A land lease from the U.S. government , while Mackinac National Park was handed down to become the first of the Michigan state parks . As with national parks, facilities at state parks are often leased to concessionaires to operate. Breaks Interstate Park is operated under an interstate compact by Virginia state parks , although it is also one of the Kentucky state parks , straddling both sides of
72-589: A few exceptions such as Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in California, and Wood-Tikchik State Park in Alaska, the largest state park in the United States . In addition to preserving natural landscapes and providing recreational opportunities, many state parks also serve as important educational resources . They often offer guided tours, interpretive programs, and exhibits that help visitors learn about
96-688: A political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational potential. There are state parks under the administration of the government of each U.S. state , some of the Mexican states , and in Brazil . The term is also used in the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales . The equivalent term used in Canada, Argentina, South Africa, and Belgium,
120-699: A restaurant) for lodging at some parks. These typically use "Resort" in the name, such as "_____ Resort State Park" in West Virginia state parks and "_____ State Resort Park" in neighboring Kentucky state parks , which has 17 such resort parks, the most of any state. Other states use the Resort name inconsistently (like DeGray Lake Resort State Park , the only one out of three resorts in Arkansas state parks ), or have only one such park ( South Carolina state parks ' Hickory Knob State Resort Park ), or do not use
144-413: Is provincial park . Similar systems of local government maintained parks exist in other countries, but the terminology varies. State parks are thus similar to national parks , but under state rather than federal administration. Similarly, local government entities below state level may maintain parks, e.g., regional parks or county parks . In general, state parks are smaller than national parks, with
168-895: Is a provincial protected area in the north-east of San Juan Province , north-western Argentina. The Aconcagua Provincial Park is in Mendoza Province . The highest point is the north summit of the Cerro Aconcagua at 6,962 metres (22,841 ft). The Parque Provincial Pereyra Iraola is the largest urban park in the Buenos Aires Province . It is the richest center of biodiversity in the province. Provincial parks in Belgium ( Dutch : provinciale domeinen , French : domaines provinciaux ) include Bois des Rêves, Chevetogne, Hélécine, Palogne, and Wégimont. These are typically public areas administered by
192-520: Is in the Gold Discovery parking area at 38°48′08″N 120°53′34″W / 38.8023°N 120.8927°W / 38.8023; -120.8927 . There is a second Coloma Road California Historical Landmark, No. 747, in Rescue, California . State park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as
216-561: Is the 2,355,200-hectare (5,820,000-acre) Polar Bear Provincial Park on Hudson Bay . Although provincial parks in Canada are not the same as national parks , their structures and purposes are very similar. The provincial and territorial parks systems generally have various park categories. Parks may be ecological reserves without facilities for use by the general public, day use parks or recreational parks that offer many services to visitors, often including bicycle , canoe , or kayak rentals, camping sites, hiking trails and beaches . In
240-551: The California Historical Landmarks : a monument to commemorate James Marshall (#143), the actual spot where he first discovered gold in 1848 (#530). Established in 1942, and Coloma Road (#748),. The park now comprises 576 acres (233 ha) in El Dorado County . The entire route of California State Route 153 lies within the park, and allows visitors to drive to the top of the hill where
264-683: The Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration . Provincial park Provincial parks ( Spanish : Parques Provinciales ) in the Misiones Province of Argentina include the Urugua-í Provincial Park and Esmeralda Provincial Park . The Ischigualasto Provincial Park , also called Valle de la Luna ("Valley of the Moon" or "Moon Valley") due to its otherworldly appearance,
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#1732772166777288-497: The province for outdoor recreation such as swimming, canoeing, hiking and camping, with few or no fully protected portions. Provincial parks in Canada are protected areas of land and/or water designated by one of the provincial governments to protect nature or historical sites and to support recreation, tourism and education. The first provincial park, Queen Victoria Park in Niagara Falls , opened in 1888. The largest
312-627: The Golden West , Placerville Parlor #9, felt that the Marshall deserved a monument to mark the grave of the "Discoverer of Gold". In May 1890, five years after Marshall's death, Placerville Parlor #9 successfully advocated the idea of a monument to the State Legislature, which appropriated a total of $ 9,000 for the construction of the monument and tomb, the first such monument erected in California. A statue of Marshall stands on top of
336-836: The Venda mountains in the northern part of the Limpopo province of South Africa . Mokolo Dam Provincial Park almost surrounds the Mokolo Dam on the Mokolo River . It is located 32 km south of Lephalale , just northeast of the Marakele National Park and not far from the Lapalala Game Reserve . Letaba Ranch Provincial Park in Limpopo Province is north of Phalaborwa , next to
360-460: The city of Coloma. Marshall traveled the road to tell of his gold find to Captain John A. Sutter. During the 49ers gold rush thousands of miners traveled the road heading out to look for gold and claims. California's first stage line, California Stage Company, traveled the road starting in 1849, the line was founded by James E. Birch . The Coloma Road is a California Historical Landmark No. 748. A marker
384-738: The country's state parks. The NASPD further counts over 43,000 miles (69,000 km) of trail, 217,367 campsites, and 8,277 cabins and lodges across U.S. state parks. The largest state park system in the United States is Alaska State Parks , with over 100 sites encompassing 3.3 million acres. Many states include designations beyond "state park" in their state parks systems. Other designations might be state recreation areas , state beaches, and state nature reserves . Some state park systems include long-distance trails and historic sites . To encourage tourism in rural areas, several states have simple lodges, inns, hotels, or motels (usually with
408-478: The designation at all (such as the lodges of Georgia state parks ). The term "lodge" may also refer to a hiking lodge , essentially a large cabin for hikers rather than a large facility with private rooms and a restaurant. Other lodging may include yurts and tipis . Not all parks owned by a state are necessarily part of its state-park system, such as Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta. Some Texas state parks are
432-493: The local flora , fauna , geology , and cultural history of the area. These programs are designed not only to enhance the visitor experience but also to promote conservation awareness and encourage responsible enjoyment of natural resources. There are 6,792 state park units in the United States, according to the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD). There are some 813 million annual visits to
456-551: The monument to James W. Marshall stands. The Gold Discovery Museum features gold-rush-era exhibits including mining equipment, horse-drawn vehicles, household implements and other memorabilia. The American River Nature Center, operated by the American River Conservancy, features murals of local wildlife, hands-on exhibits, animal mounts and live small animals. In 1886 the members of the Native Sons of
480-558: The monument, pointing to the spot where he made his discovery in 1848. The monument was rededicated October 8, 2010 by the Native Sons of the Golden West, Georgetown Parlor #91, in honor of the 200th Anniversary of James W. Marshall's birth. The California Historical Landmark No. 143 marker is at 310 Back Street, 38°47′47″N 120°53′40″W / 38.7965°N 120.8945°W / 38.7965; -120.8945 . The old Coloma Road opened in 1847, it ran from Sutter's Fort to
504-462: The province of Quebec , the provincial parks are labelled "national parks" and are all IUCN category II protected areas (like at the federal level, and as opposed to many provincial parks), and are managed by Société des établissements de plein air du Québec . Many parks in the other provinces have the IUCN designation. Nwanedi Provincial Park is a scenic nature and game reserve on the foothills of
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#1732772166777528-474: The state line. Other multi-state parks are legally two separate parks with the same name and more informal cooperation between them. The title of oldest state park in the United States is claimed by Niagara Falls State Park in New York , established in 1885. Several public parks previously or currently maintained at the state level pre-date it. Indian Springs State Park has been operated continuously by
552-454: The state of Georgia as a public park since 1825, although it did not gain the title "State Park" until 1931. In 1864 Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove were ceded by the federal government to California until Yosemite National Park was proclaimed in 1890. In 1878 Wisconsin set aside a vast swath of its northern forests as "The State Park" but, needing money, sold most of it to lumber companies within 20 years. Mackinac National Park
576-473: Was established in 1875 as the second U.S. national park before being converted to a state park in 1895. The first state park with the designation of "state park" was Itasca State Park in Minnesota , established in 1891. Many state park systems date to the 1930s, when around 800 state parks (and several national ones) across the country were developed with assistance from federal job-creation programs like
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