State parks · Six lakes, eight states
Great Lakes State Parks
120 state parks on the American shore, from Minnesota's North Shore cliffs to the Thousand Islands. Each one gets its size, age, entry rule and the beaches, lighthouses and launches inside it or beside it.
Parks
120
Acres recorded
232k
States
8
Lakes
6
By lake
Pick a lake
Lake Superior
Biggest: Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, 59,020 acres.
Lake Michigan
Biggest: Wilderness State Park, 12,800 acres.
Lake Huron
Biggest: Thompson's Harbor State Park, 5,109 acres.
Lake Erie
Biggest: Presque Isle State Park, 3,112 acres.
Lake Ontario
Biggest: Wellesley Island State Park, 2,636 acres.
Lake St. Clair
Biggest: Algonac State Park, 1,550 acres.
Before you drive in
Entry rules by state
Statewide policy for the parks each state runs. Prices change every year or two, so we link the agency instead of quoting them. Parks run by towns, counties or a commission are marked on their own pages.
Michigan 47
Every vehicle entering a Michigan state park needs a Recreation Passport, bought with your license plate registration or at the park. Michigan DNR
Wisconsin 11
Wisconsin state parks and forests require a vehicle admission sticker, annual or daily. Wisconsin DNR
New York 43
Many New York state parks charge a vehicle use fee in season; an annual Empire Pass covers it. New York State Parks
Minnesota 8
Minnesota state parks require a vehicle permit, annual or one-day. Minnesota DNR
Pennsylvania 2
Pennsylvania does not charge an entry fee at its state parks. Camping and some activities are paid. Pennsylvania DCNR
Illinois 1
Illinois does not charge an entry fee at its state parks. Camping is paid. Illinois DNR
Indiana 1
Indiana state parks charge a gate fee per vehicle; an annual entrance pass covers it. Indiana DNR
Room to roam
The ten biggest
- Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park59,020 ac · Lake Superior · MI
- Tahquamenon Falls State Park46,179 ac · Lake Superior · MI
- Wilderness State Park12,800 ac · Lake Michigan · MI
- Tettegouche State Park9,346 ac · Lake Superior · MN
- Thompson's Harbor State Park5,109 ac · Lake Huron · MI
- Cascade River State Park5,050 ac · Lake Superior · MN
- Ludington State Park4,800 ac · Lake Michigan · MI
- Judge C. R. Magney State Park4,643 ac · Lake Superior · MN
- Rockport State Recreation Area4,237 ac · Lake Huron · MI
- Illinois Beach State Park4,160 ac · Lake Michigan · IL
Set aside early
The ten oldest
- Belle Isle Park1845 · Lake St. Clair · MI
- Mackinac Island State Park1875 · Lake Huron · MI
- Niagara Falls State Park1885 · Lake Erie · NY
- Canoe-Picnic Point State Park1897 · Lake Ontario · NY
- Mary Island State Park1897 · Lake Ontario · NY
- Burnham Point State Park1898 · Lake Ontario · NY
- Cedar Island State Park1898 · Lake Ontario · NY
- Cedar Point State Park1898 · Lake Ontario · NY
- Dewolf Point State Park1898 · Lake Ontario · NY
- Kring Point State Park1898 · Lake Ontario · NY
The year each park's record gives. Some began as city or federal land before the state took them on.
Questions
About the directory
How many state parks are on the Great Lakes?
This directory lists 120 state parks, recreation areas and state forests on or beside the U.S. shore of the six lakes, including the parks along the Niagara, St. Lawrence, St. Clair and Detroit rivers. Together they cover about 231,915 acres where an area is recorded. County, city and national parks and national lakeshores are not counted.
What is the biggest Great Lakes state park?
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in MI, at 59,020 acres (92 sq mi), then Tahquamenon Falls State Park (46,179 acres) and Wilderness State Park (12,800 acres). Big parks often run far inland; the shore is only part of them.
Do Great Lakes state parks charge for entry?
It depends on the state. Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota require a vehicle pass or sticker; Indiana charges at the gate and New York charges a vehicle fee at many parks in season; Ohio, Pennsylvania and Illinois charge no entry fee. Camping is paid everywhere. Each park page names its state rule and links the agency.
Where does this park data come from?
From English Wikipedia's state park categories for the eight Great Lakes states. A park is listed when its coordinates sit on or within a short distance of a Great Lakes shoreline, or on a connecting river. Facts come from each article's infobox, with its Wikidata record filling the area, founding year and website where the infobox is silent. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
Parks and facts from English Wikipedia and Wikidata, retrieved 2026-10-11. Shoreline from Natural Earth (public domain). Charts are not for navigation. Corrections to contact@greatamericanlakes.com.