Andy Keller, the new recreational park manager for Pictograph Cave State Park district in FWP Region 5, shares his background growing up in Sidney, Montana, and his vision to provide welcoming educational experiences. Keller plans to expand programs like Junior Rangers and highlight the park's 106 documented pictographs from 1937-1941 excavations.
First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park is offering Sunset and Full Moon Hikes led by park manager Clark Aasom on September 26 and October 24. The moderately difficult 3-mile hike combines scenic views with cultural and historical significance, limited to 25 participants per evening at $4 per person.
Makoshika State Park, Montana's largest state park, features nearly 12,000 acres of badlands formations and extensive dinosaur fossil remains from the late Cretaceous period. The park offers 11 hiking trails, a visitor center displaying original fossils including a Triceratops skull, and hosts the annual Makoshika Music & Arts Festival on September 12.
The Michigan DNR is requesting public input on an update to Ludington State Park's general management plan through an online survey available until October 4. The survey will help guide park management over the next 10 years, building on recent improvements including a $4.85 million investment through the American Rescue Plan Act.
The annual Autumn Harvest Hoedown returns to Pokagon State Park on September 26, 2026, featuring the Spy Run String Band playing traditional dance music. The Friends of Pokagon, Inc. will offer fresh apple cider from Stroh Orchard and popcorn, with the event sponsored by the Steuben County Tourism Bureau.
The Missouri River Outdoor Expo at Ponca State Park will celebrate America's 250th anniversary September 19-20 with over 100 outdoor activities, Nebraska Humanities speakers, and competitions including Bob's Epic Burger Challenge, a Barbecue Challenge, and Youth Duck Calling competition.
Michigan offers nearly 4 million acres of state forest and 103 state parks for outdoor recreation. Lawrence Law, forester with the DNR's Urban and Community Forestry Program, encourages visitors to practice "forest bathing" while following leave-no-trace principles and preventing the spread of invasive species.
Travelers' Rest State Park near Lolo offers free September events including a Lewis and Clark celebration, bison hide demonstration by anthropologist Billy Maxwell, Creekside Concert featuring Bob Wire, and a bear aware event. The park's nonprofit partner Travelers' Rest Connection hosts a fundraiser dinner featuring A Moveable Feast catering and beverages from Lolo Peak Brewing and Lolo Creek Distillery.
Ledges State Park in Boone fully reopened on September 1 after a month-long road project. Park Manager Andy Bartlett encourages visitors to make camping reservations soon for the busy fall season, available online at iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com or by calling (877) 427-2757.
Silver Lake State Park in Oceana County offers a special horseback riding season November 1-30, featuring a predetermined route along Lake Michigan and sand dunes. Registration opened September 1 at MiDNRReservations.com with a $10 per horse daily fee and 125 spots available. Park manager Jody Johnston notes this expands off-season recreation alongside the fat-tire biking season.
Dave Caserio, a local writer and educator, is leading a writing workshop at Pictograph Cave State Park on September 19 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Participants will use observations of the natural world and the area's historical, cultural, and geological background to create works in any writing genre.
Alabama State Parks opened a 4.4-mile extension of the Fort Morgan Trail at Gulf State Park, bringing the total trail length to approximately 10.5 miles. The $5.6 million project, funded by the federal RESTORE Act, includes 12 bridges and a new bathhouse, connecting visitors to the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail system's 28-mile network.
Barry G. Smith of Germantown, Tennessee discovered a stunning 2.29-carat canary yellow diamond at Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park. Named the Sage Juniper Diamond after his granddaughters, it is the third-largest diamond found at the park this year. Facility Supervisor Ralph Hall noted its resemblance to the Pearadin Schumacher American Dream Diamond.
Smith Falls State Park in north central Nebraska now offers two GRIT all-terrain wheelchairs, one for adults and one for children, to help visitors with mobility challenges experience the park's natural beauty. The lever-driven chairs feature mountain-bike wheels and are available free on a first-come, first-served basis at the park office.
Chief Plenty Coups State Park will host its 31st annual Day of Honor celebration on September 5, themed "Land, Leadership and Legacy." The free public event features a fun run, barbeque lunch, and performances honoring Chief Plenty Coups of the Apsáalooke tribe, with sponsorship from Aluutaalaahu Many Arrows Community Development Corporation and Friends of Chief Plenty Coups State Park.
Madison Buffalo Jump State Park will host its annual Kite Festival on September 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event features Native American art vendors, flint knapping demonstrations, Vintage Nana's Indian Tacos, a drum circle by Many Hands Light Work, and a bison presentation by Billy Maxwell.
Nature Awaits, a Michigan DNR education initiative, offers free fall field trips to fourth grade classrooms at 30 state parks. Transportation costs for public schools are reimbursed up to $1,000, with trained DNR educators leading 90-minute curriculum-aligned activities from September through November.
Arkansas State Parks is promoting safe outdoor recreation during extreme heat with hiking tips including proper hydration, trail selection, and heat illness awareness. The parks offer cooler alternatives such as water activities through Whenever Watersports, guided lake adventures at DeGray Lake Resort State Park and Bull Shoals–White River State Park, Blanchard Springs Caverns tours, and air-conditioned visitor centers.
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has scheduled September education events including Wise and Wild programs at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park, Little Saplings early childhood nature discovery at Schramm Education Center, virtual Science of Sunflowers webinar, spider hikes, kayak cleanup at Carter Lake, nature zine workshops, homeschool hikes, and Wildcat Hills programs in western Nebraska.
Travelers' Rest State Park near Lolo is celebrating 25 years with a series of public events, including a free concert by The Queens and Mr. G on August 23 and a trivia night at Lolo Creek Distillery on August 27. The park, home to a Lewis & Clark Expedition campsite, received grants from Montana 250 Grant Program, Americana Corner's Preserving America Grant, and Park Side Credit Union.