Yosemite National Park is famous for its jaw-dropping cliffs, towering waterfalls and breathtaking views.
But did you know there are other parks across the U.S. that offer similar scenery—without the massive crowds?
That’s right!
Hidden in states from coast to coast, these state parks serve up rugged mountains, stunning rock formations and epic hikes that give off serious Yosemite vibes.
Some even have their own unique features that might make them even better!
Ready to discover a few of these incredible spots?
1. Mount San Jacinto State Park, California
Mount San Jacinto State Park is like a mini-Yosemite but without the huge crowds!
Situated near Palm Springs, this park is known for its towering granite peaks, lush forests and incredible views.
The centerpiece is Mount San Jacinto, standing tall at over 10,000 feet, offering breathtaking scenery that’s similar to Yosemite’s iconic cliffs and valleys.
It’s perfect for hikers, with miles and miles of trails that range from easy strolls to challenging climbs.
One of the coolest features is the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway which takes you from the desert floor to the mountain in just minutes!
You’ll also enjoy spotting deer, bobcats and even bald eagles.
2. Smith Rock State Park, Oregon
Smith Rock State Park is another incredible park that has a Yosemite-like vibe with its dramatic cliffs and stunning views.
Located in central Oregon, this park is famous for its towering rock formations and the winding Crooked River that cuts through the landscape.
The golden cliffs look a lot like Yosemite’s granite walls, making it a great alternative for anyone who loves majestic scenery.
It’s also home to some of the best rock climbing in the world, with over a thousand climbing routes!
Hikers will love the trails, especially the popular Misery Ridge Trail, which offers jaw-dropping views of the park.
Fun fact: Smith Rock is actually considered the birthplace of modern sport climbing.
3. Custer State Park, South Dakota
Custer State Park is a hidden gem that feels a lot like Yosemite with its rugged beauty and towering granite spires.
Located in the Black Hills, this park is known for its stunning landscapes, including scenic drives through lush forests and jaw-dropping rock formations.
One of the park’s coolest features is the Needles Highway, where you’ll drive past needle-like granite peaks similar to Yosemite’s dramatic cliffs.
You’ll also be thrilled with the massive herds of bison that roam freely across the park’s rolling hills.
The park also offers fantastic hiking, fishing and camping opportunities, with Sylvan Lake being a favorite spot for relaxing.
Custer State Park is actually one of the largest state parks in the U.S., spanning over 71,000 acres!
4. Eldorado Canyon State Park, Colorado
Eldorado Canyon State Park is a hidden treasure that gives off major Yosemite vibes with its towering cliffs and stunning views.
Just a short drive from Boulder, this park is famous for its massive sandstone walls that are perfect for rock climbing.
With over 500 technical climbing routes, it’s often compared to Yosemite for its epic rock faces and adventure-filled atmosphere.
If climbing’s not your thing, there are also peaceful hiking trails that wind through the canyon, offering views of the golden cliffs and the bubbling South Boulder Creek.
The park is also perfect for picnicking, wildlife watching and enjoying nature without the crowds.
Whether you’re climbing or just soaking up the beauty, Eldorado Canyon is a must-see!
5. Snow Canyon State Park, Utah
Snow Canyon State Park is like a mini-Yosemite, but with stunning red and white sandstone cliffs that look straight out of a painting.
Located near St. George, this park is known for its otherworldly landscapes, including towering rock formations, lava tubes and sweeping desert views.
The red rocks and canyons are perfect for hiking, biking and even horseback riding, with trails for every skill level.
Its dramatic cliffs and wide-open spaces feel a lot like Yosemite but with the added beauty of Utah’s vivid desert colors.
Interestingly, Snow Canyon has actually been the backdrop for several Hollywood films!
The park is smaller and quieter than some of Utah’s big-name spots, making it a peaceful escape into the outdoors.
6. Chugach State Park, Alaska
Chugach State Park is a wild, rugged paradise that rivals Yosemite in its sheer natural beauty.
Located right next to Anchorage, it’s one of the largest state parks in the U.S., covering nearly half a million acres of towering mountains, glaciers and lush valleys.
The park is known for its dramatic landscapes, including snow-capped peaks that soar above dense forests and alpine meadows.
It’s perfect for hiking, wildlife watching and even glacier trekking, offering unique adventurous activities in every season.
The towering mountains and waterfalls give it that Yosemite-like feeling, but with the added magic of Alaska’s untouched wilderness.
Moose, bears and even bald eagles are regular visitors to the park, making it a great place to connect with nature.
7. Palouse Falls State Park, Washington
Palouse Falls State Park is a stunning spot with a breathtaking waterfall that feels like something out of Yosemite.
Located in the heart of the Palouse region, the park is famous for its 200-foot waterfall that crashes into a deep canyon, surrounded by rugged cliffs and rolling hills.
The falls are often compared to Yosemite’s waterfalls, offering that same awe-inspiring, natural beauty but with a unique, desert-like landscape.
It’s a great place for hiking, with trails that lead to scenic overlooks that are perfect for soaking in panoramic views of the canyon and falls.
Photographers love it here, especially at sunset when the canyon walls glow in golden light.
Fun fact: Palouse Falls is Washington’s official state waterfall!
8. Cloudland Canyon State Park, Georgia
Cloudland Canyon State Park is a jaw-dropping spot that will remind you of Yosemite with its rugged cliffs and deep, scenic canyons.
Located on the western edge of Lookout Mountain, this park is famous for its stunning waterfalls, towering sandstone walls and panoramic views of the canyon below.
It’s great for hiking with trails leading to the park’s two main waterfalls, Cherokee Falls and Hemlock Falls, both of which cascade down the canyon walls like something out of Yosemite.
The park’s cliffs and overlooks make it a perfect place for taking in epic mountain views without the long trip out west.
You can also camp, explore caves or even go mountain biking here.
Whether you’re chasing waterfalls or just relaxing at the rim, Cloudland Canyon is a must-visit!
9. Smugglers Notch State Park, Vermont
Smugglers’ Notch State Park is a hidden gem with stunning mountain views that look a lot like Yosemite.
Located near Stowe, this park is famous for its dramatic cliffs, narrow mountain pass and winding roads that make you feel like you’re in the heart of a wild adventure.
The rocky cliffs and towering trees create a majestic, almost Yosemite-like landscape, but with a New England twist.
It’s perfect for hiking with trails that lead to waterfalls, caves and breathtaking viewpoints.
The park gets its name from the 1800s, when smugglers used the narrow pass to sneak goods between Canada and the U.S. during trade embargos!
In the fall, the park’s foliage is absolutely jaw-dropping, turning the mountains into a sea of brilliant reds, oranges and yellows.
10. The Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Whilst not technically a state park, we couldn’t help including this one as it’s stunning!
The Blowing Rock is a small park that offers incredible mountain views and a unique natural wonder.
Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the park is famous for a cliff that creates an upward wind so strong that light objects tossed off the edge get blown back!
The park’s dramatic rock formations and sweeping views of the gorge below give it a Yosemite-like feel, but with the charm of the Appalachian Mountains.
It’s a great place for easy hikes, with short trails that lead to jaw-dropping overlooks.
The park is especially beautiful in the fall when the leaves turn vibrant shades of red, orange and gold.
Legend has it that a heartbroken Native American maiden once saw her lover fly back to her on the wind here.
11. Stone Mountain State Park, North Carolina
Stone Mountain State Park is a hidden gem with a massive granite dome.
Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, this park is known for its impressive, 600-foot granite face that looks like a mini version of Yosemite’s Half Dome.
It’s a top spot for hiking, with trails that lead to stunning waterfalls, lush forests and panoramic views from the top of the mountain.
Rock climbers also love scaling the massive granite cliffs, which offer a challenge and a view like no other.
The park’s peaceful creeks and wooded areas are also perfect for picnicking or fishing.
Stone Mountain is actually a National Natural Landmark, recognized for its unique geological features.
12. Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire
Franconia Notch State Park is a stunning mountain getaway with jaw-dropping views that rival Yosemite.
Located in the heart of the White Mountains, the park is famous for its soaring granite cliffs, crystal-clear lakes and dramatic waterfalls.
The Flume Gorge, a natural canyon with steep granite walls, is a must-see and gives off serious Yosemite vibes with its rugged beauty.
The park is packed with outdoor adventures, including hiking the popular trails to the summit of Mount Lafayette for panoramic views of the park.
Franconia Notch is also home to the Basin, a unique rock formation shaped by thousands of years of swirling water.
This park was once home to the Old Man of the Mountain, a famous granite cliff that resembled a face before it collapsed in 2003.
13. Castle Rocks State Park, Idaho
Castle Rocks State Park is an adventure-filled park that feels like a smaller version of Yosemite with its dramatic granite rock formations and rugged landscapes.
Located near the town of Almo, this park is famous for its massive granite spires and ancient rock formations that rise dramatically from the sagebrush plains.
It’s a hotspot for rock climbers, with hundreds of routes that challenge climbers of all levels, much like Yosemite’s famous cliffs.
Hikers can explore scenic trails that wind through forests, meadows and past fascinating historic sites, including old pioneer homesteads.
Fun fact: Castle Rocks has some of the oldest rock art in Idaho, with petroglyphs dating back thousands of years!
Whether you’re climbing, hiking or just taking in the epic views, Castle Rocks is a hidden gem worth discovering.
14. Beacon Rock State Park, Washington
Beacon Rock State Park is an outdoor paradise that gives off some serious Yosemite vibes.
Located along the Columbia River Gorge, the park’s centerpiece is Beacon Rock, a towering 848-foot basalt monolith that you can actually hike to the top of via a series of switchback trails.
The views from the summit are absolutely breathtaking, offering sweeping views of the gorge, river and surrounding forests.
It’s a favorite for both hikers and rock climbers, with climbing routes up the sheer cliffs for those seeking a challenge.
The park also offers peaceful riverside picnicking, camping and access to waterfalls and lush wooded trails.
Interestingly, Beacon Rock is one of the largest free-standing monoliths in North America, just like Yosemite’s iconic El Capitan!
15. Big Bend Ranch State Park, Texas
Big Bend Ranch State Park is an epic desert park that feels like a slice of Yosemite in the Southwest.
It’s the largest state park in Texas, located along the rugged Rio Grande, and is known for its dramatic canyons, towering cliffs and wide-open skies.
The park’s remote beauty is perfect for hikers, mountain bikers and anyone who loves adventure in wide, open spaces.
With its jagged peaks and deep canyons, it shares that awe-inspiring, wild feeling you get in Yosemite, but with a cool desert twist.
The Solitario, a giant collapsed volcanic dome, is one of the park’s most unique and jaw-dropping features.
You can also camp under some of the darkest, starriest skies in the country.
16. Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio
Hocking Hills State Park is a magical place that feels a bit like Yosemite with its dramatic cliffs, waterfalls and lush forests.
Located in southeastern Ohio, this park is known for its stunning sandstone gorges, towering rock formations and cascading waterfalls like Old Man’s Cave and Cedar Falls.
The park’s rugged terrain offers miles of hiking trails that take you through caves, over bridges and along scenic ridges that make you feel like you’re in a fantasy world.
The unique rock formations and cliffs give it that same jaw-dropping vibe you get in Yosemite, but with a Midwest twist.
It’s also a great spot for camping, fishing and even ziplining through the trees.
Hocking Hills is actually home to some of the darkest skies in Ohio, making it perfect for stargazing.
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