Scuba Diving In US State Parks

The State parks in the United States are perhaps best known for their mountains and forests - however what many people do not realize is that the US State Park System also has some unique and wonderful sites for Scuba Divers.

Let us not forget that not all great Scuba Diving opportunities are among coral reefs and the open ocean, Rivers, lakes, streams, and springs also offer some unique and interesting underwater environments, and some of our nations inland State Parks are great places to experience these. Such as Balmorhea State Park in Texas. Located in the foothills of the Davis Mountains in Southwest Texas, Balmorhea was opened in the late 1960's, and ever since has been an attraction to Scuba Divers for its clear artesian springs. Also in Texas a little more inland you will find Inks Lake State Park, a 1200-acre facilities on the Colorado River. Scuba Diving opportunities abound in some State Parks in areas that you may not think of - such as Pennsylvania, where some of the best fresh water lake environments for divers exsist. Even someplace as unlikely as Illinois feature the Kickapoo State Recreation area, one of the only State Parks in Illinois where one can Scuba Dive. Wisconsin, certainly better known for winter sports and cheese then Scuba Diving is home to Devils Lake State Park, where divers come to enjoy the clear deep waters of the 360 acre lake. Lake Jocasse in South Carolina is home to some of the cleanest and clearest waters in the southeast. Walls, Caverns and even a wreck rest below the cool clear waters of this deep water lake

Of course there are a wealth of opportunities to scuba dive in the more traditional settings in US State Parks such as the State Parks of California's Central Coast, or the State Parks located throughout the Islands of Hawaii. But perhaps the "grand daddy" of US state park Scuba Diving locations is the World Famous John Pennekamp State Park located in the Florida Keys. Located in Key Largo Florida, and established in 1968 John Pennekamp is the country's first and only "underwater" State Park. It is now part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, a 2800-acre of protected marine habitats. Home to the only coral reef on the continental United States, Pennekamp offers something for scuba divers of every skill level, and has been recognized consistently as one of the Top Ten Dive Sites in the world.

The bottom line is that no matter where you live the National and State park system, and your States Department of Environmental Protection have made a serious effort to preserve the environment and offer areas where people can enjoy all of the natural wonders our country has to offer, and that includes Scuba Diving. Our State Parks are our national treasures, this is well known to hikers, campers and other outdoor enthusiasts. Scuba Divers are at their heart naturalists, who enjoy and respect the underwater world and the environment - and who is better equipped to explore a treasure, then a Scuba Diver?