The Recreational Demonstration Area program (also known as the Recreation Demonstration Area program) was a

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

program during the 1930s and early 1940s that built forty-six public parks in twenty-four states on , chiefly near urban areas in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The NPS used labor from a variety of

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

federal relief programs, chiefly the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...

and

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

, to build recreational demonstration areas. By the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the recreational demonstration areas had all either become National Park Service units or been given to their states for use as state parks. The goals of the Recreation Demonstration Area program were typically threefold: 1) to develop land as a park; 2) to provide employment; and 3) to create new parks near urban areas. For the first goal, in some cases the land developed was purchased from sub-optimal farmers, providing some of the poorest farmers with relief. In other cases, state lands (in state forests or parks) were developed. In the second case, the CCC and WPA laborers received payment, and in the CCC, room and board. Finally, the residents of nearby urban areas benefited from new nearby recreation areas.

List

The following is a list of the forty six former recreational demonstration areas. {, class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%" ! width="*" , Name ! width="*" ,

State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

! width="*" , Now ! width="*" , Current Name(s) ! width="*" , Remarks , -- , , Acadia Recreational Demonstration Area , ,

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

, , Federal , ,

Acadia National Park Acadia National Park is an American national park located along the mid-section of the Maine coast, southwest of Bar Harbor. The park preserves about half of Mount Desert Island, part of the Isle au Haut, the tip of the Schoodic Peninsula, and ...

, , , -- , , Alexander H. Stephens Recreational Demonstration Area , ,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, , State , , A.H. Stephens State Historic Park , , State park extension , -- , , Badlands Recreational Demonstration Area , ,

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

, , Federal , ,

Badlands National Park Badlands National Park ( lkt, Makȟóšiča) is an American national park located in southwestern South Dakota. The park protects of sharply eroded buttes and pinnacles, along with the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie in the United State ...

, , , -- , , Beach Pond Recreational Demonstration Area , , Rhode Island , , State , , Beach Pond State Park , , , -- , , Bear Brook Recreational Demonstration Area , , New Hampshire , , State , ,

Bear Brook State Park Bear Brook State Park is a Nature reserve, preserve in Allenstown, New Hampshire, and neighboring towns. It is one of New Hampshire's largest state parks. Amenities at Bear Brook include camp sites, a picnic area, over of hiking trails, swimmin ...

, , , -- , , Blue Knob Recreational Demonstration Area , ,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, , State , ,

Blue Knob State Park Blue Knob State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Kimmel, Lincoln, and Pavia townships in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The average annual snowfall at the park is about . The park is named for Blue Knob, the second high ...

, , , -- , , Blue Ridge Recreational Demonstration Area , ,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, , Federal , ,

Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is America's longest linear park, runs for through 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties, linking Shenand ...

, , , -- , , Bull Run Recreational Demonstration Area , , Virginia , , Federal , ,

Manassas National Battlefield Park Manassas National Battlefield Park is a unit of the National Park Service located in Prince William County, Virginia, north of Manassas that preserves the site of two major American Civil War battles: the First Battle of Bull Run, also called th ...

, , , -- , , Camden Hills Recreational Demonstration Area , ,

, , State , ,

Camden Hills State Park Camden Hills State Park is a public recreation area overlooking Penobscot Bay in the town of Camden, Knox County, Maine. The state park features multi-use trails to Mount Battie, Mount Megunticook, and other scenic locales. The park is m ...

, , , -- , , Catoctin Recreational Demonstration Area , ,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

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Cunningham Falls State Park Cunningham Falls State Park is a public recreation area located west of Thurmont, Maryland, in the United States. The state park is the home of Cunningham Falls, the largest cascading waterfall in Maryland, a man-made lake, and the remains of a ...

Catoctin Mountain Park Catoctin Mountain Park, located in north-central Maryland, is part of the forested Catoctin Mountain ridge−range that forms the northeastern rampart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in the Appalachian Mountains System. Approximately 5120 acres ...

Camp David Camp David is the country retreat for the president of the United States of America. It is located in the wooded hills of Catoctin Mountain Park, in Frederick County, Maryland, near the towns of Thurmont and Emmitsburg, about north-northwe ...

, , near

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

and

Washington D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

, part became a retreat for the

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

, -- , , Cheraw Recreational Demonstration Area , ,

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

, , State , , Cheraw State Park , , , -- , , Chopawamsic Recreational Demonstration Area , , Virginia , , Federal , ,

Prince William Forest Park Prince William Forest Park is protected forest in the U.S. state of Virginia within Prince William County (and very partially Stafford County), located adjacent to the Marine Corps Base Quantico near the town of Dumfries. Established as Chopawa ...

, , In the greater Washington D.C. area. Four camps are separately listed on the National Register of Historic Places: * Goodwill Historic District, Chopawamsic RDA Camp 1 * Mawavi Historic District, Chopawamsic RDA Camp 2 * Orenda/SP-26 Historic District, Chopawamsic RDA Camp 3 *

Pleasant Historic District, Chopawamsic RDA Camp 4 The Pleasant Historic District, Chopawamsic RDA Camp 4 near Triangle, Virginia dates from 1934. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. It includes NPS rustic architecture and is within what is now Prince William Fo ...

, -- , , Crabtree Creek Recreational Demonstration Area , ,

, , State , ,

William B. Umstead State Park William B. Umstead State Park is a North Carolina state park in Wake County, North Carolina in the United States. It covers nestled between the expanding cities of Raleigh, Cary, and Durham, North Carolina. It offers hiking, bridle, and bike tr ...

, , , -- , , Cuivre River Recreational Demonstration Area , ,

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

, , State , ,

Cuivre River State Park Cuivre River State Park is a public recreation area covering more than northeast of the city of Troy in the Lincoln Hills region of northeastern Missouri, United States. The state park's rugged landscapes range from native grasslands and sava ...

, , , -- , , Custer Recreational Demonstration Area , ,

, , State , ,

Custer State Park Custer State Park is a South Dakota State Park and wildlife reserve in the Black Hills, United States. The park is South Dakota's largest and first state park, named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer. The park covers an area of over of v ...

, , State park extension , -- , , Falls Creek Recreational Demonstration Area , ,

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

, , State , ,

Fall Creek Falls State Park Fall Creek Falls State Resort Park is a state park in Van Buren and Bledsoe counties, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The over park is centered on the upper Cane Creek Gorge, an area known for its unique geological formations and scenic waterf ...

, , State park extension , -- , , French Creek Recreational Demonstration Area , ,

, , Both , ,

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site in southeastern Berks County, near Elverson, Pennsylvania, is an example of an American 19th century rural iron plantation, whose operations were based around a charcoal-fired cold-blast iron blast fur ...

French Creek State Park French Creek State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in North Coventry and Warwick Townships in Chester County and Robeson and Union Townships in Berks County, Pennsylvania. It straddles northern Chester County and southern Berks County along ...

, , , -- , , Hard Labor Creek Recreational Demonstration Area , ,

, , State , ,

Hard Labor Creek State Park Hard Labor Creek State Park is a 5,804 acre (23.49 km²) Georgia state park located between Bostwick and Rutledge. The park is named after Hard Labor Creek, a small stream that cuts through the park. The creek's name comes either from ...

, , , -- , , Hickory Run Recreational Demonstration Area , ,

, , State , ,

Hickory Run State Park Hickory Run State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Kidder and Penn Forest Townships in Carbon County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is spread across the Pocono Mountains. The park is easily accessible from Interstate 476 and ...

, , , -- , , Kings Mountain Recreational Demonstration Area , ,

, , Both, ,

Kings Mountain National Military Park Kings Mountain National Military Park is a National Military Park near Blacksburg, South Carolina, along the North Carolina/South Carolina border. The park commemorates the Battle of Kings Mountain, a pivotal and significant victory by American Pa ...

Kings Mountain State Park Kings Mountain State Park is a South Carolina state park located in the Piedmont region of South Carolina. It is situated in York County near the city of Blacksburg, about southwest of Charlotte, North Carolina near Interstate 85. This larg ...

, , , -- , , Lake Guernsey Recreational Demonstration Area , ,

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

, , State , , Guernsey State Park , , State park extension , -- , , Lake Murray Recreational Demonstration Area" , ,

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

, , State , ,

Lake Murray State Park Lake Murray is a lake in south central Oklahoma, near Ardmore named for Oklahoma Governor William H. Murray. It was created by damming Anadarche and Fourche Maline Creeks.

, , , -- , , Lake of the Ozarks Recreational Demonstration Area". , ,

, , State , ,

Lake of the Ozarks State Park Lake of the Ozarks State Park is a Missouri state park on the Grand Glaize Arm of the Lake of the Ozarks and is the largest state park in the state. This is also the most popular state park in Missouri, with over 2.5 million visitations in 2017 ...

, , , -- , , Laurel Hill Recreational Demonstration Area , , Pennsylvania , , State , ,

Laurel Hill State Park Laurel Hill State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Jefferson and Middlecreek Townships, Somerset County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Laurel Hill Lake is a man-made lake with a dam that was constructed during the Great Depression b ...

, , , -- , , Mendocino Woodland Recreational Demonstration Area , ,

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, , State , , Mendocino Woodlands State Park , , National Historic Landmark , -- , , Montgomery Bell Recreational Demonstration Area , , Tennessee , , State , ,

Montgomery Bell State Park Montgomery Bell State Park is a Tennessee state park in Burns, Tennessee, United States. The park covers and its official elevation is . However, due to the dissected wooded terrain typical of the Nashville Basin, actual elevations range from ...

, , , -- , , Montserrat Recreational Demonstration Area , , Missouri , , State , , Knob Noster State Park , , , -- , , Oak Mountain Recreational Demonstration Area , , Alabama , , State , ,

Oak Mountain State Park Oak Mountain State Park is a public recreation area located approximately south of Birmingham in the northeast quadrant of the city of Pelham, Alabama, United States. It is the state's largest state park at and is home to the Alabama Wildlif ...

, , , -- , , Otter Creek Recreational Demonstration Area , , Kentucky , , Local , , Otter Creek Park , , , -- , , Pere Marquette Recreational Demonstration Area , , Illinois , , State , ,

Pere Marquette State Park Pere Marquette State Park is an protected area in southwestern Jersey County, Illinois, United States. It is located near the city of Grafton, Illinois, at the confluence of the Mississippi River and the Illinois River. The park is located on ...

, , , -- , , Pine Mountain Recreational Demonstration Area , , Georgia , , State , , Franklin Roosevelt State Park (western half) , ,

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

visited the park often during its construction (his

Little White House The Little White House was the personal retreat of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, located in the Historic District of Warm Springs, Georgia. He first came to Warm Springs (formerly known as Bullochville) in 19 ...

at Warm Springs is in the eastern half of the modern park). State park extension , -- , , Raccoon Creek Recreational Demonstration Area , , Pennsylvania , , State , ,

Raccoon Creek State Park Raccoon Creek State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on Raccoon Creek in Hanover and Independence townships in Beaver County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is about from the city of Pittsburgh, near Hookstown. Raccoon Creek S ...

, , , -- , , Shelby Forest Recreational Demonstration Area , , Tennessee , , State , ,

Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park is a state park in Shelby County, Tennessee near Memphis, located in the Southeastern United States. The park borders the Mississippi River and contains two lakes— Poplar Tree Lake and Lake Piersol. The Meem ...

, , , -- , , Shenandoah Recreational Demonstration Area , , Virginia , , Federal , ,

Shenandoah National Park Shenandoah National Park (often ) is an American national park that encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The park is long and narrow, with the Shenandoah River and its broad valley to the west, and the ...

, , , -- , , Silver Creek Recreational Demonstration Area , , Oregon , , State , ,

Silver Falls State Park Silver Falls State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Oregon, located near Silverton, about east-southeast of Salem. It is the largest state park in Oregon with an area of more than , and it includes more than of walking trails, of h ...

, , , -- , ,

St. Croix Recreational Demonstration Area St. Croix State Park is a state park in Pine County, Minnesota, USA. The park follows the shore of the St. Croix River for and contains the last of the Kettle River. At it is the largest Minnesota state park. It was developed as a Recreati ...

, ,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, , State , , St. Croix State Park , , Now a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

, -- , , Swift Creek Recreational Demonstration Area , , Virginia , , State , ,

Pocahontas State Park Pocahontas State Park is a state park located in Chesterfield, Virginia, United States, not far from the state capitol of Richmond. The park was laid out by the Civilian Conservation Corps along the Swift Creek, and at was, at its creation, Virg ...

, , , -- , , Roosevelt Recreational Demonstration Area , , North Dakota , , Federal , ,

Theodore Roosevelt National Park Theodore Roosevelt National Park is an American national park of the badlands in western North Dakota comprising three geographically separated areas. Honoring U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, it is the only American national park named direc ...

, , , -- , , Versailles Recreational Demonstration Area , , Indiana , , State , ,

Versailles State Park Versailles State Park (pronounced locally as ''ver-SAYLES'') is an Indiana state park, near the town of Versailles, Indiana in Ripley County. The land was given by the National Park Service for use as a state park to Indiana's Department of Con ...

, , , -- , , Waterloo Recreational Demonstration Area , , Michigan , , State , , Waterloo State Recreation Area , , , -- , , Waysides, South Carolina Recreational Demonstration Area , , South Carolina , , , , , , , -- , , Waysides, Virginia Recreational Demonstration Area , , Virginia , , , , , , , -- , , White Sands Recreational Demonstration Area , ,

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

, , Federal , ,

White Sands National Park White Sands National Park is an American national park located in the state of New Mexico and completely surrounded by the White Sands Missile Range. The park covers in the Tularosa Basin, including the southern 41% of a field of white sand dun ...

, , , -- , , Winamac Recreational Demonstration Area{{cite web , url = http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/publications/winamac.htm , title = Fish and Wildlife Areas: Winamac , accessdate = 2007-03-14 , publisher = Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife , url-status = dead , archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070327030828/http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/publications/winamac.htm , archivedate = 2007-03-27 , ,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, , State , ,

Winamac Fish and Wildlife Area Winamac Fish and Wildlife Area is a protected area dedicated to providing hunting and fishing opportunities while maintaining of oak forest and upland fields. It is located on U.S. Route 35, north of Winamac, Indiana. In the 1930s, The U.S. De ...

, Tippecanoe River State Park , , , -- , , Yankee Springs Recreational Demonstration Area , , Michigan , , State , ,

Yankee Springs Recreation Area Yankee Springs State Recreation Area is a state-managed protected area located in Yankee Springs Township in Barry County, Michigan. The park is in area. It has 120 rustic, 200 modern and 25 equestrian camping sites, plus two cabins. There are ...

, , , --

History

There are five former recreational demonstration areas in

, which became part of one unit of the National Park Service, and five

state parks State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

in 1945 and 1946. There are five former recreational demonstration areas in

, four of which are now part of the National Park Service. Two recreational demonstration areas were built in

and are now state parks. There are three former recreational demonstration areas in

, all are now state parks.

References

New Deal agencies Nature conservation in the United States Civilian Conservation Corps Works Progress Administration *