The secret is out.
A Maryland state park with a beach once considered a hidden gem is now so popular that a reservation system has been introduced.
From this Saturday, May 24, visitors to Greenbrier State Park will need to book a day-use reservation for weekends and holidays through Labor Day, the first Monday in September.
Last year 504,262 people visited Greenbrier State Park, in the Appalachian Mountains, and lines to gain entry formed as early as midnight, according to marylandmatters.org, with visitors desperate to secure a prime spot next to its 42-acre man-made freshwater lake and white sandy beach.
A reservation system has also been introduced for Maryland’s Sandy Point State Park, located along the northwestern shore of Chesapeake Bay.
In 2024, it received more than one million visitors, its popularity partly down to the one-mile-long strip of sand there that offers views of Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
Day-use entrance fees ranging between $3 and $7 for both parks are already in place.
However, Tim Hamilton, Maryland Park Service marketing manager, told marylandmatters.org that "something had to be done" about crowds that sometimes ballooned to a point where they became a safety issue.
Park rangers in place to keep an eye on hikers and swimmers ended up being stretched thin as they managed swelling visitor numbers.
The Maryland Park Service said: "This new system requires all visitors to reserve their day-use passes in advance during peak times, to reduce overcrowding, limit traffic backups at park entrances, reduce the frequency of capacity closures, and ensure that every visitor knows they have a space before arriving."
Maryland Park Service Director Angela Crenshaw said: "The goal of this new day-use reservation system is making our parks more welcoming and accessible to all.
"By allowing visitors to plan ahead, we're helping families make the most of their time outdoors — with less stress and more confidence that they'll have a great day in our state parks."
Reservations can be made up to seven days prior to arriving.
The system at Maryland isn’t a first, with Lake Tahoe's Sand Harbor State Park introducing a reservation process in April following a trial run in 2024.
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