Maine Had Another Record Year As State Park Attendance Increased

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry announced this week that 2022 was a record-breaking year for Maine's State Parks.

According to Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) Director Andy Cutko, the overall number of visitors who spend the night at Maine State Parks campgrounds was the highest ever.

"During 2022, Maine State Park campgrounds recorded over 319,000 visitor nights. 2022 was BPL's second-highest ranking year for total state park visitation, with more than 3.28 million people spending time at the bureau's 48 parks and historic sites. In 2021, Maine State Parks welcomed more than 3.3 million visitors and more than 315,000 campers."

Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

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Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry's Commissioner, Amanda Beal, says the dedicated folks who care for our State Parks.

"The credit for this record-breaking growth goes to every staff member in our Maine State Parks system. Their dedication to caring for our parks and the people who choose to recreate with us is unmatched,"

Courtesy Visit Maine

Director Cutko says this steady increase in numbers proves to be a trend, not just a result of the pandemic, and could more than likely continue to increase because people have come to appreciate the gift of the State Parks. "Many of us have been interested to see whether the pandemic spike in outdoor activity would be sustained. Our 2022 statistics show that Maine people and our visitors continue to love our State Parks."

Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in the Spring of 2019, people went in search of ways to enjoy outdoor activities, as mandates on indoor limits had been set across the nation. Many of our State Parks offer year-round access to outdoor activities, so it would make sense that as folks began to explore the natural resources around the state, these parks would grow in popularity.

Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

For those interested in camping at one of Maine's many State Parks, camping reservations for Sebego Lake open February 1 at 9:00 AM, with all other State Parks opening for reservations by February 6th at 9:00 AM.

To book your reservations you can go to CampWithME.com.

If you'd rather call, you can reach the reservation call center by dialing (800) 332-1501 from a Maine (207) area code; or (207) 624-9950.

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