State parks facing difficulties in effort to mitigate overcrowding
OHIOPYLE, Pa. — Cars fill the parking lots and line the sides of Route 381 running through Ohiopyle State Park. Crowds of people gather at the Youghiogheny River’s edge, in the swim areas and along the trails and sidewalks.
So many people, in fact, that state park officials have become concerned about overcrowding.
“Our weekdays have been what the weekends were like in past years,” Ohiopyle park manager Ken Bisbee said. “Ohiopyle has always been a very busy park; during COVID, though, attendance has skyrocketed.”
Mr. Bisbee has been the park manager there for seven years and has worked in state parks for 40 years, but he said he has never seen crowding to this level and consistency.
The issue isn’t unique to Ohiopyle. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has reported this as an issue in state parks across Pennsylvania and recently put out an alert asking people to use some of the less-crowded parks.
DCNR spokesperson Terry Brady said the state parks system has already had 1 million more visitors in 2020 than it did in all of 2019.
State parks keep an eye on their capacity levels, even in nonpandemic years, as a way to ensure the natural resources are protected. This year, the pandemic has brought an extra level of caution over social distancing.
“There’s no easy way to turn people away,” Mr. Bisbee said.
Ohiopyle, in Fayette County, saw a 73% increase in the number
saw a 73% increase in the number of visitors this May compared with May 2019, and in July, the park had more than 220,000 visitors.
In an effort to limit the number of people at the parks, officials have tried to minimize parking spaces by closing overflow parking or roping off certain areas.
But that plan isn’t foolproof. The parking lots near Ohiopyle don’t have gates to close them off and often guests park along the sides of the road, rather than in specified lots.
At Keystone State Park in Derry Township, Westmoreland County, there are signs in the grass surrounding the beach parking lot preventing visitors from parking in the fields, limiting parking to the gravel spaces only.
Presque Isle State Park has limited parking capacity to 75% at beaches 6 and 8, the park’s most popular spots.
“That’s in an effort to make sure that we have enough space on the beaches for people to spread out and social distance,” said Mathew Greene, Presque Isle’s park manager.
Presque Isle also has the ability to close certain parking areas once they are full.
“We’re really fortunate actually,” Mr. Greene said. “We have over seven miles of beachfront on the peninsula, so there’s always a newer place people can go. We never have to shut the front gates because we’re at capacity.”
When certain areas fill up, park rangers will direct visitors to other areas of the park as a way to keep people spread out.
All state parks also continue to have a 25-person limit on all group activities, like group camping.
Weekends and warm days are the busiest, according to park officials. They recommend, if possible, visitors come during the weekdays or go to less busy outdoor spaces.
Harriet Berg, a frequent state parks visitor, avoids the crowds by going early in the morning — so early, in fact, she has been the first car in the parking lot on multiple occasions.
“You can find places to go that aren’t busy if you look,” she said. “They’re doing the best they can, the park services. There’s just too many people.”
One of the main concerns with the influx of visitors is whether guests are able to follow the COVID-19 guidelines put in place by the state.
Face masks are strongly recommended throughout the parks and required inside buildings like park offices and visitors centers.
“We’ve always had signage of social distancing and mask wearing, but we can’t police that,” Mr. Brady said. “We don’t have the people.” At Ohiopyle on Monday, few visitors were wearing masks.
Parkgoers have noticed the crowds, but not everyone minds. Brendon Boubers has been going to Ohiopyle for about six years, and this year, he has been going four or five times a week to tan and swim. “It’s way more difficult on weekends to find parking, but I love the crowds,” he said.
Brendan Kelley, who typically goes to McConnells Mill State Park in Lawrence County, was on vacation with his family at Ohiopyle and wasn’t concerned about the number of people.
“Everybody’s just looking for an outlet,” he said. “And everyone seems to be well spread out.”
Though Mr. Boubers and Mr. Kelley are regulars at various state parks, park officials have noticed the majority of people visiting are those who wouldn’t typically spend their summer days in state parks but have been recently because of the pandemic.
One couple visiting Keystone State Park referred to themselves as “COVID visitors” for that very reason. They also weren’t concerned about the crowds.
Other parks experiencing severe overcrowding are Beltzville, Codorus, Marsh Creek, Ricketts Glen, Tyler and Washington Crossing.
Beltzville State Park in Carbon County is experiencing the most overcrowding, according to a notice posted on the DCNR website.
Various hiking trails throughout the state have also reported being at capacity in recent months.
The DCNR website allows guests to search parks and hiking trails by region so they can find a place in their area. Guests can also search by outdoor activity to find a space that suits their plans.
Park officials are expecting and prepared for this increase in visitors to continue at least through September.