‘Secret’ East Coast beach known for its dreamy white sand to require reservations days in advance
Travelers planning to spend a day at Maryland’s ‘Secret Beach’ will soon have to make reservations in advance.
The Maryland Park Service is launching a new Day-Use Reservation System at Greenbrier State Park.
The reservation requirement will take effect on May 24, and all visitors will have the chance to reserve day-use passes starting seven days before their visit.
Guests will be able to edit or cancel their reservations until 8.00am the day before they arrive at the park.
Greenbrier State Park’s 42-acre lake and white sandy beach attract 500,000 visitors annually.
With this system, the goal is to reduce overcrowding, shrink park entrance traffic, and decrease the chances of the area reaching full capacity.
‘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,’ said Maryland Park Service Director Angela Crenshaw.
The system will also launch for Sandy Point State Park on May 19 and expand to other Maryland parks later this year.
Greenbrier State Park, home of Maryland’s ‘secret’ beach, will launch its new Day-Use Reservation System on May 19
Approximately 500,000 travelers and Maryland residents visit Greenbrier every year
Parkgoers will be required to make their reservations on the Maryland State Parks website.
Once upcoming guests fill out the necessary information, they will need to pay at the time of their reservation.
Greenbrier visitors are required to pay $3 per vehicle for a day pass for any day of the week.
However, the price will increase to $5 per visitors on Saturdays and Sundays starting Memorial Day weekend.
Visitors who aren’t from Maryland will be required to pay an addition $2.
Discounts can be applied to Maryland Park Pass holders, veterans and individuals with disabilities.
Staff members may also adjust prices depending on the number of parkgoers per vehicle.
Guests will be required to show a QR code at arrival when checking in with park employees.
Maryland Park Service Director Angela Crenshaw is using this system to help the areas be ‘more welcoming and accessible to all’
The goal is to reduce overcrowding, shrink park entrance traffic, and decrease the chances of the area reaching full capacity
It comes after Maryland state parks experienced a significant boost in visitors.
The parks with the most visitor growth feature public swimming access.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, around 10.8 million travelers visited the state parks every year from 2010 to 2019.
Now, visitation for all Maryland parks is clocking in at an average of 18.7 million per year.
This growth has caused increased traffic jams, and left some hopeful visitors disappointed when they have been turned away by park employees due to overcrowding.
If the new reservation system works as planned, each attraction will be ‘more welcoming and accessible to all,’ said Crenshaw.
The system launch date for places like Point Lookout, Newtowne Neck, and North Point State Parks will be announced in the next few weeks.
