Earlier this winter, the Maine Bureau of Parks and Public Lands announced that more than 3.2 million people visited the state's 42 parks and historic sites. The original announcement covered the first 11 months of 2021. That was a new record for Maine, and that number has only increased.

According to Jim Britt from the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, 3.3 million people visited Maine state parks and historic sites in 2021. That's an 8% increase from the year before.

Britt also points out that three of the last four years have seen record-breaking visitation totals across Maine's state parks and campgrounds.

There are many factors at play here, the pandemic certainly being one. What's safer than outside recreation? Also, it's much less expensive to spend the day at a beach than at an amusement park or movie theater.

Whatever the reasons are, it's reassuring to see Maine benefit from the outdoor boom.

The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands was also kind enough to send over the 2021 Maine State Parks Public Use Report. This breaks down all the parks and the visitors they finished the year with.

Before getting to the list of Maine's most popular state parks, just a few things to point out. Here we go:

  • This is a list of public day use only. This does not include campers.
  • The bureau utilizes numerous strategies for capturing the most accurate number possible.

Here are the Top 10 most visited state parks and historical sites in Maine.

Top 10 Most Visited Maine State Parks in 2021

Here are the 10 most visited Maine state parks in 2021, according to the Maine Bureau of Parks and Land.

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