Visitors to Beltzville State Park on busy weekends this summer will see new measures to prevent illegal parking.

New rules are aimed at eliminating parking in areas that are unsafe, and parking areas outside the main gates of the park which have been damaged due to overuse.

State parks including Beltzville saw record attendance in 2020 as residents sought out outdoor activities during the pandemic.

Parking and litter issues which have frustrated local residents for years were worse than usual, and spread to other areas of the park.

“Pennsylvania state parks, including Beltzville, are intended for high-density recreation, which does present some challenges during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, as we are seeing significant increases in visitors looking to stay cool and enjoy the health benefits of the outdoors,” said Department of Conservation and Natural Resources State Parks Director John Hallas. “We are taking a number of steps at Beltzville to minimize issues on really busy days so that we can continue to provide access to outdoor opportunities.”

The new rules were announced following a meeting with local and state officials and police on Wednesday.

DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn took part, as well as the park’s new manager, Ben Monk.

State Rep. Doyle Heffley said he came away from the meeting encouraged. He said he expects the park to remain popular this summer, but believes that the management is taking steps to address the issues that come with that popularity.

“They are listening to the residents of Carbon County, and people living around the lake about their concerns,” Heffley said.

The biggest changes are limits on parking.

Between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day, weekend parking will be prohibited at the Wild Creek, Christman Trail, Evergreen and Cove Parking areas.

Parking on the soccer fields inside the main gates is now prohibited.

Once the gated day use area reaches capacity, DCNR will close Pohopoco Drive between Pine Run Road and Green Street. Visitors won’t be allowed to walk into the day use area once it is full.

Any buses parking at Beltzville will need prior written permission from the park manager.

Closing Pohopoco Drive was effective last year in preventing people from parking along the road illegally, according to Franklin Township Supervisor Jason Frey.

“People walk up the road with coolers, food. I’ve seen someone walking with a cake. It’s unsafe along that road to have people walking there,” said Frey, who did not attend Wednesday’s meeting.

Parking issues on Pohopoco take up a lot of resources for the small Franklin Township Police Department in the past.

Towamensing Township is also affected. Guy Seifert, chairman of the Towamensing Township Board of Supervisors, said he was optimistic about the new measures.

“They seem plausible; time will tell how well they’ll work,” Seifert said. “We’re seeing a much better interaction between park management and the township than we’ve seen.”

The changes don’t just affect parking. DCNR said additional staff from other parks will be on hand during busy weekends.

DCNR plans to put up more portable toilets, dumpsters and signs with park rules.

Another project not announced on Wednesday is that the park will better mark trails, and plant new native plants in areas of the park that were damaged last year.

2020 was the busiest year in history for many Pennsylvania state parks, including Beltzville. The entire state park system saw 26 percent more visitors, and Beltzville visitation was up 32 percent.

Many parks in New York and New Jersey were closed, which raised its popularity among out of state visitors. A lot of those parks, and other summer destinations, will be reopened this summer, but how that will impact Beltzville’s visitors is still unknown.

Heffley said the park’s new manager has experience with parks that have dealt with similar overcrowding issues. He said he’s hopeful that park staff will continue educating people about how to use the facility responsibly.

“I was really encouraged by what I heard, and if the plans I heard were implemented, I think it will make a difference at the park,” Heffley said.

Terry Ahner contributed to this report.