Beaches at local state parks will officially open this weekend for the swim season.

But with Memorial Day weekend high temperatures predicted in the low to mid-60s for Saturday and Sunday, park managers aren’t expecting crowds.

“With the forecast, I would say it’s not ideal swimming weather,” said Cody Miller, manager of Beltzville State Park.

Still, the beach at the 949-acre Beltzville dam is open.

“We got good water samples back and everything is ready,” Miller said Thursday. “We’re taking down our snow fence probably today or tomorrow.”

While Miller isn’t expecting high attendance on the upcoming cooler days, Monday’s forecast high is 71 degrees.

“So we might get busy Monday,” he noted.

During a number of weekends last year, Beltzville’s day use parking area reached capacity. In some instances, there were reports of visitors parking illegally on Pohopoco Drive and attempting to walk into the packed park. To remedy the problem, the park adds additional rangers and closes parking lots to trail heads connecting to Pohopoco Drive on weekends.

“The trailheads are closed but the trails that are accessible from the main day use area are still open,” Miller said. “You can still hike those trails.”

The park’s food and boat concession stands will also be open this weekend. Folks can picnic and fish at the park.

Despite all the recent rainfall, Miller said Beltzville’s sandy beach isn’t covered by water.

“Our water levels are normal. There are two large reservoirs above us and they hold water back,” Miller said. “They act like dams as well. I know that one of them is still low from last year so we are at the normal water level here.”

Beaches at both Locust Lake and Tuscarora state parks in Barnesville will be open Saturday.

Ron Gilliland, interim manager for both parks, said final beach preparations — such as raking sand — will be finished Saturday.

Park employees will also need to readjust the ropes at the swimming areas, since water is higher than usual, said Gilliland, the assistant manager for Delaware Canal State Park.

Restrooms will open at Tuscarora, but due to an ongoing renovation project at Locust Lake, bathrooms there remain closed, Gilliland said. The park recently added three portable toilets to the beach area.

As for the project, it includes construction of two modern shower houses, creation of full service campsites and repaving of campground loops.

Camping has not opened at the park.

“All sites remain closed,” Gilliland said, estimating that they could possibly open by the end of summer as the project progresses.

The beach at Hickory Run State Park near White Haven will open Saturday.

The park also has trails, picnic tables, disc golf — and camping.

According to an employee at Hickory Run, all campsites had been booked for Saturday. There were still a few sites available for Sunday.

Pennsylvania has 124 state parks, 2.2 million acres of forestland, and more than 7,000 campsites

According to information from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, as some federal campgrounds reduce operations due to staffing shortages, Pennsylvania’s state parks experienced a nearly 30% increase in campground reservations earlier this spring.

The upward trend has continued heading into the busy summer months.