The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is expanding a day-use reservation system at popular state parks to help visitors avoid long entrance lines, traffic backups and unexpected capacity closures during peak summer periods.
The system requires advance reservations on weekends and holidays at Greenbrier, Point Lookout, Newtowne Neck, North Point and Sandy Point state parks, which introduced it in 2025. New locations now accepting reservations include Gunpowder Falls State Park’s Hammerman beach area, Rocky Gap State Park, Swallow Falls State Park and Rocks State Park’s Kilgore Falls area. These parks have experienced significant traffic issues or overflow parking that affected surrounding communities.
Same-day reservations are available if parks are not at capacity. Reservations can be made up to seven days in advance or on the day of the visit through parkdayuse.maryland.gov. They may be changed or canceled until 8 a.m. the day before the visit.
Three entry time slots are offered to manage parking: 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Regular day-use fees are paid at reservation using credit or debit cards. Each transaction includes a non-refundable service charge of about $1.50 that supports system maintenance and real-time parking information.
At Gunpowder’s Hammerman area, Rocky Gap and Swallow Falls, cash payments will be accepted until the weekend of June 27 during a soft launch period. Cash customers will be admitted if space is available; otherwise they will be asked to return later. Visitors with reservations are guaranteed entry. After the soft launch, these parks will require reservations on weekends and holidays only.
Cunningham Falls State Park and Seneca Creek State Park have installed new point-of-sale entry systems that do not require reservations but update technology and reduce administrative time for staff.
Visitors who walk or bike into parks, including those requiring reservations, may enter for free without a reservation. Holders of Maryland Annual Park Passes, Golden Age Passes or other free-entry qualifications must still make reservations, with status verified on arrival. Park staff may adjust fees if more visitors arrive than the reservation accounts for.
The system protects park resources from damage caused by overuse. Many other Maryland state park areas, state forests, wildlife management areas and fishing management areas remain free to enter without reservations. Visitors are encouraged to check the Park Status Dashboard before traveling, especially after severe weather.
In the future, additional parks and public lands are expected to adopt the system for day-use reservations or point-of-sale access. DNR contracted Kaizen to expand the technology over five years following a successful pilot. Last year, parks using the reservation system experienced no unanticipated capacity closures, unlike many of the 166 closures that occurred across state parks in 2024.
The long-term goal is to reduce the number of staff needed to manage traffic at entrances so they can assist visitors inside the parks with information on historical, cultural and natural features and support visitor safety. The system also aims to lower costs associated with additional police presence required to manage long lines and traffic issues in neighboring communities.
Newtowne Neck State Park in St. Mary’s County requires advance reservations on weekends and holidays, though the reservation is free because there is no entry fee. Point Lookout State Park, also in St. Mary’s County, requires reservations on weekends and holidays and is expected to sell out consistently through the summer. On weekdays, entry at Point Lookout is processed on-site via the Kaizen system with no advance reservations required.
