$50 Million Investment in Maine’s State Parks

The state of Maine is making a $50 million investment in state parks to enhance and improve safety measures.

Planned Improvements and Upgrades

Some of the improvements we’ll see as we visit are better “roadways and bridges, refurbishing playgrounds, redesigning park entrances, repairing bathrooms and showers, expanding wi-fi, renovating visitor centers, and restoring masonry on historic sites.” The upgrades are being done to help preserve our state parks and for better access, according to WGME.

Record Attendance at Parks

Maine has seen attendance at its 48 state parks skyrocket. In fact, records are being set. Last year, in 2021, more than 3.3 million visitors enjoyed Maine’s state parks. 

Investing in Infrastructure

Amanda Beal, the conservatory and forestry commissioner at the Department of Agriculture, said, "There hasn't been a lot of investment in the state park infrastructure in quite some time. In fact, it's been 15 years and it was several million dollars. We know this is going to put a huge dent in the kinds of projects we really need to do for state parks.”

Get our free mobile app

Funding

The funding comes from the Governor’s Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan

Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

For more information about Maine’s state parks, go to the homepage of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. They have details about their role in maintenance and preservation. Also, there’s important links to some of the highlights and features of our parks and where and how to use passes.

RANKED: Here are the most popular national parks

To determine the most popular national parks in the United States, Stacker compiled data from the National Park Service on the number of recreational visits each site had in 2020. Keep reading to discover the 50 most popular national parks in the United States, in reverse order from #50 to #1. And be sure to check with individuals parks before you visit to find out about ongoing, pandemic-related safety precautions at www.nps.gov/coronavirus.

LOOK: Stunning vintage photos capture the beauty of America's national parks

Today these parks are located throughout the country in 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The land encompassing them was either purchased or donated, though much of it had been inhabited by native people for thousands of years before the founding of the United States. These areas are protected and revered as educational resources about the natural world, and as spaces for exploration.

Keep scrolling for 50 vintage photos that show the beauty of America's national parks.

More From