AUGUSTA, Maine — Vacationers will see major improvements this summer at many of Maine’s state parks and historic sites, thanks to a $7.5 million infrastructure bond approved in November 2007.
The improvements are expected to draw more vacationers to the gems that can be found nestled beside the seashore or tucked away in the remote wilderness.
“As we see it, things are shaping up well, especially for those in Maine doing ‘stay-cations,’” said Will Harris, director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands.
“Stay-cations” is a word coined for trips by people who, because of the poor economy or rising fuel costs, choose to visit places of interest in their own region or state.
“We are hoping for good weather and for folks to try out a variety of parks,” Harris said.
Some of the state’s 47 parks and sites now are open for the season, and others are expected to be open by May 15, according to Jeanne Curran, public information officer for the Maine Department of Conservation. Numerous activities are offered at the locations, including camping, hiking, bird-watching, canoeing, swimming, all-terrain vehicle riding, fishing and kayaking, she said Friday. People can even get married at the facilities.
Although reservations for campsites are “slightly down” this year to date, Curran said the department is not concerned because it still is early and many families may be waiting until later to make plans. Day passes, however, are going quickly because people realize their value, she noted. The user fees vary from park to park and for residents and nonresidents, she said.
This year, the department has initiated a First Time Campers program, featuring a drawing in which 32 families will win a free weekend at a state campground. Submissions are being taken until May 31. The effort is to give first-time campers an experience that others already have been fortunate enough to have.
Those experiences have been gaining national attention, according to Curran. For example, she said the Allagash Wilderness Waterway was one of the top adventure experiences listed in Outside Magazine in April.
Several hundred visitors, including many foreigners, have visited the Penobscot Narrows Observatory at Fort Knox in Prospect since it opened for the season on May 1, according to Curran. She said the observatory has its own Facebook page where visitors can leave comments and photographs.
“Our Maine state parks are a sanctuary and a place where family memories are made,” DOC Commissioner Patrick McGowan said last week. “With more than 2.2 million visitors each year, and 65 percent of those visitors from Maine, our parks are our greatest treasures. We want to encourage all Maine residents to take afford-able, memory-making ‘stay-cations’ this year at the state parks.”
To make those stays more enjoyable, much work has been done to improve the facilities, Curran said. The improvements include new bathhouses, group shelters, six new playgrounds and handicapped-accessible facilities and updated septic systems. When applicable, the improvements were geared to energy savings, such as the installation of motion lighting, Curran said.
Popham Beach, which receives the highest day use of the state parks, now has two bathhouses with changing rooms and toilets for men, women, families and the handicapped. The changing rooms lead onto the beach, according to Curran.
Gov. John Baldacci is expected to sign a bill this week that will designate no-smoking areas in every park, such as the picnic areas, playgrounds and beaches, according to Curran. A second bill will allow the Department of Conservation to sell park souvenirs, the proceeds of which will stay with the parks.
Helping to stretch the state’s dollars are the numerous volunteers who have been working in the preseason to help park staff prepare for the openings, Curran said. She said 39 Loring Job Corps members donated their time cleaning up Aroostook State Park and employees from the Falmouth Starbucks did the same on Mackworth Island.
“Our volunteers give us their time and effort,” Curran said. “Some people also make purchases of equipment for our parks as a donation. All of this is very much appreciated and goes to show how well-loved and appreciated our parks are.”
In addition to cleanup, other groups have prepared activities for the parks and historic sites, including historical demonstrations, lectures, concerts, walks, an 18th century magic show, an archaeological workshop for youths and adults and a pirate re-enactment, according to Curran. A number of the state’s forts will celebrate anniversaries this year, she added.
The department will offer a take-a-hike program on June 6, when at least 30 group hikes are planned around the state. McGowan plans to join one of the hikes, Curran said.
For the popular activity of birding, the Aroostook State Park will hold a birding festival on June 13 featuring well-known Maine birders. To further promote the activity, the department will unveil a birding trail map and brochure that identifies locations all over the state where birds can be observed.
“We have all these activities going on in our parks and all these improvements and I think it will be an outstanding summer,” Curran said.
On the Web: www.maine.gov/doc/parks