LEHIGHTON, Pa. — It's relatively quiet at Beltzville State Park on a spring day in Carbon County, but once the weather gets warmer, park officials expect many more visitors.
Last summer, the park was packed with people as it saw a 32 percent increase in attendance.
This summer, park officials are trying to stop the place from getting overcrowded again.
"That's awesome. I think that's a really good step in the right direction. This is a beautiful place, as you can see," Bryant Corley of Jim Thorpe said.
Some parking areas for hiking trails will be closed for the summer, overflow parking at the park's soccer field will be a thing of the past, and the park entrance along Pine Run Road will be shut down once the park reaches capacity.
Gregory Kimble is here visiting his mom, who is from Kunkletown.
He said last summer the park was full of people.
"Very, very, very crowded. Everybody had the same idea to get outside while being safe, of course. Safe distancing was adhered to, but it was just crowded and a little overwhelming," Kimble said.
Dan Manginelli lives near the park.
He said it was a nuisance for neighbors with so many visitors.
He just avoided the park entirely.
"They had parking on the side of the street, and that caused hazardous driving conditions, and there was trash all over the place, and it wasn't someplace I wanted to be," Manginelli said.
All those crowds led to big problems with trash.
Park officials say there will be more dumpsters throughout the park this summer, and visitors will also be given their own personal trash bags to use.
"I think that's a great idea; just hopefully, people who come to the park will clean up after themselves," Manginelli said.
More staff will also be working here at the park on weekends and holidays.
Neighbors hope these changes make a difference.