These Southern Maine State Parks Drew the Biggest Crowds in 2025

Summer is back, and the weather has been treating us well...at least most of the time.

That means it's time to get outside and enjoy the trails, beaches, and mountains that make our state parks such popular destinations for millions of people each year.

According to the Maine State Parks Public Use Report, nearly 2.6 million people visited the state park system for day use last year. That’s a very impressive number, especially considering it wasn’t exactly a great weather year and that some parks were closed due to infrastructure improvements.

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It’s never a surprise to see so many people flocking to our wonderful state parks. We’re talking about some of the most pristine regions in one of the most beautiful states in the nation. Heck, every park feels like its own oasis.

How Busy Were Maine's State Parks in 2025?

The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands has released its 2025 Public Use Report, which details visitation numbers for state parks and historic sites across the state. The report highlights the most visited locations, focusing specifically on day-use visitors (campers are excluded from these statistics).

It’s important to note the following about this list:

• The rankings only account for day-use visits, not overnight camping.

• The Bureau employs a variety of methods to ensure the most accurate visitation data.

I thought it would be fun to take a look at the southern part of the state and see which places received the most love in 2025.

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A few thoughts came to mind when looking at this year’s data. First, with the slow start to summer weather in 2025, it’s not surprising to see many of the beach parks take a bit of a hit. However, it probably could have been much worse if the fall hadn’t been so pleasant. It was also nice to see Pownal and Freeport crack the Top 9, with Bradbury Mountain State Park and Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park representing their respective communities.

READ MORE: Maine’s Acadia National Park Named One of America’s Top 5

What Were the Most Popular Southern Maine State Parks Last Year?

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the 9 most popular state parks and historic sites in Southern Maine. How many have you visited? And which one is your favorite?