Maine and New Hampshire have reported recordbreaking numbers of visitors to their state parks, officials said.
More than 3.3 million people visited Maine’s state parks in 2021, smashing the previous record of 3,067,112 set in 2020, according to a statement in January from the state’s Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry.
The 2021 visitor tally in New Hampshire broke 1 million for the first time, reaching 1,030,993, an increase from 921,073 in 2020, said Brett Wucher, public information officer for the state’s Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
In Maine, a record-breaking 5,469 camping reservations were made on opening day Monday, which was a 26 percent increase, state officials said on Facebook.
Jim Britt, a spokesman for the Maine department, estimated that a total of around 315,000 campers stayed at the parks in 2021, an increase from around 280,000 in 2020.
“Everyone needs to get outside, and Maine State Parks are the best destinations to relax and reinvigorate,” Britt said in an e-mail. “This year’s record-setting opening day for Maine State Park campsite reservations undoubtedly includes many more people who discovered the fun of camping for the first time in the past couple of years.”
He said Maine’s most popular State Park campgrounds are Sebago Lake State Park and Lilly Bay State Park, and one newcomer, Cobscook Bay State Park, was added to the list.
New Hampshire reported a total number of 141,130 campers in 2021, an increase from the 97,199 campers who registered in 2020, Wucher said.
Wucher attributed the rise in visitors to a decrease in travel. He said the most popular campsites are Hampton Beach State Park, Cannon Mountain, and Lafayette Place.
“People are staying close to home, less people are traveling abroad, and people are looking for things to do close to home,” Wucher said in a telephone interview. “We’re seeing more and more people from New England states traveling to New Hampshire.”
Matt Yan can be reached at matt.yan@globe.com. Follow him @matt_yan12.