For as far back as he can remember, state Rep. Doyle Heffley said Beltzville State Park has had problems with overcrowding.

“Even when we were growing up, there were always weekends in the summer that drew large crowds,” he said.

It continued when his father, Larry Heffley, now retired, was a ranger at the Franklin Township park.

And it happened again Sunday, when officials had to close the gates to new visitors at 11:30 a.m. when it reached capacity.

“We are the Poconos. People want to come here. And the fact of the matter is that people are going to come,” said Heffley, who expects the upcoming Fourth of July weekend will bring much the same. “The park can only safely hold so many people because of its infrastructure. One of those things is that they have their own treatment facility and it can only handle so many people.”

But Heffley, R-Carbon, said park management and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has partnered with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Pennsylvania State Police and local police to address the matter.

For example, parking at many of Beltzville’s trailhead lots is prohibited on weekends and the park issues alerts when overcrowding is expected. Notices are posted on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and illegally parked vehicles are ticketed or towed.

Park staff can also direct would-be visitors to other state parks in the region, Heffley said.

Beltzville’s manager, Benjamin Monk, said the park’s capacity is determined by the 904 parking spots in its day use area. So far this season, it has reached capacity six times, he said.

“If it is a nice weekend day between Memorial Day and Labor Day there is a strong chance we will reach capacity,” Monk said. “The holiday weekends are especially busy for us at Beltzville.”

The park begins closing trailhead parking lots from sunset on Fridays until Monday mornings during the busy season.

“We close the other parking areas to protect those areas from overcrowding. The closed areas are more environmentally sensitive than the main day use area,” Monk explained.

And when the day use area is filled, no walk-ins are allowed.

Monk said that if the park expects an influx of visitors, it calls staff from other parks to help.

“The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Franklin Township Police and Pennsylvania State Police also come assist with the weekend operations when they have available officers. We could not do it without the support we receive from our partners,” Monk said.

This weekend, additional staffers will be working.

Those wishing to visit the park are advised to call to make sure there is room for them.

And notices are issued when it reaches capacity.

“Our partners at the (Pennsylvania) Turnpike Commission do put messages on the electronic boards when we hit capacity. We also have electronic signs at either end of Pohopoco Drive,” Monk added.

When the park reached capacity on Sunday, it was a mix between vehicles with Pennsylvania and out-of-state registration plates. Some travel for hours to Beltzville, Heffley noted.

“Visitors are certainly disappointed when they can’t enter the park,” Monk said. “A majority of visitors move on to find another place to recreate after they are informed that they will not be permitted to enter.”

DCNR spokesman Wesley Robinson said Beltzville is among the commonwealth’s most visited parks during the warmer months.

“It’s great that Beltzville is popular and we love that it is a staple in the community. That said, there are other state parks, forests and recreation opportunities to experience if Beltzville is full. If you can’t get to Beltzville early, plan ahead and try a new park. You might discover something new you enjoy,” he suggested.

Parks that don’t see as many visitors include the nearby Lehigh Gorge State Park, which follows the Lehigh River from Francis E. Walter Dam near White Haven to Jim Thorpe. While there is no swimming, it has opportunities for hiking and bicycling.

Other state parks with swimming, picnicking and other activities include Frances Slocum in Luzerne County; Gouldsboro in Monroe and Wayne counties; Promised Land in Pike County; Tobyhanna in Monroe and Wayne counties, and Tuscarora in Schuylkill County.

Hickory Run State Park near White Haven isn’t among the suggestions because it’s also prone to overcrowding when the weather is favorable.

Heffley, who supports charging fees for access to state parks, reminded people that there are only a few weekends out of a typical year when Beltzville reaches capacity.

“There’s always going to be some frustration with it. But at the end of the day, I think that the new park manager and the team that they have there are doing the very best they can,” Heffley said.