Greenbrier State Park, the popular Western Maryland destination sometimes referred to as “Maryland’s Secret Beach,” has been included in a national list of parks known for some of the longest entrance lines.
WorldAtlas included the Boonsboro park among 10 parks across the country where documented traffic backups, delays and capacity issues have created lengthy waits for visitors. The list is an unranked editorial comparison rather than a formal or comprehensive national ranking.
Greenbrier stood out for what WorldAtlas described as the “strongest measured traffic backup” among the parks included. On July 4, 2024, Maryland Department of Natural Resources staff recorded an entrance queue stretching 3.1 miles along U.S. Route 40, with hundreds of vehicles waiting to enter the park.
Located at 21843 National Pike in Boonsboro, Greenbrier has become an increasingly popular warm-weather destination for Montgomery County residents. The park features a 42-acre man-made freshwater lake, white sandy beach and designated swimming areas, along with hiking trails, fishing, boating, camping and access to portions of the Appalachian Trail.
The park’s popularity has led to capacity closures and significant traffic backups on busy summer weekends and holidays. Maryland has since implemented an advance reservation system designed to better manage crowds at Greenbrier and several other high-traffic state parks.
Advance day-use reservations are required at Greenbrier on weekends and holidays during the peak season through Labor Day. Reservations become available seven days before a visit and can be edited or canceled until 8am the day before arrival.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources previously reported that the system produced significant improvements during its first full summer. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day 2025, more than 67,000 reservations were processed, and participating parks experienced zero unexpected capacity closures.
Greenbrier is one of seven Maryland state parks included in the advance reservation program, along with Sandy Point, Point Lookout, Newtowne Neck, North Point, Rocky Gap and Swallow Falls.
While the reservation requirement means visitors need to plan ahead, it is intended to prevent a repeat of scenes like the 3.1-mile backup documented at Greenbrier in 2024.
