Cakmping out for Baxter> Park enthusiasts show up early in the morning in hopes of signing up for their favorite sites

EAST MILLINOCKET — Baxter State Park campers were taking no chances on missing their favorite dates at park camping and vacation spots, said Buzz Caverly, park director.

On Thursday, the park’s first day open after the New Year, 181 people showed up, 25 from outside Maine, to claim the days they want to be at Baxter.

Caverly said that, all told, registrations exceeded last year’s by about a dozen. By coming to the park headquarters as early as 5:30 a.m., the campers were able to have the dates they wanted.

The sign-up takes about a whole day for most of those coming to the park, but it’s not entirely a chore. While there is a lot of competition for space at the park, the annual registration on opening day has “become sort of a special thing, like a reunion,” Caverly said.

Registering by mail is possible, but there are no guarantees that the camper’s first choice will be available. There had been 236 pre-registrations, and the mail had brought in 200 registrations that had not yet been opened on Thursday.

The applications request three choices of time and location within the park, and park officials grant the requests on a first-come, first-served basis, Caverly explained.