Beachgoers flocked to state parks today, filling parking lots to capacity.

Finding parking at Silver Sands State Park in Milford was challenging Monday afternoon. On Sunday, the lot had filled and had to be closed to incoming cars by 2:25 p.m. 

The regulars say to come early to make sure you get a spot.

"I've been out here when it's really loaded,” says Ed Jolley, of West Haven. “It probably won't get real heavy until 2 p.m., then you'll even have a hard time getting a spot on the sand."

Aside from arriving early, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the agency that maintains state parks, suggests keeping other state parks in mind.