If you were trying to go down to the Jersey Shore on Wednesday – you weren’t alone. Both Island Beach State Park and Sandy Hook closed for a few hours because they were at full capacity.

It follows trends seen at beach towns across the state since the Memorial Day holiday.

Lavallette reports record beach badge sales early in the season. Seaside Heights also reported an increase of tens of thousands of badges sold going back to late May.

Town leaders say several factors are contributing to the large crowds seen at the beach - including a tough economy leading to staycations and improved weather after 13 weekends in a row of rain going back to the early spring.

"Saturday’s sales 47,000 over 500 seasonal badges sold. The previous record was 40,000…substantially higher than we’ve ever seen," said Lavallette Mayor Walter LaCicero.

"At what point will you know whether or not this is one of those Top 5 summers of all time?” asked reporter Jim Murdoch.

“My grandfather told me, ‘Always wait until September and worry about it then,’" said Greg Kohr, owner of Kohr's Frozen Custard.

Kohr says he expects the summer crowds to only build as more schools let out and if the heat wave continues