National Park Service has lost staff and resources
By Eileen Ogintz
Be Prepared! If you are planning a trip to a national park or two or three this spring or summer, you may have more concerns than crowded hiking trails, lack of cell service or unexpected thunderstorms. Nine percent of US National Park Service staff have been lost in recent mass firings and resignations.
And this is on top of hundreds of vacant positions that can’t be filled due to the ongoing hiring freeze. “These indiscriminate cuts are neither strategic nor efficient; they are devastating,” said Kristen Brengel, SVP of Government Affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association. The nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been for more than a century the leading voice in safeguarding and preserving our nation’s national parks. Brengel lamented that the Park Service is losing a wealth of expertise, experience and knowledge that they will never get back.
Some 1,000 permanent National Park Service employees were dismissed earlier this month by President Trump and according to the NPCA, 700 NPS staffers took the administration’s “Fork in the Road” buyout. The result is that the National Park Service has lost 9 percent of its staff leaving national parks unable to handle emergencies, serve visitors or safeguard precious historic and natural treasures,” Brengel said in a statement.
At least 3,000 additional staff have been fired from the U.S. Forest Service, which typically works with the parks. The American Hiking Association, concerned about the Parks and Forest Service firings, has issued a call to action for volunteers on vacation to help maintain trails this summer.
Brengel noted that if seasonal staff aren’t hired in time, smaller parks could be forced to close visitor centers and campgrounds or reduce park hours “because there simply aren’t enough people to staff them … across the National Park System we anticipate a spike in maintenance needs, trash collection issues and so much more.”
According to a Park Service statement, “The National Park Service is hiring seasonal workers to continue enhancing the visitor experience as we embrace new opportunities for optimization and innovation in workforce management. We are focused on ensuring that every visitor has the chance to explore and connect with the incredible, iconic spaces of our national park.”
The National Park Service has now released their visitation numbers for last year. It reports that there were a record 331.9 million recreation visits in the calendar year 2024. This is an increase of 6.36 million recreation visits, or 2 percent, from 2023. The previous record was set in 2016 with 330,971,689 recreation visits. In addition, 28 parks also set individual visitation records, including Capitol Reef National Park in Utah, Glacier Bay and Kenai Fjords in Alaska and Sequoia National Park in California. Great Smoky Mountains National Park remains the most visited (with more than 12.1 visitors) while Gates of the Arctic had the fewest visitors (11,907 visits). Golden Gate National Recreation Area had even more visitors, 17.2 million.
So, what’s a visitor to do if you’ve planned a trip this spring or summer? If you can afford it, consider an organized tour.
“A guided tour with a knowledgeable professional may very well alleviate some of the train that park rangers will be experiencing,” said a spokesman for the family-owned JacksonholeWildlifeSafaris.com, which offers day trips in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.
“We have our own experienced guides from start to finish throughout our National Parks adventure vacations, and we take care of everything for our guests such as on-trip transport, accommodations, activities, meals and more, so our trips are not affected by the NP staff cuts,” said Carol Soundy, a spokesman for Austin Adventures, known for their national parks trips, including ones especially designed for families.
I have done one of their trips with young kids in Yellowstone and it certainly de-stressed the experience not to worry about parking, finding age-appropriate trails or simply entertaining the kids on a hike. Such trips are also a good bet if you are traveling with just one child as kids seem to instantly make friends, no matter their age.
But even well-established tour companies are flummoxed. “At this time, we don’t know enough of what will happen in the national parks to know if it will affect us yet,” said Liz Einbinder, a spokesman for Backroads, which offers family trips organized for those with similar-aged kids and women-only trips.
It’s key to be prepared. And I’m not talking about the right rain gear, snacks and water for the hiking trail or a first-aid kit, though those are all key, as I’ve learned the hard way.
Be prepared that ranger programs may be canceled, hiking trails may not be as well maintained and it may take longer to get into the park. For example, the Washington Post reported that after four of the employees who worked at the main entrance of GRAND CANYON (What park?) were fired, lines were reportedly twice as long as usual with visitors waiting 90 minutes to gain access.
Be forewarned that some popular parks, including Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, Arches National Park in Utah and Yosemite National Park in California will require timed-entry reservations made in advance at recreation.gov. In some cases, reservations will be required for popular routes, like the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park in Montana and Cadillac Summit Road to the top of the highest peak in Acadia National Park in Maine.
Make lodging and camping reservations far in advance as you will have a lot of others trying to do the same.
UnderCanvas, which operates glamping camps, including a new one opening in May outside of Yosemite National Park, reports that there is “significant demand for travelers looking to disconnect … and immerse themselves in nature.”
According to the KOA 2024 Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report, active campers have increased by 68 percent in the past decade with six out of 10 households identifying as campers.
Download trail maps in advance like from AllTrails because you can’t count on Wi-Fi or available National Park rangers to guide you. Make sure you choose trails that are comfortable for all members of your family.
Don’t count on the visitor center to answer all of your questions as there may be long lines or they may have reduced hours. Do your research on the park in advance at nps.gov or through other guides. What do you most want to see?
Temper your expectations. Or you can always wait until next year.