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This February, sweeping federal budget cuts came for the national parks. Park employees were fired en mass and those who were left were left reeling as they frantically try to make sense of it all even as they gear up for the busy season (spring and summer). But the impacts these sweeping lay-offs are much farther-reaching than parks employees themselves. On the contrary, these drastic cuts may very well negatively impact visitors in massive–and potentially dangerous–ways.
What’s more, essentially no one outside the White House thinks these mass firings are a good idea. Not democrats, not republicans, not independents or anyone else. That’s because in general, everyone love America’s national parks, national forests, and public lands. It’s one of the few truly bipartisan issues almost everyone can agree on: that parks are amazing. Plus, they contribute to the economy in huge ways. Americans and foreigners alike travel far and wide to visit these national parks, supporting not only the parks and lands themselves, but the gateway communities outside park entrances.
On top of that, this administration is hoping to close down 34 offices and buildings connected with NPS (read more about that here).
So if you’re wondering what all of these national park layoffs and cuts mean for you, read on, friend.
Who Has Been Fired?
More than 331,863,358 people visited national parks in 2024. Last month, about 1,000 park employees were fired (check out this article for a small portion of firings by park). The National Forest Service lost even more, about 3,400 positions.
But exactly who has been fired from their roles at the park? Mostly “probationary” employees who were in their first year or two of a role with the parks. But that doesn’t just include entry-level roles; it includes any role, meaning even higher-ups who had been in their position or had transferred to a new park maybe 11 months ago even got the boot. And in case you’re tempted to believe this was just “trimming the fat,” reports say that staffing at parks was already about 20% below what it should be.
“The decision to terminate probationary employees is shortsighted, prioritizing rapid workforce reduction over the essential roles these individuals fill. A limited exemption for public safety is insufficient to mitigate the impact. In an agency that has already experienced a significant staffing decline over the past decade, these layoffs will severely affect park operations and the visitor experience,” Phil Francis, Chair of the Executive Council of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, said in a statement.
The Department of Interior did change its tune a bit last week and allowed the Park Service to hire more seasonal workers than average, but that won’t replace the experienced employees lost. And at some parks like Grand Teton, there’s only one person left in charge of screening, hiring and training all seasonal employees. Also, seasonal hirings may be too little too late. It doesn’t fill roles that were lost that require extensive training, and seasonal hires were approved late in the game for parks in warm destinations whose busy seasons start in March or April. So chances are, they’ll still be spread incredibly thin. That includes at national recreation sites and forest service land, too.
To add insult to injury, the federal government also wiped LGBTQ+ history from park websites, seemingly in an attempt to erase trans and queer outdoorists from history. Unrelated, perhaps, but still feels like a gut punch because LGBTQ+ history is still history.
What Do National Parks Layoffs Mean for YOU?
Gateway Communities Suffer
When people pour into parks, they’re also spending money at businesses outside parks, whether that’s hotels or restaurants or gear shops. These are the gateway communities that are so important to a park because they offer services, provide volunteers, and so much more. But if not as many people are visiting, whether because parks have had to cap entrance numbers more than what already exists at some parks, or if parks have to close for a couple days a week like some already have (more on that below), those businesses, ones that employ locals and make your vacation more memorable and unique, suffer, too. They may have to close or reduce their hours, too. Meaning you may get worse service–or none at all–the next time you pass through.
Guide Companies Suffer
Then there are all the guide companies that aren’t run by the park (almost all are run by concessioners who have contracts with the parks), but bring in visitors and money and employ people. Like rafting guide companies in the Grand Canyon or canyoneering guides in Zion. These people rely on the parks for their livelihood and if they can no longer get the permits they need to operate in these places because there’s not enough park staff to handle it, it means not only are a bunch of people out of a job, but you’re out of that really special vacation you planned.
Safety Suffers
Many of the people fired were safety personnel. As in, search and rescue (SAR), EMTs, and those responsible for keeping dangerous wildlife away from visitors. That means if you get injured on a trail or lost, your car breaks down, or you need medical attention or rescue, you may have to wait a lot longer, especially during busy seasons when more people generally means more injuries in a small period of time. In less serious circumstances, no ranger may be able to show up at all. For example, at Yosemite, the only staff EMT was fired.
That means you may have to rely on volunteer teams or outside rescue programs to come get you, which fortunately, are amazingly present near many well-trafficked parks, but not all. And that won’t help the handful of tourists who get too close to wildlife and get mauled by bison every year in places like Yellowstone. During most outings, your safety will be in your hands, so it’s going to be even more important to go prepared and with the knowledge you need to keep you and your family safe.
Education Suffers
One of the things I love most about parks (other than the adventure opportunities) is the chance to learn. Most parks have staff called interpreters who work the visitor center, answer questions, offer guidance, and lead ranger talks and programs that teach visitors about everything from birds to geology to history. But with a shortage of staff, these opportunities to learn will undoubtedly dwindle as every team member is stretched thin trying to cover the jobs their recently fired coworkers used to do.
Oddly enough, education may even include maps and those news pamphlets you get at the entrance gate that inform you about the park and offer hike suggestions and more. One former park employee said she was the only one who worked on those print materials at her park, so there’s no telling what will happen with those at some parks.
Longer Lines
Smaller staffs will very likely mean longer lines. At entrance gates, at visitor centers, at permit offices, everywhere. Visiting parks this summer may require more patience than usual, so arrive prepared to wait and don’t take your frustration out on rangers. They’re doing the absolute best with what they’ve been left with and there’s nothing they can do about it.
Dirtier Parks and Bathrooms
Did you know that most bathrooms at national parks and in national forest service areas–including those at visitor centers, trailheads, and drop toilets in the backcountry–are taken care of, cleaned, and serviced by rangers? True story. And if there are fewer rangers to spread out those duties, you can expect toilets to be less well-stocked (better pack your own toilet paper, just in case) and less clean and tidy than you might like. It’s not a given, but it’s a fairly safe bet.
Likewise, you might spot more trash along trails or parking lots and overflowing trashcans around properties because there are just fewer people to cleanup after visitors. So come prepared to pack out your own trash.
Out of Control Wildfires
Wildfires aren’t getting less frequent. Quite the opposite, in fact, thanks in large part to climate change. And many wildland firefighters are federal employees who work for the Forest Service. Meaning not only could the next wildfire season be even more disastrous than the last, but also more dangerous for those recreating in the wilderness. Volunteer wildland firefighters will be more important than ever before.
Park Closures
Some parks, including Florissant Fossil Beds and Hot Springs, have already started limiting hours (whether that means when gates are open or when visitor centers are open) or closing for multiple days a week. This won’t likely be the case at larger parks, but at smaller monuments and parks, you may very well see limited hours and properties being closed to visitors for whole days.
Fewer Campsites
Yosemite is just one of the major national parks that hasn’t opened up reservations for one of their campgrounds, but they may not be the only one. Lack of staff available to care for campgrounds and patrol them may mean some destinations may have to limit reservations or close campgrounds altogether. Which means if you were hoping to stay in or near the parks, you may be forced to book accommodations or campgrounds much farther away. There may simply be too much demand and not enough supply.
Poorly Maintained Trails
Rangers–both at national parks and on national forest and BLM land–are responsible for trail maintenance, cutting down dead trees that could injure hikers, clearing fallen trees off trails, and keeping paths clear and easy to follow. You may experience less immaculate and well-maintained trails in many places. So be prepared, bring a map, and know your route.
What You Can Do
- Be kind and patient when you visit these parks, especially to rangers.
- Leave them better than you found them. Practice Leave No Trace principles and when you hike or camp, pack out not only your trash, but any trash you find along your way.
- Write to or call your senators and representatives to urge them to fight to protect the parks and reinstate jobs.
- Volunteer at parks if you live near one.
- Participate in peaceful protests to make public opinion heard.
- Stay informed. Read news and fact check it. You can’t fight for public lands if you don’t understand what’s going on.
Alisha is a freelance outdoor journalist and photographer based in Ogden, UT. She loves backpacking, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking and snowboarding (even though she’s terrible at it). She’s also pretty sure she’s addicted to coffee. alishamcdarris.com