Even though the 1,000 National Park Service probationary workers fired last February were eventually reinstated to comply with a judicial order, the Trump administration has continued to gut federal agencies in a way that has rippled into the experience at the country’s 63 national parks.
Both lawmakers and visitors who came before the busy summer parkgoing season ramps up have been drawing attention to long lines at park entrances, dirty bathrooms and camping areas, and even slow emergency response.
“Without seasonal staff during this peak season, visitor centers may close, bathrooms will be filthy, campgrounds may close, guided tours will be cut back or altogether canceled, emergency response times will drop, and visitor services like safety advice, trail recommendations, and interpretation will be unavailable,” a letter that 17 Democratic and Independent lawmakers sent to newly confirmed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum at the end of January 2025 reads.
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‘It’s going to be a disappointment to the public’: Former NPS Director
Nonprofit advocacy group National Parks Conservation Association estimated that approximately 2,500 staff positions were rolled back by the administration since the start of 2025.
Former NPS Director Jonathan Jarvis is the latest public figure to draw attention to the Trump administration and the Musk-led DOGE agency rescinding seasonal job offers and in general cutting funds from public lands management. Earlier this year, many NPS workers suddenly found that the credit cards they used for daily operational expenses suddenly had a $1 limit placed upon them.
“It’s not going to be great out there this year,” Jarvis, who led the NPS from 2009 to 2017, told media outlet Nexstar. “It’s going to be a disappointment, I think, to the public, and a potential impact to the resources.”
Related: An emotional letter from a national park ranger goes viral
Some national parks to see cuts and changes include Saguaro in southeastern Arizona, which announced that its visitors center “will be closed on Mondays until further notice.”
Parkgoers who drove up to Arizona’s Grand Canyon, California’s Yosemite and Utah’s Zion in March have all reported spending what in some cases amounted to several hours waiting for one or two staff members to work through the flow of cars.
Brian Gibbs is a former national park ranger who was affected by the Trump administration’s cuts.
Image source: Facebook (Brian Gibbs)
‘Go with an expectation that you are an honorary park ranger’
Both Yosemite and Grand Canyon have also put off accepting booking reservations for both entry and camping ground spots until much later in the year as they waited for federal guidance on whether they would be able to do so.
Utah’s Arches National Park has recently closed some bathrooms due to lack of staff around to keep them clean, while photos of piles of garbage left behind at Washington’s Mount Rainier and Montana’s Rocky Mountain have recently gone viral on social media.
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“It’s going to have impacts on everything from running the budget right at every national park to being the ranger who’s there to help a family find someone who may have gotten lost on a park trail,” Christine Lehnertz, who heads the Golden Gaye National Parks Conservancy, also told Nexstar. “Go with an expectation that when you visit this year, you are like an honorary park ranger.”
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