(NEXSTAR) — The national parks, fresh off their busiest year on record, are now facing a challenging bout of staffing changes with just weeks before summer visitors are expected to pour in.
With the uncertainty surrounding the National Parks Service, coupled with canceled events and reduced hours at the parks, you may be second-guessing your plans to visit the system.
“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, president and CEO of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, told Nexstar when asked how the staffing cuts and delayed rehiring of seasonal employees will impact the NPS this summer.
Still, Lehnertz and other park advocates have advised against canceling any national park trips but are instead encouraging visitors to plan ahead a bit more.
Can you fly without a REAL ID after the May deadline?“It’s not going to be great out there this year,” Jonathan Jarvis, the 18th director of the National Park Service, recently told Nexstar. “It’s going to be a disappointment, I think, to the public, and a potential impact to the resources.”
You should expect longer lines to get into parks, Lehnertz said. She also recommends the common advice given to park visitors: if you pack it in, pack it out; don’t litter; stay on the trails; and be patient.
“Go with an expectation that when you visit this year, you are like an honorary park ranger,” she explained. “You are a steward of that park.”
It’s at the smaller parks where you will likely notice the impacts of staffing shortages the most, according to Jarvis.
At historical parks, like Civil War and Revolutionary War battlefields, and significant buildings, staffing cuts may have removed historians who could provide insights you may not otherwise encounter on placards and pamphlets. At others, like Carlsbad Caverns, beloved ranger-led events may no longer be available.
And in more serious cases, reduced staffing could impact search and rescue efforts as well as emergency and fire incidents, leading to slower response times, Jarvis warns. He recommended visitors “come more prepared to take care of themselves” by bringing the 10 essentials and being prepared to “self-rescue if necessary.”
Planning to visit these national parks? You may need to make a reservation to get in“The concept of the national parks is that we don’t put up guard rails for the Grand Canyon. We don’t corral the bison at Yellowstone, we don’t hide the bears in Glacier,” Jarvis explained. “If you want to climb Mount Rainier, you can climb Mount Rainier. You want to climb the Tetons, you can climb the Tetons. And you may die in the process, I hope not, but that’s part of the adventure, right?”
He continued, “But the value proposition is that we have rangers. Rangers are there to help you do that, warn you, ‘Please don’t go pat the nice bison on the head. Please don’t get into that cold river. Do you have the experience to climb this mountain?’”
Without rangers, “the public is much at greater risk,” Jarvis said, advising that those who are visiting “need to be judicious in what they do.”
Jarvis noted that while rangers and other park staff are important to NPS sites, so are the volunteers. Visitors can double as such, by picking up trash, for example, and otherwise looking out for the environment at the parks. You may also opt for being more generous at the donation box or in the visitor center, Lehnertz suggested.
These national parks saw record attendance in 2024, but they may not tell you about itIf you’re concerned about your own pocketbook this summer, but are still interested in visiting a national park, Lehnertz recommends looking at those nearest you. There are more than 400 NPS sites, with each state having at least one park (the general term used to describe all NPS units).
“I would ask people to visit national parks so that they can learn more about America’s history,” Lehnertz said. “Go with a sense of curiosity, as they always have, to learn as much as they can, so we do become a more perfect union.”
Earlier this month, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum directed national parks to “remain open and accessible” and said officials will ensure proper staffing to do so. The order also calls for a detailed review of each park’s operating hours, trail closures and other limits on visitor services.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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