US National Parks Cutting Back Hours, Services Amid Trump Administration Layoffs

The federal layoffs by President Donald Trump have already begun impacting the country's national parks.

In some instances, staffing has been reduced and hours at the parks have been cut.

"I think it's going to be a very rough spring," said Cassidy Jones, a former park service ranger who now works for the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association, told USA Today. 

Examples: Saguaro National Park in Tucson announced that it was closing its two visitor centers starting Monday, February 24. At Yosemite National Park, officials stopped reservations for 577 camping spots this summer. 
Effigy Mounds in Iowa will close its visitor center two days a week until the summer. New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns National Park has canceled its guided tours.

Earlier this month, the administration began firing hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees.

Roughly 1,000 National Park Service employees were laid off.

"These terminations are foolish, heartless and do nothing to make the government more efficient,” one park director said.

Jones, the former park ranger, said the cuts have injected uncertainty at a time of year when parks are developing school field trip programs, among other agenda items.

More than 325 million people visited U.S. national parks in 2023.

"We've spent millions and millions and millions of dollars marketing America's National Parks to the world and now we're just throwing away that money," Jones said. "Are we making these cuts to low-paying jobs so we can give a bigger tax break to the rich? Is that the plan?"

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