National parks are grappling with a $24 billion maintenance backlog and staff shortages more than a year after the Trump administration laid off around 1,000 National Park Service employees, forcing rangers to juggle custodial duties while record crowds strain aging infrastructure.
The layoffs have left parks operating at roughly 60% staffing capacity even as visitors flood in near record numbers this summer, according to rangers and park experts. Roads at several parks have been closed for as long as five years with no progress on repairs. Money is so tight that purchasing a roll of toilet paper requires layers of approval due to a spending freeze, one NPS employee said.
Revenue Redirected to Washington
A CNN analysis found that so far this fiscal year, the administration has redirected at least 30.5% of revenue from national park fees toward projects in Washington, D.C., including $8 million out of the $14 million budget for President Donald Trump's revamped Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Federal law says only 20% of fees collected at national parks are supposed to go toward free parks, which include D.C. landmarks.
John Garder, a senior director at the National Parks Conservation Association, called the redirection of funds "deeply concerning." He said, "What adds insult to injury is that there is no transparency as to what projects exactly … [it] is going towards and the projects that will not be happening or are not happening throughout the country as a result of the diversion of those funds."
The Interior Department said in a statement, "The Trump administration is looking at different funding mechanisms for deferred maintenance which include endowment funds and revenue brought in from the sale of park passes. The National Park Service has not only been focused on beautifying the district for the 250th celebrations in our nation's capital but has also been working on many deferred maintenance projects throughout the country."
Operational Strain and Wildlife Concerns
Sam, a pseudonym for a national park ranger, said staffing levels are around 60% at their park, forcing employees in positions like human resources and maintenance to work at fee booths. Jane, another NPS employee, said some rangers at her park have had to take on custodial work because staffing levels are so low. She said the park nearly ran out of toilet paper earlier this year, which would have forced the restroom to close and left the closest available one for visitors two hours away.
Mikah Meyer, a National Parks expert and influencer who visited all the National Parks in a three-year trip spanning from 2016 to 2019, said he has heard from friends who are park rangers that some who typically work as researchers are now doing janitorial work. He said, "They have gone from working in their specialization that they are skilled for and trained for to literally cleaning your sh*t."
Alex, a third NPS employee, said staff shortages have led to more people feeding animals at the park and leaving behind food that wildlife pick up. He said, "Bears have been really bad this summer," and added, "They have been getting into a lot of food this summer, and bears that become problematic have to be put down. I'm worried that we're going to have to lose some of our bears."
Elisabeth Barton, co-founder of Echo Adventure Cooperative, a tour-guide service near Yosemite, said fewer interpretive rangers have led to less enforcement and more people feeding wildlife or leaving trash behind. She said, "The squirrels are getting fat," and added, "God, a squirrel with a baguette just ran by."
Policy Changes and Tourism Impact
The administration removed timed-entry reservation systems at some parks, contributing to near record visitation this summer. Yosemite has boasted a 12% rise in visitation this year. Barton said the removal of timed-entry systems has made business unpredictable. She said, "The weekends are untenable," and added, "The valley is functionally inaccessible" because it's so busy. She said the July Fourth holiday weekend showed crowding, while weekdays are empty, and that the reservation system had previously spread visitation out more evenly.
The Department of Interior also lifted hunting restrictions at several national parks. At Curecanti National Recreation Area in Colorado, a ban prohibiting weapons from being fired from, toward or across a hiking trail was removed. In Texas's Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, hunters can now clean their game in public restrooms. In Louisiana's Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, alligators can be hunted. Fishing access has been expanded and limits on off-road vehicles rolled back.
Under a policy that took effect this year, non-U.S. residents must pay $250 for the annual national park pass, more than triple the standard $80 that U.S. residents continue to pay. Foreign tourists who don't buy the pass must pay a $100-per-person fee, in addition to the standard entrance fee, to enter 11 of the most-visited national parks. Appearing on Katie Miller's podcast, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said, "We're generating record revenue this year from international and foreign visitors. That is helping us have more money to pay for the deferred maintenance across the country."
McKay Edwards, who owns Moab Springs Ranch outside Arches National Park in Utah, said the percentage of his hotel's international guests has been cut in half since 2024. He said, "We're looking at being in survival mode from now until the end of this administration," and added, "This administration has not been good for tourism."
Alex said employee housing facilities at the park where he works in the Pacific Northwest especially need refurbishing, forcing many permanent staff to commute more than an hour for work. He said, "Burnout amongst those employees is higher and turnover is huge, and we lose a lot of people because they don't like commuting that far."
Sam said staff at their national park now live in fear that they'll lose their jobs and are encouraged to take early retirement or buyout opportunities. Sam said, "When it comes to being demoralized, the shuffling around of park rangers and consolidating them, that's really stripped a lot of rangers of their identity." Sam also said some NPS staff have been "getting snappy" with park visitors more often because they feel overwhelmed.
Tim Whitehouse, the executive director at Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, said he is in touch with many NPS employees and that the past year has been "devastating for them." He said, "These things that are needed to keep any huge organizational footprint working are not being supported and funded," and added, "That can be maintenance workers, that could be people collecting fees, it can be trail maintenance – all of these things are being degraded and people are being asked to step in and try and fill these holes when they may not be able to, may not have the qualifications to do it, or may already have a full-time job elsewhere in the park service."
Why This Matters:
The $24 billion maintenance backlog represents decades of deferred investment in infrastructure that American taxpayers have already funded through entrance fees and passes. The redirection of park revenue beyond the 20% threshold established by federal law raises questions about fiscal accountability and whether Congress retains meaningful oversight of appropriations. While the Interior Department cites new revenue from higher fees on international visitors, local business owners report sharp declines in foreign tourism that could offset those gains. The operational strain on remaining staff—forcing specialized employees into custodial roles—suggests organizational inefficiency that wastes taxpayer investment in trained professionals. Wildlife management problems stemming from reduced ranger presence create public safety risks and potential legal liability. The lack of transparency about which deferred maintenance projects are being funded or cancelled prevents taxpayers from assessing whether their park fees are being spent effectively.