The Feds Have Ordered National Parks to Remain “Open and Accessible.” Is That a Good Thing?

America’s 63 national parks and 433 NPS-managed sites should remain fully “open and accessible” to visitors, despite the recent staffing cuts, according to Interior Secretary Douglas Burgum’s April 3 order.

Burgum’s mandate included another order: before reducing operating hours or closing visitor services like trails and campgrounds, national parklands must first consult with the NPS director and the assistant secretary for U.S. Fish and Wildlife and Parks.

The statement has sparked a debate within the NPS and the advocacy groups in its orbit. Proponents say that the order provides a roadmap for the Department of the Interior to ramp up staffing at the NPS sites so that the general public can enjoy them.

But critics say that the move forces understaffed parklands to proceed with services and open infrastructure despite a lack of manpower.

“The way that it’s written is hugely problematic,” Kristen Brengel, senior vice president of the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) told Outside. “You can’t wait for a political appointee in Washington D.C. to get back to you on a closure you need to make right now.”

Brengel referenced Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, where the Kilauea volcano has been erupting on and off since December 2024. It’s currently on again and spewing lava. “Park superintendents need to be nimble in order to keep visitors safe,” Brengel said.

NPCA is one of several non-profit organizations that have sounded the alarm about the feasibility of implementing the order. “It sets up a situation that could be highly dangerous for park visitors,” Brengel said.

But Rachel Pawlitz, public affairs chief for the National Park Service, told Outside that the order is a win for the parks. “It’s not unusual for the staffing needs to fluctuate,” she said. “This order spells out a process that will allow us to coordinate closely with leadership in the Interior Department to meet the evolving needs of our visitors, adapting as needed, to ensure visitor satisfaction.”

In Section 4 of the memo, Burgum orders the Interior Department to “take action to ensure that NPS is properly staffed to support the operating hours and needs of each park unit.”

Another group praising Burgum’s order is The American Bus Association, a trade group representing coach and tour bus companies. “Overall, this action by the Department of the Interior underscores a commitment to keeping national parks open, accessible, and welcoming,” the group wrote in a statement. “For tour operators who rely on predictable access to NPS-managed sites, the order offers much-needed clarity and assurance, ensuring their ability to deliver high-quality travel experiences in partnership with the nation’s public lands.”

The order comes on the heels of a challenging two months for the NPS. Starting in February, the Trump Administration began enacting mass layoffs, firings, and hiring freezes across the agency. More than 1,000 NPS employees were cut, and another 700 took buyouts. Since then, the NPS has been quietly hiring back some workers and also bringing on thousands of seasonal employees for the busy spring and summer months.

Several NPS sites, including California’s Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and Yosemite National Park, have had to cancel programs and scale back on opening hours. Arches National Park in Utah closed the popular Fiery Furnace hiking area on March 23 due to staffing shortages. A park spokesperson told Outside that the move to close Fiery Furnace was due to safety.

“The Fiery Furnace is a labyrinth, and one sprained ankle can trigger a rescue,” Karen Henker, a spokesperson for Arches National Park, said. “And that’s five hours and ten staff people to carry someone out.”

On Thursday, April 10, Arches National Park announced on its website that Fiery Furnace would reopen to hikers on April 15. Ranger-guided tours will resume on May 4.

A National Park Service ranger speaking anonymously to Outside expressed concern that reopening some closed areas could damage the parks. “Sure we can keep everything open,” he said. “But who wants to recreate in a park with broken down facilities and no maintenance and no search and rescue?”

Bill Wade, the executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers, a non-profit group that advocates for NPS employees, said that the order puts park superintendents in a difficult situation. Under the Organic Act of 1916, NPS employees are to protect the nation’s parks and monuments while also providing for public enjoyment now and for future generations.

Wade, who was superintendent at Shenandoah National Park for ten years, said the order places the needs of the public ahead of conserving park resources.

“The law gives priority to protecting the resources, so if you are a superintendent, you must be able to do this, even if you have limited resources, before you put them toward keeping the trails open, keeping the visitor centers open, keeping the public restrooms clean, those sorts of things,” Wade said.

He added, “I hate to say it, but I’m glad I’m not a superintendent right now.”