National Park Service Sites Are Starting to Close (Facilities) After Layoffs
After a thousand probationary National Park Service (NPS) employees were laid off during Valentine’s Day weekend, many parks are now grappling with the consequences and challenges of having fewer staff.
A reduced workforce, combined with a federal hiring freeze and the delayed hiring of thousands of essential seasonal NPS workers, can and will result in forced closures in several parks. In fact, it is already happening.
Each park is different, though, and it’s up to the park’s own management to determine how to deal with this. In some parks, certain facilities may be closed temporarily or specific services cancelled, while other parks may close entirely on certain days of the week.
National Park Service Sites Close (Facilities) Due to Staffing Shortage
Now, on February 20, less than a week after the terminations took place, there are already two NPS sites that have announced closures due to lack of staffing. This includes one of the 63 national parks, the crown jewels of the NPS system.
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Colorado – Closed Entirely on Mondays and Tuesdays
“Due to a lack of staffing, effective Monday, February 24, 2025, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays. There will be no access to the visitor center, trailhead parking or public restrooms. The monument is open 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Wednesday through Sunday,” the monument announced in a Facebook post.
Visit the Florissant Fossil Beds website for more information about current conditions.
Saguaro National Park, Arizona – All Visitor Centers Closed on Mondays
“Effective 2/24/25, Visitor Centers in both districts will be closed on Mondays until further notice. We regret any inconvenience,” the park said in a short-worded Facebook update.
Visit the Saguaro website for more information about current conditions.
This is a developing story and this overview will be updated as more national parks announce closures due to staffing issues.
How This May Impact Your National Park Visit
Depending on the individual park, these job cuts could have potentially serious consequences for your next national park visit.
In addition to the aforementioned closures, other possible ways this staff reduction may impact your national parks experience include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Longer traffic lines at park entrances
- Fewer ranger tours
- Dirty restrooms
- Overflowing trash bins
- Stalled construction projects
- Unmaintained trails
- Delayed search-and-rescue response
What You Can Do To Help
If you care about our national parks, their dedicated employees, and the peril they both find themselves in at the moment, there are few things you can do to help.
The first, and arguably most important, action you can take is letting Congress know how seriously this is affecting hard-working, genuine, passionate, and qualified Americans—on both sides of the political aisle. You can conveniently do that by filling out this form on the National Parks Conservation Association website.
Additionally, you can also contact your Senator or Representative directly.
Other ways to help is by donating to conservation associations like the abovementioned National Parks Conservation Association, the National Park Foundation, or the National Forest Foundation.
In a more practical way, when visiting national parks and forests, always make sure to follow the seven Leave No Trace Principles. This is more important than ever, considering that public lands may have fewer staff available. Keep yourself safe, keep the landscape clean, leave the wildlife alone, and look out for other visitors as well.
Are you or do you know a National Park Service employee who was recently terminated? Did you recently visit a park and did you notice major issues? Feel free to reach out to us if you’d like to share your story. Please contact us via our Facebook page.
