National Park Service warns staff shortages ahead of expected summer visitor surge

The National Park Service says it is expanding access at several marquee parks for summer 2026, even as the system enters peak season with sharply reduced staffing. (nps.gov) (npca.org) On February 18, the agency said Arches, Glacier, Rocky Mountain and Yosemite would use park-specific access plans this summer instead of one uniform approach. Yosemite will not require advance reservations in 2026, while Rocky Mountain will keep timed entry from late May through mid-October. (nps.gov) The staffing backdrop is far tighter than in past summers. The National Parks Conservation Association said on July 3, 2025 that the Park Service had lost 24% of its permanent staff since January 2025, and that only about 4,500 of nearly 8,000 pledged seasonal jobs had been filled at that point. (npca.org) A Los Angeles Times report published April 26 said the Trump administration has now proposed cutting nearly 3,000 more positions in its 2027 budget. The report described two-hour entrance waits at Yosemite, a closed visitor center area in North Cascades and water shut off at two Death Valley campgrounds. (protectnps.org) Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has argued the visitor experience can still improve during the cuts. At a Senate hearing last week, he said the agency plans to hire 5,500 seasonal workers and wants Congress to fund nine-month terms instead of six-month stints. (protectnps.org) (activenorcal.com) Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee pushed back on that math. Senator Patty Murray said Burgum’s plan included a 38% cut to parks facilities operations and maintenance, a 35% cut to support staff and more than a 50% cut to resource stewardship funding. (murray.senate.gov) The crowd pressure is not hypothetical. The Park Service reported 323 million recreation visits in 2025, down 2.7% from the 2024 record, and 26 parks still set annual visitation records. (nps.gov) The agency has warned on its operating-status page that park hours and programming can change as staffing levels shift and summer workers come onboard. Yellowstone’s visitor-use planning documents also say summer brings nearly 60% of its annual visitation and puts direct strain on staffing, operations and infrastructure. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2) Congress still controls whether the 2027 cuts take effect. For summer 2026, the immediate reality is that parks are being told to handle heavy crowds with fewer permanent employees and a patchwork of seasonal hires. (protectnps.org)