Park Service Is Left Short-Staffed in Peak Travel Season
The New York TimesThursday, July 3, 2025 at 11:38:08 PM
National parks are hitting peak travel season with skeleton crews, as layoffs and resignations—reportedly spurred by Trump-era pressures—have left staff stretched dangerously thin. In Yosemite, custodians are scrambling to cover basics like bathroom cleaning, while in Colorado, non-custodial employees are now stuck mopping floors and hauling trash after entire cleaning teams were cut. It’s a mess, literally and figuratively.
Editor’s Note: This isn’t just about dirty bathrooms—it’s a domino effect. Understaffed parks mean overworked employees, potential safety risks, and a degraded experience for visitors who expect these spaces to be pristine. When political decisions trickle down to frontline workers, everyone feels it, from the ranger giving tours to the family stuck with an overflowing trash can. National parks are a national pride point; letting them crumble from the inside out sends a bleak message.
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