Guide to Visiting National Parks in 2025

✨ Planning to Visit National Parks and Public Lands in 2025?

I always share WHERE to visit, however HOW to visit should be everyone’s priority.

BACKGROUND: Due to federal hiring freezes and mass layoffs, our public lands and national parks will face dire consequences due to short staffing. These cuts will have consequential impacts on both park operations as well as YOUR visitor experience.

Section ONE: What You Should Be Prepared For
• Campgrounds, tours, guided hikes, and possibly entire parks may be closed due to inadequate staffing.
• Plan for LONG entrance lines at fee stations and arrive early.
• Expect basic amenities and services to be unavailable, including trash, food, and restroom facilities.
• Be prepared to pack out ALL of your waste, both trash and human waste, if facilities are unavailable and not serviced.
• Trail conditions may deteriorate from lack of maintenance and popular trails may close due to safety risks.
• YOUR safety is YOUR responsibility. Many search and rescue positions were terminated so emergency response may be delayed or unavailable. Always keep an SOS device on you.

Section TWO: How to Visit Responsibly
• Educate yourself on the 7 LEAVE NO TRACE principles and abide by these recommendations during all activities.
• Be PATIENT and KIND with both staff and other visitors. Other visitors will likely be frustrated and park staff will be OVERWORKED and spread thin.
• Be VOCAL if you see something harmful. If you educate others, do so in a kind and gentle way not to shame them.
• See litter? PACK IT OUT. Small actions from all visitors can make big impacts.

Section THREE: Actionable Ways to Be Involved
• USE YOUR VOICE AND BE HEARD. Talk to others about what is happening and the impacts being made on our public lands.
• ADVOCATE for our NPS, NFS, and BLM to your elected officials by sending emails and calling. YOUR VOICE MATTERS.
• DONATE to organizations putting in the work to protect YOUR land.
* @npcapics
* @nationalforests
* @nationalparkservice
* @trustforpublicland
* @bearsearspartnership
* @conservationlands

OUR PUBLIC LANDS DESERVE THE BEST FROM ALL OF US AND ARE WORTH PROTECTING.