It’s going to be rough at America’s national parks this Summer.

lucas80

lucas80

HB King
Gold Member
Jan 30, 2008
129,756
199,496
113
The superintendent of Crater Lake resigned citing staffing shortages caused by Trump’s cuts. Crater Lake only has 3 of the allowed 8 full time rangers, and are understaffed on full time and seasonal workers. Crater Lake has 500,000 visitors per year.
Staff shortages will lead to decreased experiences for Americans at their parks. Dirty bathrooms, fewer guided tours, maintenance backlogs… Thanks Donald and Elon!
CSB, Mrs. Lucas and I visited Crater Lake in October. It was my 4th trip, and it’s an amazing experience. I hiked to the highest point in the park, and took the trail to the lake, too. When sanity is restored I urge you to visit it.
www.opb.org

Crater Lake superintendent resigns, citing staff shortages

Since he started at Crater Lake in January, Kevin Heatley has seen Crater Lake’s permanent workforce cut in half, and onboarding seasonal staff was delayed by a month. "Things are not OK," he said.
www.opb.org
 
  • Angry
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: h-hawk, Menace Sockeyes, RollingBallofButcherKnives and 6 others
Who will Trump blame for poor experiences at national parks? Will he threaten media outlets that run stories that make him look bad?
 
  • Like
Reactions: ericram and BelemNole
We're taking a tour of national parks next week and Crater Lake is on the list of places we'll stop. We were hoping to do it before Trump screws it all up but we may be too late.

Our stops will probably be too short at each park but we're trying to pack as much as we can into one trip
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: BelemNole and NoWokeBloke
Press Conference Kermit GIF
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bearhawk0505, McLovin32 and St. Louis Hawk
lonestar50 said:
We're taking a tour of national parks next week and Crater Lake is on the list of places we'll stop. We were hoping to do it before Trump screws it all up but we may be too late.

Our stops will probably be too short at each park but we're trying to pack as much as we can into one trip
Click to expand...
Nothing Trump has done will deprive you of any enjoyment, road closures and park access had nothing to do with Trump
 
  • Haha
Reactions: timinatoria, fivecardstud14 and ericram
lonestar50 said:
We're taking a tour of national parks next week and Crater Lake is on the list of places we'll stop. We were hoping to do it before Trump screws it all up but we may be too late.

Our stops will probably be too short at each park but we're trying to pack as much as we can into one trip
Click to expand...
When you go, please be sure to bring a rake or two.........afterall, only you can prevent forest fires.
 
  • Like
Reactions: littlez and BelemNole
The degree to which it becomes “rough” will probably be directly proportional to the stupidity of the park visitor.

Surprisingly, there is a massive amount of information available in advance of your visit. As to the bathrooms, simply stated, we will never be near the park “bathrooms” of the 70s. And when in doubt, pee behind a tree.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: Kelsers
NorthEndzoneCrew said:
The NPS had millions of visitors and never turned a profit for the taxpayers. Horribly run, really SAD! Worst managed tourist attractions in the country!!!
Click to expand...
What makes you think they should return a profit? You have to be a troll.
 
Aardvark86 said:
The degree to which it becomes “rough” will probably be directly proportional to the stupidity of the park visitor.

Surprisingly, there is a massive amount of information available in advance of your visit. As to the bathrooms, simply stated, we will never be near the park “bathrooms” of the 70s. And when in doubt, pee behind a tree.
Click to expand...
Just look at what happened to them during the govt shutdown during Trump's last reign.

www.motherjones.com

The last government shutdown was a disaster for fragile national parks

By ordering them to stay open, the Trump administration sowed "chaos and destruction."
www.motherjones.com www.motherjones.com
 
  • Haha
Reactions: PineCawk
Aardvark86 said:
The degree to which it becomes “rough” will probably be directly proportional to the stupidity of the park visitor.

Surprisingly, there is a massive amount of information available in advance of your visit. As to the bathrooms, simply stated, we will never be near the park “bathrooms” of the 70s. And when in doubt, pee behind a tree.
Click to expand...
Why should I accept less? Why should I accept shoddy facilities and services? How will the parks be more efficiently run with fewer staff members, Elon?
Have you ever attempted a self guided tour in Wind Cave NP or Mammoth Cave NP? I've done guided tours at both, and I don't think an unguided tour will work out 100 percent of the time.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: PineCawk
"The pattern is similar across America. That same year, the most recent for which figures are available, the 325 million visitors to national parks, monuments and historic sites spent an estimated $26.4 billion in surrounding communities. Visits to the parks swelled last year to a record of nearly 332 million.

These figures should come as no surprise. Americans love their national parks and visit them avidly. Last year, the National Park Service received the highest rating of all federal agencies in a survey by the independent Pew Research Center, with 76% of respondents viewing the agency favorably.

Clearly, America’s national parks have been a golden goose. The question now is whether President Trump will gut them in his effort to slash federal spending. Even before he took office, the Park Service was running lean, on a slim operating budget of about $3 billion. But since January, an estimated 13% of its staff has departed through pressured buyouts, early retirements and deferred resignations.

And the outlook for the national parks next year is especially grim. Mr. Trump has proposed hacking the Park Service’s operating budget by roughly 30%, which would be catastrophic, and transferring less visited national parks and other Park Service locations to states and tribal governments. Theresa Pierno, the president of the National Parks Conservation Association, an advocacy group, has warned that the system “would be completely decimated” should such cuts be imposed."

www.sltrib.com

Opinion: Is this the beginning of the end of America’s national parks?

“America’s national parks have been a golden goose,” writes Ted Kerasote in an op-ed for The New York Times. “The question now is whether President Trump will gut them in his effort to slash federal spending.”
www.sltrib.com www.sltrib.com






https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2025/06/01/opinion-does-river-have-legal/
 
  • Angry
  • Haha
Reactions: BelemNole and PineCawk
h-hawk said:
Mr. Trump has proposed hacking the Park Service’s operating budget by roughly 30%, which would be catastrophic, and transferring less visited national parks and other Park Service locations to states and tribal governments.
Click to expand...

What would be the objection to states taking control?
 
  • Haha
Reactions: BelemNole
On a positive note, Canadian tourists to the USA is down 30%. I would gather that should alleviate some of the problems parks staffing will have.

Amirite?
 
ICWestfan said:
On a positive note, Canadian tourists to the USA is down 30%. I would gather that should alleviate some of the problems parks staffing will have.

Amirite?
Click to expand...
Canadians have plenty of trees, lakes, and mountains in Canada, I don't see them flocking to National Parks. Maybe Disneyland or Disney World park but not to a National Park.
 
NorthernHawkeye said:
You sound like an entitled little bitch.

You don't get everything you want.

Welcome to life.
Click to expand...
You sound like an underemployed, divorced internet alpha who was counseled at work because, “A woman couldn’t take a joke”.
The parks being to all of us, and are financially supported by all of us. Pretend our parks are like your drive through order at BK, something worth complaining about.
 
  • Like
Reactions: littlez and BelemNole
NorthernHawkeye said:
What would be the objection to states taking control?
Click to expand...
Who is pushing for defunding the national
Parks? What interest group is pushing this? Are citizens for this? Should states be forced to pick up the costs? Would access be maintained?
I’m going to miss punching down on you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BelemNole
Aardvark86 said:
The degree to which it becomes “rough” will probably be directly proportional to the stupidity of the park visitor.

Surprisingly, there is a massive amount of information available in advance of your visit. As to the bathrooms, simply stated, we will never be near the park “bathrooms” of the 70s. And when in doubt, pee behind a tree.
Click to expand...
Is Mrs. Aardvark a big fan of squatting behind a tree? Posts like this are why people think you are a buffet MAGA.
People don’t want to squat behind trees at their national parks just to give the wealthiest Americans, and the flotsam and jetsam of South Africa, a tax cut.
 
  • Like
Reactions: littlez, BelemNole and Kelsers
lucas80 said:
Is Mrs. Aardvark a big fan of squatting behind a tree? Posts like this are why people think you are a buffet MAGA.
People don’t want to squat behind trees at their national parks just to give the wealthiest Americans, and the flotsam and jetsam of South Africa, a tax cut.
Click to expand...
oddly, she prefers to squat than use a germ vector.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

cigaretteman

Iowa DNR tells rangers to move out of state-owned houses at parks

Replies
40
Views
2K
Off Topic
jamesvanderwulf
jamesvanderwulf
cigaretteman

What to Save? Climate Change Forces Brutal Choices at National Parks.

Replies
0
Views
259
Off Topic
cigaretteman
cigaretteman
cigaretteman

UI students recommend solutions for soaring popularity at Arches National Park

Replies
0
Views
286
Off Topic
cigaretteman
cigaretteman

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back