I'm wondering if its even worth trying to camp at any National parks since staffing has been decimated. I hate to think of what is going to happen to all the parks with no staff to help people or to empty trash or to clean restrooms or no one to patrol to prevent vandalism. Very sad and maddening.
the most likely effect is certain areas being closed down and locked up for the next 4 years or until they can hire again. this will allow them to shift staff and run the other areas properly.
Sad developments indeed. I'd make your decisions based on individual park, how crowded and popular they tend to get. Parks that are less known and less visited would probably suffer the least impact. I, personally, no longer camp in national parks because of overcrowding, I boondock on other public lands fulltime and trash, toilet paper and general disrespect towards the land situation had been exploding since 2020 or even 2019 and not easing up, I'm the one who often cleans up public lands as there is not enough manpower in understaffed and underfunded public land agencies, not just national parks but I can assure you all federal lands will suffer the impact. I also help clearing roads and trails, another thing that needs more not less manpower. I suggest carrying trash bags and gloves to help clean up since all this is happening, and being ready to take down the plates of land abusers if you witness that and report them, having good binoculars helps
I don't like to borrow trouble, but a reduction in Park staff is definitely happening. How it will impact visitation and camping is yet to be seen. But if many other sectors of government support that have seen major cuts are having some detrimental impacts, I can't see why parks wouldn't suffer some of the same.
No, you shouldn’t go camping at any National Parks.
That will leave more (and better) spots for the rest of us who aren’t worried about “the staffing being decimated”.
