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After firing 1,000 National Park Service employees and wreaking havoc on the agency's seasonal hiring process, the Trump administration is now attempting to hide the fact that national parks saw record visitation in 2024.
America’s national parks saw over 331 million visits last year, around 1 million more visits than the previous record, set in 2016. But an internal memo went out to Park Service employees on Wednesday telling them not to publicize visitor numbers, according to reporting by the New York Times.
The internal memo said the agency would “not issue a press release or other proactive communications, including social media posts” regarding the numbers. Individual parks could make visitor numbers public if directly asked for them, it said. The data is, however, also posted online.
Meanwhile, parks across the country are struggling to prepare for the upcoming tourist season. In Utah, where the busy season is already underway, former park superintendents say the Trump administration's dismissals of full time employees and mixed messaging over seasonal hiring will inevitably impact visitors' experiences. “People should expect long lines, and restrooms aren’t going to be clean," warned Sue Fritzke, former superintendent of Capitol Reef National Park.
Stand Up For Science today
Stand Up For Science rallies will happen across the country today in response to the Trump administration’s actions like funding freezes and firings at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Institutes of Health, which threaten scientific progress. Center for Western Priorities Deputy Director Aaron Weiss is scheduled to speak about science and public lands at the rally in Denver. Not in Denver? Find your local event here.
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The value of parks in rural America, in red and blue states, is absolutely massive... Millions and millions and millions of dollars come into local economies because of people coming…in from all over the world to see these places we’re lucky to have.”
