Taking Action Part 2: Practical Tips for Visiting Parks Now

If the world seems heavy lately, know that you’re not alone. I hope to provide a little light for an uncertain time.

I’m writing a four-part series to go over a little how to cope with right now. And, beyond coping, the actions and preparations you can take involving the United States Park System, like what to expect when visiting parks this year. You’ll see this intro at the start of each blog post.

I know I have quite a few readers from Canada (thank you so much), so you can skim the voting stuff for the U.S., but everything else is applicable, so hang tight :-) I’m making this fairly short so they can be digestible. If you have comments or tips to add, PLEASE do so!

Part 1: The Personal Is Political - How to Involve the Government

Part 2: Practical Tips for Visiting Parks Now

Part 3: Action You Can Take At Home

Part 4: General Ramblings, Concerns, and Hopes

Thanks for reading. Let’s get started!

---

9 Practical Tips for Visiting Parks Now

If you’ve ever been to a National Park, take a moment and think of the air there. Remember how it felt to simply be there. The bird's soft chirp, the wind through the pines, the sound of the lake lapping on the shore, or the trickle of the nearby river. Where were you at that moment when you felt the enormity, simplicity, and majesty of the forest?

How can you not fall in love with nature with this photo? How can you not want to do everything in your power to protect this...

If you haven’t been to a National Park yet, which park is on your bucket list and why? What’s that next destination? Where are you itching to go... or to return? Is it the stunning sunrise views of Acadia’s Cadillac Mountain? Staring up up up at the humbling Redwoods? Experiencing the overwhelming silence in Dinosaur National Monument? Feeling like you are on another planet at Craters of the Moon? Smelling the wildflowers in Shenandoah? Driving the winding roads of the Blue Ridge Parkway in the east or the Going-to-the-Sun road in Glacier National Park? 

Redwoods have shallow roots that interconnect with each other to enable communication

Wherever your dream destination is, it is going to be a different experience when you venture there this park season.

We need to address the changes made by the current administration that threaten our parks. These changes- covered in the first post in this series- will impact your trip. I’m here to tell you the ways you can prepare for your next trip to a National Park. 

Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park

A Quick Overview to National Park Changes

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (God, it hurts to write that), seeks a 30% payroll reduction to National Parks staff- a cut that comes after the probationary employment firings. A reminder- many probationary workers had been with the agency for years and were only under “probation” for new roles, including promotions, within the agency. This 30% reduction, according to the Hill reporter, puts conservation projects at risk. 

According to Axios, 325.5 million people visited U.S. national parks in 2023, a roughly 20% increase from 2013. If there’s a 20% increase in park visitors over a decade, shouldn’t there be more employees to accommodate visitors? No? Maybe let’s slash the entire Department of the Interior instead? Maybe then, the administration can boast that the parks cannot be "adequately managed," and the public satisfaction rate will decline, and public parks can become privatized land. That should work great. (My apologies, Lora! I loved your last comment about fact-based articles, but sometimes my emotions do get the best of me, lol!)

Dinosaur National Monument, a lesser-known park that you should visit if you get the chance

9 Ways to Practically Prepare for Your National Parks Visit Under the Trump Administration

The fact is, because there are a lot fewer rangers to serve visitors and parks alike, your trip is going to look different this year. Let’s talk about the none ways you can practically prepare for your visit to our beloved national parks

1. Anticipate Long Wait Times

This park season will be the ultimate test of patience. I’m anticipating wait times to be excruciatingly long. This includes waiting in line to get into the park, finding parking, getting food, using the bathroom, and getting around the park. 

There is a high chance that the tourist towns around the parks will also be packed. Getting gas, finding food, finding lodging, and then checking into that lodging is going to take longer. Everything will be delayed.  

I recommend approaching this with grace and patience, as tricky as that is sometimes (all the time?). The trick is to make the waiting time part of the experience in its entirety! Some things you can do during those wait times are:

• Download some audiobooks for time spent in the car, especially a series you’ve been wanting to read

• Get trivia cards!

• Download tons of music 

• Find word games to play 

• Keep yourself cool (temperature-wise) so you don’t get frustrated by waiting in a hot car

• Make your own food (more below)

• Book your place to sleep well before your trip. You should probably do that, anyway 

Practice patience, you’re along for the ride!  

2. Be Prepared for Limited- If Any- Search and Rescue

Around 243 people die in National Parks every year. This is devastating.  Let’s break down that number a little bit, though. With the amount of patrons to a park, the death rate is less than one in a million. The top three causes of death in National Parks are (1) drowning, (2) motor vehicle crashes, and (3) suicide. 

Though devastating, many deaths can be avoided by visitors using caution and not underestimating the elements... (or therapy!!!). The death rate is so low thanks to the seasonal workers who saved people's lives.

Unfortunately for all of us, because of the probationary/seasonal employee cuts, search and rescue teams are dwindling. When they are available, their equipment may not be due to cuts to mechanics and technicians. A damn shame. 

If you or someone you know is suicidal, please seek help. Life is worth it I promise.

Too many people are injured or rescued because of excessive heat. Be aware of the temperature!

THAT BEING SAID, when you go to parks, proceed with extreme caution. There is a chance that if you have a heart attack on the trail or end up in a life-threatening situation, teams may not be able to rescue you. 

Be Prepared:

• Know your limits

• Take note of temperature. If it’s hot, wait to hike in the shade and bring tons of extra water and a water filter

• Bring a first aid kit

• Make sure someone knows where you’re going, including the specific trail and when

• Ideally, hike/travel with another person or people 

• Wear a life vest when in the water! Drowning is the number one cause of park deaths! Do not underestimate water's power

• Pack a map

• Know the length of the trail before you start

• Make yourself aware of all trail hazards such as rockslides, cliffs, crevasses, higher snowmelt, swift water, no water to filter, avalanches, FIRES

You are responsible for your own safety this season. Proceed accordingly.

3. Expect Less Trail Maintenance and Trail Closures

Trails may be marked unsafe to continue since rangers will not be able to maintain the trail. If trails are open, there may be more hazards on-trail, like fallen trees and rockslides. Be careful; proceed with caution.

Expect trail closures due to maintenance

4. Leave No Trace Principles 

Please, please, please, please, PLEASE. Follow the leave no trace principles. If you really want to dive deep into what this means, follow the Leave No Trace site. But essentially, it’s self-explanatory. Leave no trace and pack it in, pack it out.

Whatever does not belong in nature that you brought with you needs to be removed. This is more important than ever. If you want to continue enjoying the outdoors and be a kind person for others to enjoy the outdoors, too, please follow this. This means no trash- including orange/banana peels and apple cores. 

The worst thing in the world is seeing a plastic bottle crumpled on the ground while trying to enjoy nature’s beauty. So much of trail maintenance now relies on us, the patrons. Keep trails beautiful, practice Leave No Trace.

5. Cook Your Own Food

A lot of restaurants, both inside and outside of the park, will have long wait times or lines. It’s always nice not to cook for yourself when on vacation, but let it be part of the experience! If you’re car camping, buy yourself a Coleman two-burner. If you’re rocking the van or RV life, your kitchen’s already set! Hiking? It’s just another meal to bring! Cooking your own food means you won’t have to wait for the understaffed park kitchens to serve you and the hundreds of other guests.

Cook camp food!

6. Expect Park Closures

Already, many parks have limited hours or closed entrances due to staffing shortages. Parks may be closed entirely- and not just due to staff cuts. 

Here is the National Parks Conservation Association's analysis of National Park Service leases targeted for cancellation. Meaning park buildings that will be shut down.

Do your research before heading to a park. Many parks have more than one entrance, and though the park is open, the entrance you drive to may be closed. You may have to learn to adapt and drive around a bit. Let it be part of the adventure!

7. Make Minimal Trash (Pack It Out of the Park)

You may find that trash bins are filled to the top around parks. The best thing to do is to try to make as little trash as possible. The next step is to have one big garbage bag for your vehicle and throw your trash away when you’re out of the park. I know this sounds silly, but I’m serious. If you’re responsible for your own safety, you can be responsible for your own waste, too.

8. Expect Changes in Amenities 

Speaking of trash, you may find other amenities not so up to standard as usual. This is not because the park staff is lazy. They are working tirelessly to give their millions of guests great experiences. There are simply not enough hands. Expect bathrooms to be dirtier than usual. They may even be closed. If there are more remote bathroom sites, they may be cleaned a lot less frequently or may not be accessible. 

This is another time when you can help out your fellow park-lovers. If you see something gross you did, take care of it. If you accidentally throw toilet paper on the ground, pick it up. If you dribbled on the seat (as is so commonly seen in public bathrooms), wipe it up. If you’re using the porta-potty or pit toilets, put the seat down to reduce the smell. Make sure your trash landed in the trash bin and isn't next to the bin. If the trash is overflowing, hang onto it and throw it away somewhere else.

Overall, just be a courteous human. So many janitorial staff have lost their jobs. They are a crucial part of keeping our parks clean. It’s up to us. 

Take it all in...

9. Be Kind

Last and most importantly, be kind. Approach this season with grace.

It’s easy to become frustrated by long wait times or dirty bathrooms. Don’t take it out on the park rangers. They are already drastically understaffed and are worried about the future of their careers. They don’t need to take on other people’s anger and frustration.

Instead, treat park rangers, other guests, and yourself with kindness and grace. We are all at parks because we love them. Let’s let that love make someone’s day better. 

A photo from when I was little... A hike through what I believe is part of Yosemite. I have loved this place for my entire life, and now funding cuts are threatening its conservation. It breaks my whole heart, and I know it breaks the heart of this toddler version of me, taking in all the wonders with fresh eyes.

---

There you have it! Here are nine practical ways you can prepare for your next National Park adventure! I wish I could be writing silly tips or even travel tips on specific places. But that is not the reality of where we are. Conservation efforts- and the livelihood of public land- are under threat. I do not want that to deter you from going to the parks. You should relish our great park system and find deep, soulful appreciation for the protected nature. I only ask that you approach your next trip with preparation and knowledge.