National park layoffs hit Utah's Zion, Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef
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Cable Mountain Lodge entrance at Zion National Park. Photo: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
The Trump administration's federal workforce cuts have reached Utah's wildly popular national parks, prompting fears that millions of visitors will arrive to chaotic conditions at the Mighty Five.
Threat level: Traffic lined up for more than a half-mile at the Springdale entrance of Zion during Presidents Day weekend because gate booths were understaffed.
- The backup came on the heels of cuts to about 1,000 National Park Service and 3,400 Forest Service positions nationwide.
State of play: At least 13 employees at Zion National Park have been laid off, Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers, told Axios.
- With 4.6 million visits reported last year, Zion was the third most visited national park in the U.S.
- Another two staffers were terminated from Bryce Canyon and three from Capitol Reef, Wade said, citing reports from current and former employees at the parks.
What they're saying: "In my mind, it's a crisis," Springdale Mayor Barbara Bruno told Fox 13.
- "There continues to be mass confusion at the management and staff level, with career people largely out of the loop and not consulted," Angela Gonzales, spokesperson for the National Parks Conservation Association, told Axios.
- Spokespeople at multiple national parks directed Axios' questions about staffing to NPS offices in D.C. Those queries were not answered.
The big picture: The cuts come as national park traffic explodes nationally.
Zoom in: From 2010 to 2022, visits at Zion grew more than 75%, per NPS data.
- During that time, staffing fell from 184 to 164 full-time equivalent employees, the park reported.
Flashback: By 2018, visitors found toilets overflowing, trailhead queues that rivaled theme park attractions, and hours-long waits for shuttles.
Meanwhile, hikers dodged crowds by carving hundreds of miles of improvised trails through the delicate desert ecosystem.
- Park officials considered a reservation system similar to Arches' but limited it to the popular Angels Landing hike.
Between the lines: Although Yosemite's reservation system has gone haywire amid staff firings, Utah's national park websites show permits and reservations are being dispensed as usual.
Context: High housing costs in the gateway communities near national parks have already created staffing problems, Bruno wrote in 2023.
By the numbers: Utah's national parks generated a record $2 billion from tourists in 2023 — the third highest dollar amount of any state.
What we're watching: The Trump administration is now signaling that some seasonal workers could be brought back, but hiring delays mean many may start well after the summer visitor surge — missing key preseason training and leaving parks understaffed during peak months.
- Seasonal workers, who typically double Zion's staff, usually arrive in March, Bruno told Axios. If their jobs aren't secured soon, they'll miss not just training but the spring break crowds. And they'll be able to come only if they still can be contacted and haven't given up their housing.
Axios reporter Melissa Santos contributed to this report