How Packing Your Own Trash Out Of National Parks During The Government Shutdown Saves Lives

As the U.S. government shutdown drags into its fourth week, thousands of park rangers and National Park Service employees remain furloughed. A number of iconic landmarks have closed during the shutdown, yet many national parks are still open – unstaffed or minimally staffed– creating a dangerous free-for-all as clueless tourists and thrill-seekers run amok, ignoring rules and safety protocols. Reports of illegal BASE jumpers in Yosemite, garbage buildup, overflowing bathrooms, and a wildfire at an unmonitored campground in Joshua Tree have raised alarms that without supervision, even the most well-intentioned visitors can unintentionally harm fragile ecosystems. At a Pinnacles National Park campground, visitors noticed brown water coming from supposedly potable water pipes, and rockfalls onto roads hadn't been cleared, leaving vehicles to drive over them and risk blowouts.

Parks are already short-staffed thanks to 2025 budget cuts, and these problems pose more than aesthetic ones. Animals that learn to scavenge human food often become dependent on it, losing their ability to forage and hunt naturally, and lessening their chance of survival in the wild. Waste and trash can also contaminate water sources, spread disease, and draw wildlife into unsafe proximity with visitors.

A letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, signed by 450 former parks employees, cites the ongoing risks and urges action. Says the letter: "Protecting our parks now ensures that future generations can enjoy them as we do today." And if staffers' ability to maintain the parks is diminished or eliminated, it's up to the guests to pick up the slack and help keep the animals away from our trash.

At least one national park has taken it upon itself to self-steward itself while understaffed: Rocky Mountain National Park has managed to stay clean during the government shutdown by coordinating volunteer teams to help clean up trash and load it out of the park. Packing out your trash may seem like a small act, but right now, it's one of the most powerful ways to protect the parks and the lives that depend on them. Every snack wrapper, paper towel, and water bottle you carry out helps keep ecosystems stable and animals wild. "Over the next three years or so, unless Congress steps in, the Park Service will be pretty seriously damaged," warned former NPS director Jonathan Jarvis. "You might almost say dismantled."

In times when the government cannot protect these places, we can support park rangers by taking responsibility for maintaining the parks. If you don't want to avoid visiting altogether, it's vital to stay mindful and pack out whatever you pack in. The national parks were created to preserve the country's most extraordinary landscapes. Until rangers and maintenance crews return, that mission rests in the hands of every visitor who steps inside.