A visit to a national park this summer may include fewer services and more delays than in the past. That’s because the Trump administration has cut nearly a thousand parks service jobs so far as part of its sweeping reductions to the federal workforce.  

What You Need To Know

  • The Trump administration is cutting 1,000 jobs in the National Park Service ahead of the busy summer travel season

  • The cuts come after a record 334 million people visited a national park site last year

  • Despite the cuts, the National Mall in Washington, D.C., will still host visitors from around the world to view the blooming cherry blossoms
  • Construction to fix a seawall is only affecting a small area of cherry blossoms and there are thousands of blooming trees around the city

America’s national parks are some of the most beautiful places in the country. They are also some of the most popular, drawing a record 334 million visitors last year, an increase of more than 6 million from 2023.

But the National Park Service has not been spared the budget ax. The Trump administration already has eliminated nearly a thousand jobs ahead of the peak summer travel season, and even deeper cuts may be on the way. The reductions raise concerns about the agency’s ability to fully operate and maintain the nation’s 62 national parks and hundreds of other sites and monuments.

“When people don't see that friendly face or the bathrooms being cleaned or litter strewn across the national park service site, that greatly affects the visitor experience,” said Cheryl Schreier, vice chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks.

Schreier, a longtime former National Park Service worker who once served as superintendent of Mount Rushmore National Memorial, said the reductions could mean closed visitor centers and campgrounds, canceled ranger programs, and delayed or reduced search-and-rescue operations.  

“Every single United States citizen owns a piece of our national park areas, and when you don't have that interaction, you're really missing what to learn about the park, the cultural, the natural resources, and they're also the ones who are helping to protect those resources for future generations,” said Schreier.

One of the more popular National Park Service sites in the next few weeks will be the National Mall in the nation’s capital, which draws visitors from around the world in late March to see the famous cherry blossoms.  

Construction to shore up a seawall to prevent flooding of the tidal basin has forced the removal of scores of some cherry trees, but the park service says it’s prepared for the annual surge of visits.

“We did have to remove about 148 of the cherry trees around the Tidal Basin," said Mike Litterst, chief of communications for the National Mall and Memorial Parks. "There are still more than 2,500 cherry trees that will be in bloom. So no reason to think that ... we shouldn't go down. All the walkways are open, all the roads are open.” 

The cherry blossoms were a gift from Japan in 1912 to celebrate friendship. The renovation project is designed to anticipate future flooding as the sea level rises from climate change.

As for what visitors should expect this season, Litterst said: "Pack your patience. Recognize that there are going to be probably far more people than you're expecting. So it's going to take you longer to walk from point A to point B than it might otherwise.” 

Despite the Trump administration making cuts to the National Park Service, all indications are that there won’t be any major impacts at the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Bloom is expected at the end of March.