Vandalized monuments, illegal base jumping and ‘bear jams’: The shutdown is causing havoc at national parks
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Destruction at historic landmark sites, illegal base-jumping and unchecked “bear jams” are among the escalating incidents at America’s national parks, which are suffering due to lack of staff and services because of the ongoing government shutdown.
Despite the warnings of advocacy groups, the Trump administration has allowed many national parks to be at least partially open with few staff and services during what has become the longest shutdown in history.
Numerous incidents have been recorded across the country including overflowing bathrooms, piled-up trash, unkept trails and even a 70-acre wildfire near an unstaffed campground in Joshua Tree, California. Though warnings were posted online by the state fire agency, CAL FIRE, and Joshua Tree’s website, updates were less frequent that usual.
At the time, a spokesperson for San Bernardino County Fire Protection told The Desert Sun that, although Joshua Tree National Park and the Bureau of Land Management were managing the fire, and eventually brought it under control, they were not certain what media contacts were available due to staffing shortages. Both Joshua Tree National Park and the Bureau of Land Management have been affected by the shutdown, the outlet reported.
In mid-October, the Gettysburg Foundation reported that a stone wall at the historical Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania had been toppled over. The foundation noted lack of staffing due to the shutdown, and urged members of the public to remain vigilant over safety issues.
“Remember that we are all stewards of National Park Service sites! Our priority is the safety of our visitors, as well as the protection of our National Parks,” the organization wrote online.
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Trash is littered along the road at Joshua Tree National Park in California on October 10, 2025, the tenth day of the federal government shutdown (AFP via Getty Images)
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Despite the warnings of advocacy groups, the Trump administration has allowed many parks to be at least partially open with few staff and services (Getty Images)
On October 24, three people were convicted of illegal base-jumping in California’s Yosemite National Park, after apparently attempting to take advantage of the lack of law enforcement.
A park employee, who remained anonymous, told SFGATE that they knew of only one wilderness ranger working in the vast park, which allowed people, including campgrounds squatters, to run rampant.
“There are lots of people that truly believe they can do whatever they want because of the lack of rangers. They’ve told us,” the worker said.
Widespread staff terminations had occurred even prior to the shutdown. The National Park Service has lost more than 25 percent of its permanent staff since January, according to the National Parks Conservation Association.
Lower levels of staffing have potential to cause more serious problems. There has been a lack of monitoring of so-called “bear jams” – traffic buildups which occur when bears get too close to the road – in Yellowstone National Park, Montana.
“The big glaring thing that’s missing right now is the lack of resource rangers,” Evan Stout, owner and operator of Yellowstone Wildlife Guide Company, told SFGATE. “The bear jams are pretty crazy. There’s nobody overseeing those.”
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In mid-October the Gettysburg Foundation reported that a stone wall in a historical military park in Pennsylvania had been toppled over. The foundation noted the lack of staffing due to the shutdown and urged members of the public to remain vigilant. (Facebook/Gettysburg Foundation)
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Lower levels of staffing have potential to cause more serious problems, with a lack of monitoring of so-called ‘bear jams’ – traffic buildups which occur when bears get too close to the road – in Yellowstone National Park (AFP via Getty Images)
Last month more than 450 former national park leaders signed a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Bergum calling for the closure of the parks, citing the escalation in dangerous incidents.
“Our parks don’t run by themselves,” the letter, organized by the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and Association of National Park Rangers, stated.
“The dedicated staff of the National Park Service (NPS) keep them clean, safe, and functioning. And as these latest, and sadly predictable, incidents clearly demonstrate, our parks cannot operate without them.
“Before the shutdown more than 40 former national park superintendents sent you a letter warning of this very type of situation. It was ignored. And now we see the results.”
