.
A group of deer rest in a grassy meadow in Yosemite National Park, with towering granite cliffs, dense pine forests, and a blue sky in the background.

Deer graze in a meadow at Yosemite National Park. In 2025, national parks recorded more than 323 million visits, and 26 parks set attendance records — even as the Trump administration has proposed cutting $1 billion from the National Park Service budget.

What Is the Future of America's National Parks?

April 28, 2026

What Is the Future of America's National Parks?

More than 323 million people visited America's national parks last year — and 26 parks broke attendance records. So why is the Trump administration proposing to cut $1 billion from the National Park Service?

Share

Share On Facebook
Share On Twitter
Share On Pinterest
Share On LinkedIn
Share On Microsoft Teams
Email
PBS News Hour Classroom
PBS News Hour Classroom
Follow

In 2025, national parks recorded more than 323 million visits, and 26 parks set attendance records. But as the parks gain popularity, the Trump administration has proposed slashing $1 billion from the National Park Service, likely eliminating thousands of jobs from an already understaffed workforce. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Jeff Reinbold of the National Park Foundation.

View the transcript of the story.

NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?

Warm-Up Questions

  1. How many people visited national parks in 2025?
  2. Who is seeking to slash funding for the National Park System?
  3. What are some of the challenges facing national parks, according to Jeff Reinbold?
  4. Why is there "nothing more American" than the country's national parks, according to Reinbold?
  5. Where is the National Park Foundation investing in the future?

Focus Questions

  • In this segment, host Geoff Bennett asks about the park service's plans for "innovation." Do you think the country's national parks will change and incorporate new technology in the future?
  • If you could make a change to our parks system, what change would you make?
  • Media literacy: After watching this segment, do you have a good sense of the purpose of the National Park Service and the purpose of the reason the park system was set up in the U.S.? How could you find out more?

What Students Can Do

Can you remember the last time you visited a national park? Do you have any near your own community? As a class, locate the closest national park to you using this National Park Service map. Then discuss —

  • Have you visited or could you access the park easily?
  • How do you think the park could be developed to attract you or more visitors from outside the state?
  • What do you notice are some of the reasons behind establishing some of the parks on the map? Did any surprise you?
  • If you could establish a new national park near your own community based on highlighting the community's history, important figures or natural areas, what would it be and why?

A detailed map of the United States showing the locations of all National Park System areas, including national parks, monuments, historic sites, and recreation areas across all 50 states and U.S. territories. Source: NPmaps.com.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Want to see more stories like this one? Subscribe to the SML e-newsletter!

Sign Up Here.

Republished with permission from PBS News Hour Classroom.

PBS News Hour Classroom
PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
Advertisement

Post a comment

Log in or sign up to post a comment.