The National Park Service (NPS) has opened a 30-day public comment period and is asking for input on how to improve visitor services so that everyone can have meaningful, enjoyable experiences in our parks.
This is a big opportunity to make our voices heard. Visitor services touch nearly every part of the park experience, from how people get around to how they learn about history, culture, and nature. By submitting a comment, you can help shape the future of our shared parks and ensure they remain accessible, sustainable, and welcoming for generations to come.
Act today: Be one of the thousands of people standing up to protect the future of our parks!
How to structure your comment:
- Share a personal story or experience in a park
- Explain what worked well or what needs improvement
- Offer specific suggestions for improvement
- Say why it matters to you, your community, or future generations
Key themes you can talk about in your comment:
- Interpretation and Education: Parks should connect visitors to culture, history, and nature. They help people understand the full and complex story of this country. To strengthen trust and deepen connections to place, the National Park Service must rescind Department of the Interior Order 3431, Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History, which directs agencies to remove educational materials deemed “disparaging.” Honest, well-rounded interpretation builds public trust and helps every visitor connect more deeply to the place.
- Access and Connectivity: Visitor services start with access. The Americans with Disabilities Act was a landmark civil rights law, and national parks should build on that legacy by going beyond compliance. Adaptive equipment like track chairs and bikes, expanded braille signage and American Sign Language programs, staff trained to support visitors with intellectual disabilities, multilingual materials, and free or low-cost programming all help ensure parks are open to everyone. Access also means getting there. Expanding shuttles, public transit, walking, biking, and micromobility options will cut traffic, reduce pollution, and strengthen connections to nearby gateway communities.
- Youth: The future of the National Park Service depends on strong pathways across generations. Programs like Junior Rangers, Every Kid Outdoors, and Conservation Corps allow young people to enjoy parks, improve health and well-being, and grow into the next generation of stewards, but only if staffing and resources keep pace.
- Veterans: National Parks can also provide veterans and military families opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, find healing and connection, and continue serving through adaptive recreation, accessible facilities, and clear pathways into volunteering and careers, as reinforced in the Military in Veterans Parks provision of the EXPLORE Act.
- People and Workforce: None of this is possible without the people of the Park Service. This year the agency lost nearly 1,200 permanent positions: about a quarter of its core staff. The result has been closed visitor centers, canceled ranger programs, and delayed emergency response. Rebuilding the workforce with permanent jobs is essential to restore safe, consistent service across the system.
- Sustainability: Re-adopting and strengthening the Green Parks Plan will reduce single-use plastics, expand refill stations, and ensure food and retail services are affordable and responsible. Infrastructure must be upgraded so it can withstand floods, fires, heat, and other challenges that affect both visitors and park operations. Building sustainability into visitor services will keep parks welcoming and resilient for generations to come.