Are national parks still open? Recent layoff news shouldn't stop you from visiting.
National Park Week begins April 19 with an invitation to celebrate national parks in person, for free.
'Find a national park and come visit!' the annual event's webpage encourages, pointing to the 433 'parks' across the National Park System, including national battlefields, monuments and seashores – not just places with National Park in their name like Great Smoky Mountains or Yosemite.
April 19 is one of five remaining free-entry dates this year. However, cost isn't the only factor travelers are considering for their upcoming national park trips.
Prospective visitors, along with park proponents, are concerned about what the parks and experiences may look like after the sweeping layoffs across the National Park Service and the larger federal government in February.
Here's what travelers planning national park trips should know:
No special passes are needed for free park entry on April 19, the first day of National Park Week. Just show up.
At other times of year, certain groups are eligible for free admission:
◾U.S. military service members and their dependents, U.S. veterans and Gold Star families.
◾U.S. citizens or permanent residents with disabilities.
◾Fourth graders and family members traveling with them.
◾Volunteers who've spent at least 250 hours volunteering at federal recreation sites.
Not all parks charge entry fees, which go back to the park. Those top out at $35.
Yes.
"National Park Week is a great time to visit one of the country's 430+ national parks," an NPS spokesperson told USA TODAY by email. "It also is an opportune time to plan summer vacations or other excursions to national parks this year."
Jason Rano, vice president, Government Affairs at the RV Industry Association, said if people stop visiting, "That's money that's not going back to the park and the Park Service ... and for our customers and our industry, that's a big concern. And it's not just us. There are gateway communities that serve as important networks to these places that largely thrive or don't on park visitation."
Rano, who previously worked in Government Relations for the National Park Foundation, the official charitable partner of the National Park Service, added: 'RVs need campgrounds. So even if they're not using a public campground in a national park or national forest, they may be using a private RV park and campground in the gateway community and going to the cafes and going to the bookstores and things like that, so there's a real potential economic hit to these largely rural gateway communities as well."
Elizabeth Silkes, CEO of Grand Canyon Conservancy, the official nonprofit partner of Grand Canyon National Park, echoed that sentiment and encouraged visits.
'It's a perfect time to visit national parks, to show your support for public lands in this country and our shared appreciation for the stories they share,' she said. 'This is a moment to lean into what time spent in nature provides us, and it's also a moment for a new kind of questioning when we are in these spaces: What is our role in protecting them? What can we do to better amplify their needs?'
No.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued a secretarial order on April 3 to ensure all national parks 'remain open and accessible for the benefit and enjoyment of the American people and to ensure that the National Park Service will provide the best customer service experience for all visitors.'
"The National Park Service is focused on every visitor having meaningful opportunities to explore and connect with the incredible, iconic spaces of national parks," the Park Service told USA TODAY.
The secretary's order pledges to uphold the hours posted on the National Park Service's website and review 'any closures or reductions to operating hours, seasons, or any visitor services' beforehand at top levels.
The order also says: 'The (interior) Department shall take action to ensure that NPS is properly staffed to support the operating hours and needs of each park unit.'
Budget cuts and bathrooms: An ongoing struggle at US national parks
According to the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association, all 1,000 of the probationary National Park Service employees terminated in February were allowed to be reinstated in March, after court orders determined their firings were illegal.
Additionally, despite a hiring freeze ordered by President Donald Trump on his first day in office, the National Park Service was approved in February to hire thousands of seasonal workers, as it does each year.
While some uncertainty remains about the stability of some positions, multiple park advocates and experts have told USA TODAY one thing is clear: the National Park Service was already understaffed before all this.
'For a long time actually, the park staff have been stretched quite thin,' Silkes said.
Story continues below.
To illustrate this point, Robert Manning, professor emeritus of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont, broke it down by numbers:
The National Park Service manages 433 units, spanning more than 85 million acres. Last year, they welcomed a record 331.8 million visitors, according to National Park Service data, all with roughly 20,000 employees.
For perspective, he compared that to Walt Disney World, which has roughly 80,000 cast members. 'But the responsibilities of the National Park Service go well beyond an organization like Disney World,' he said.
Manning specialized in national parks and has written several books about them, most recently co-authoring 'Conversations About Visiting and Managing the National Parks: Crowdsourcing America's Best Idea.'
If visitors find fewer rangers available in a park or longer lines for help, Rano asks for patience.
'The folks that work at NPS, at Forest Service, at these other land management agencies are there because they care, and they want people to have the best experience possible,' he said. 'If you're headed out, we hope you have an awesome, awesome time, but be prepared for unknowns and have patience with the folks that you're encountering because I know generally, to a person, they are doing their best.'
Planning is always important, but park advocates say it's especially important now.
◾The National Park Service's website offers a wealth of tips to 'plan like a park ranger,' as well as details on each park and any applicable reservation requirements. Visitors will also find up-to-date weather alerts and closure advisories.
◾Visitors can use the free National Park Service app to download park-specific information and maps before their visit, in case they lose cell reception in the parks.
◾Guidebooks are another resource visitors can carry along.
'It may be that visitors are a little bit more on their own this year, and that can be frightening a little bit, I think, to visitors,' Manning said. 'It's frightening to the welfare of the parks as well, because we need well-informed visitors when they get to the parks.'
He and others stressed the importance of personal safety and practicing Leave No Trace principles to help protect the parks.
'I think this is a moment where we have realized the fragility, in many ways, of our public lands, and if we can lean into that feeling that many of us have had about how important it is to protect them, if that is infused in our visits and our planning for visits, perhaps that prompts a new way of looking at all we see in the parks,' Silkes said, encouraging visitors to also thank park rangers.
She said visitors who want to do more to show their support can donate to friends association groups and parks conservancies, volunteer and write to lawmakers.
'This country works best when everyone shares their perspective and what they feel most strongly about with their representatives,' she said. 'It's important to recognize how important these places are, not only in this moment, but in protecting them long into the future.'
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: National parks still want you to visit. What to know before you go.

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Travel + Leisure
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This National Park Has Some of the Oldest Pueblos in North America—and They're Carved Directly Into a Cliff
In southwest Colorado, where the Rocky Mountains give way to canyons and mesas, is one of the most intimate places you can connect with ancient history in the United States. In Mesa Verde National Park, you'll find elaborate villages tucked beneath sandstone overhangs. These cliff dwellings were built by the Ancestral Pueblo people and date back more than 700 years. The historic structures provide a rare glimpse into a civilization that built complex homes, ceremonial kivas, and irrigation systems. 'Mesa Verde is unique because it is a national park telling the story of people on the landscape. Even though all national parks have human stories, the Ancestral Pueblo people, the ancestral sites they built, and the park's connection to modern Pueblos and Tribes are key here,' said Dalton Dorrell, a park ranger on Mesa Verde's Interpretation and Visitor Services team. These dwellings are some of the best preserved in the world and are the hallmark of Mesa Verde National Park, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With its rare blend of cultural heritage and natural beauty, Mesa Verde isn't just a stop or another national park on the list—it's a journey into the deep history of the American Southwest. Dalton Dorrell is a park ranger on the Interpretation and Visitor Services team at Mesa Verde National Park. He has worked for the National Park Service for over 10 years. Brian Bartlett is the tourism director and CEO at Mesa Verde Country, a local organization that provides information for travelers visiting Mesa Verde National Park and the surrounding area. Scenic view of Mesa Verde National Park from the Visitor and Research Center. JohnMesa Verde National Park is open daily, year-round. No reservations are needed to enter the park, and entrance passes are $20 per vehicle during the low season (Oct. 23–April 30) and $30 during the high season (May 1–Oct. 22). Passes are good for seven days. If you want to walk inside one of the park's renowned cliff dwellings, you must book a tour up to 14 days in advance. Cliff dwelling tours run from May to October, ending in the winter. The park is still open in the colder months, but many of the facilities close, including the lodge, campground, and most dining options. It is worth noting that all of the park's historic sites and cliff dwellings are at least 45 minutes by car (one way) from the park's entrance on Highway 160. Brian Bartlett, the tourism director and CEO of Mesa Verde Country, advises travelers to 'gas up before you come as there is almost no fuel to be purchased in the park.' The park is also completely cashless, so bring a card. And finally, Mesa Verde National Park is different from most because it contains so much human history. The ancestral sites are extremely important to the park's 26 affiliated tribes and are also very fragile. "Two easy ways you can visit with respect is to not touch or sit on ancestral site walls and to leave any artifact where you find it," Dorrell said. The Mesa Top Loop Road Ruins contains some of the most elaborate Pueblo dwellings found today. Christian Kober/robertharding/Getty Images The park is between the Colorado towns of Cortez and Mancos, near the Four Corners region, where Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado meet. It shares some land with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe reservation. The nearest airports to Mesa Verde National Park are Cortez Municipal Airport (CEZ), about 36 miles away, Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO), about 70 miles away, and Four Corners Regional Airport (FMN) in Farmington, New Mexico, 89 miles away. If you're flying in, you'll need to rent a car, as there's no way to get to or around the park by public transportation. It's a 45-minute drive from the park entrance off of Highway 160 to the first view of a cliff dwelling. The best time to visit Mesa Verde National Park is in late spring and early fall, when the cliff dwellings are still open, but the peak travel season of summer hasn't quite begun yet. The popular, ranger-led cliff dwelling tours begin in May and end in mid to late October. 'I really enjoy September and October in the park," said Dorrell. "It's cooler, there are still tours occurring in parts of the park, and some days are slower. If you do visit during that time, be sure to check the weather. Some years we can start getting snow that early." However, there's a reason why summer is a popular time to visit: the weather is more reliable around this time of year, and the park is usually fully open. Plus, summer comes with wildflowers and chances to spot wildlife, including bears and bobcats. Winter isn't a bad time to visit, either, and you can see sites like Spruce Tree House covered in snow, or you could even cross-country ski or snowshoe the park's winter trails. However, keep in mind that many of the park's facilities close in the colder months. In addition to its national park website, you can follow Mesa Verde's Facebook page, where delayed openings and temporary park closures are posted. Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park is the the largest cliff dwelling in North America. Daniel A. Leifheit/Getty Images Cliff Palace was once home to over 100 people and is the largest known cliff dwelling in North America. It is believed to have been built between 1190 and 1280 C.E. and has 23 kivas, or ceremonial rooms. You can see the Cliff Palace from the Cliff Palace Overlook on Cliff Palace Loop Road, but if you want to step inside this massive structure, you must book a ranger-guided tour. Tours are limited to 50 people and take 45 minutes. Tourists exploring the Balcony House ruin, an Ancient Puebloan (Anasazi) cliff dwelling that was inhabited until the 13th century. wanderluster/Getty Images If you're physically fit and enjoy a bit of a challenge, reserve a tour of Balcony House, where Dorrell said visitors must 'climb a 32-foot ladder, climb two smaller ladders, and crawl through a 12-foot tunnel.' But the effort is all worth it. The path leads to a mid-sized village of 38 rooms set inside a rock alcove. Like the Cliff Palace, the Balcony House can be viewed from the six-mile-long Cliff Palace Loop Road. Those who want to set foot in the village must book a guided tour. Bartlett recommends that first-time visitors drive the six-mile Mesa Top Loop Road, which gives a good overview of the park. The loop is open year-round and provides access to 12 archeological sites, including pueblos and pit houses. You'll also see stunning views of Square Tower House, Cliff Palace, and Sun Temple. The Mesa Top Loop Road is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to sunset. The interior and exterior of a pit house reconstruction inside the Step House ruins. Rebecca L. Latson/Getty Images The only cliff dwelling you can visit without a ranger or a reservation is the Step House on Wetherill Mesa. Visiting it lets you explore a part of Mesa Verde National Park that very few people get to see. "This year, the Weatherall Mesa Road will be open, allowing folks to access and discover the other 50 percent of the park," Bartlett said. The journey to Step House usually takes three to four hours, and the site itself requires a hike on a one-mile, steep trail. There's usually a ranger on-site to answer questions. The Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings lit by lantern light sit under a star filled sky. BradWhile most people come to the park to see how early humans lived, the park becomes a stargazing destination at night. Due to its high elevation, arid climate, and distance from the nearest community, the skies above Mesa Verde tend to be clear and inky black—ideal conditions for stargazing. Mesa Verde National Park became the world's 100th International Dark Sky Park in 2021. Booking a campsite at Morefield Campground (open May through October) is a great way to see the night sky. And in late summer, the park runs evening stargazing programs. A guest room at the Far View Lodge within Colorado's Mesa Verde National Park. Morefield is the only campground in the park and is open from May to October. But if you time a visit just right, you can enjoy a night in one of the 267 campsites that dot the grassy canyon near the park's entrance. Each site has a picnic table, fire pit, and barbecue grill. RVs and trailers are permitted. There's also a camp store as well as showers and laundry. The only traditional accommodations within the park are at Far View Lodge, typically open from April to October. The lodge is in the center of the park, around 30 minutes from the park entrance. The rooms in Far View Lodge have private balconies, Wi-Fi, and free guest parking. Pets are allowed, and there are ADA accessible rooms. The property also has a lounge and bar, and a dining room. Mesa Verde Motel is in Mancos, one of the park's neighboring towns. The motel provides just the basics, but it's modern and clean with a hip Americana feel. The property has a community fire pit and an onsite coffee shop and cocktail lounge. Bartlett describes the motel 'is not to be missed.' This little gem in Cortez describes itself as "a little different than the norm"—and it's easy to see why. The Retro Inn has a host of eccentrically decorated rooms—including the hippy-dippy Woodstock Suite—and a range of interesting amenities, including lawn bowling, nostalgic board games, and old-school video games. As an added bonus, there's an outdoor theater with swings and a fire pit. For in-park fine dining, head to the Metate Room in Far View Lodge. The menu highlights regional heritage foods, including wild game, local produce, and fresh fish. Above the lodge, the aptly named Far View Lounge has views that stretch for hundreds of miles and it's a great place to get a pre or post-dinner drink. 'While in the park one must dine at the incredible Metate Room, enjoy a cocktail at the Far View Lounge, and enjoy our incredible dark skies firsthand," Bartlett said. Another favorite of Bartlett's is Cortez's Loungin' Lizard, located on Main Street. The restaurant and bar are set in a hip, contemporary space and serve unique fare like elk shepherd's pie, pork belly tacos, and spicy barbecue chicken pizza. In Mancos, The Boathouse on Grand is the place to be. It's run by locals Jenn and Dave Stewart and has a seasonal menu that changes throughout the week. They're also known for their menu of Spanish sherries and vermouth, served by the glass.