Gun Rights Groups Sue to End Gun-Free Zones in National Parks

A gun rights group wants Americans to be able to legally bring firearms into visitor centers, restaurants, and gift shops in national parks. On March 27, the Second Amendment Foundation filed a lawsuit in federal court in Texas that challenges a law banning visitors from bringing guns into buildings or facilities at National Park Service (NPS) sites.

The suit was then joined by a private citizen, Gary Zimmerman, and another gun rights group, the Firearms Policy Coalition. Their suit targets 18 U.S.C. § 930(a), a statute enacted in 1988 as part of the Undetectable Firearms Act, which prohibits possession of weapons in government buildings.

“The ban on federal facilities is overly broad,” Bill Sacks, SAF director of legal operations, told Outside. “Not only is it simply unnecessary, but also there’s no historical tradition that substantiates this sort of ban.”

NPS visitors have been allowed to bring firearms to most national parks since 2010, provided they comply with state and local laws. Federal regulations prohibit discharging a weapon—such as for hunting or target practice—without a permit at an NPS site, but allow carrying one for self-defense. A spokesperson for the National Park Service told Outside that the agency does not comment on ongoing litigation.

The “Trail to Table” Loophole

While the NPS does allow visitors to bring guns into parks, other laws regulate where a gun-carrying person can go. A visitor who is legally carrying a firearm outdoors currently violates the law the moment they step inside a federal facility, such as a ranger station, gift shop, or museum.

“In most of the park, writ large, you can carry, but when you’re going to go buy your passes, or water, or snacks, or use the facilities, or anything else like that, you’re forced to disarm,” Sacks explained. “We’re challenging that.”

Natural Sanctuaries vs. Self-Defense

Gun violence prevention groups that spoke to Outside said the SAF’s argument fundamentally misunderstands the law, noting that the government has always had the constitutional authority to restrict firearms in designated public spaces.

Shira Feldman, senior director of constitutional law at the gun-reform nonprofit Brady United, told Outside that striking down the ban would violate the National Park System’s foundational purpose: to create a safe place for visitors.

“From the moment parks were first conceived in the U.S., they were designed as natural sanctuaries of respite and repose, starting with places like Prospect Park and Central Park, and firearms have often been intentionally prohibited,” Feldman said. “Most park rangers do not carry weapons, and this Park Service rule exists to protect safety across the board—for park staff, for visitors, and for wildlife.”

But Sacks argues that gun owners should be allowed to carry guns inside these facilities to ensure visitor safety.

“That’s exactly why the Second Amendment gives you the right to carry in public, because you may face unlawful violence,” he said. “You may need to protect yourself, and that can happen when you are hiking, because you get cornered by a mountain lion, or it can happen at the visitor center, because you get cornered by a meth addict. The point is, your right to defend yourself and your family doesn’t change in either event.”

According to a 2023 report by our sister publication Backpacker, which analyzed mortality statistics on NPS sites, approximately 243 people die each year at NPS sites. The most common cause of death is drowning, followed by vehicle collisions, suicide, medical events, and accidental falls.

Adam Skaggs, vice president of Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, noted that the right to carry a firearm in public has never been absolute, especially in government buildings.

“As a legal matter, the Supreme Court and lower courts have uniformly held that prohibiting guns in sensitive places is entirely consistent with the Constitution,” Skaggs said. “National parks and government facilities are sensitive places that should be protected from gun violence. The safety of all visitors to our national parks must come first.”

The court has not issued any rulings in the case as of this writing. Always look for the “No Firearms” signs posted at the entrances of all federal buildings.