Published May 10, 2026 05:00AM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Once banned at almost every National Park Service (NPS) site, hunting is set to return to several dozen NPS areas in 2026, documents show.<\/p>\n
On May 4,\u00a0The New York Times<\/em> reported<\/a> that the Trump administration directed the Department of the Interior (DOI) to immediately relax restrictions on hunting and trapping at NPS sites, including national recreation areas, wildlife refuges, and other public lands. The Times<\/em> cited an internal DOI memo, dated April 21, from Interior Secretary Douglas Burgum, that also planned to unwind hunting bans at additional sites later in 2026.<\/p>\n The National Parks Conservation Association<\/a>, a nonprofit that\u00a0raises funds for the NPS, told\u00a0Outside<\/em> that at least 15 parks and preserves had their hunting restrictions immediately loosened\u00a0<\/span>by the directive. Another 40 could see restrictions eased in the near future, an NPCA spokesperson said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat it seems like, from the outside looking in, is maybe they weren\u2019t getting barriers removed fast enough,\u201d Stephanie Adams, wildlife program director for the NPCA, told Outside<\/em>. \u201cNow this memo went out, and it directed a number of superintendents to get rid of things unless they could absolutely justify them.\u201d<\/p>\n Some of these sites include Florida\u2019s Big Cypress National Preserve, Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts, and other iconic public areas like Glen Canyon and Lake Mead National Recreation Areas in Arizona. Marquee national parks such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon still prohibit hunting and trapping, the Times<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n The rollback extends hunting access across many federally protected areas, potentially changing how these parks are managed and experienced. Supporters say the move increases recreational hunting opportunities and aligns park policies with state wildlife management.<\/p>\n \u201c[The order] advances a commonsense approach to public land management by expanding access to hunting and fishing opportunities where it can be done safely and responsibly,\u201d the DOI told Outside<\/em>. \u201cFor decades, sportsmen and women have been some of the strongest stewards of our public lands, and this order ensures their access is not unnecessarily restricted by outdated or overly broad limitations that are not required by law.\u201d<\/p>\n Critics, however, worry the changes will impact wildlife conservation, visitor safety, and the traditional preservation mission of national parks. And the shift could permanently alter America\u2019s protected public lands.<\/p>\n \u201cThe changes include getting rid of language that puts restrictions on shooting across or towards trails at Curecanti in Colorado,\u201d Stephanie Adams, NPCA wildlife program director, told Outside<\/em>. \u201cIt could also mean removing the prohibition on hunting during the summer beach season at Cape Cod National Seashore.\u201d<\/p>\n Adams told Outside<\/em> that the memo seems to be a follow-up to the January 7 Secretarial Order 3447<\/a>, commanding superintendents to \u201cidentify and remove unnecessary regulatory or administrative barriers to hunting and fishing.\u201d<\/p>\n The move comes amid sweeping changes already underway across our public lands, including severe cuts to the NPS, the relocation and restructuring of the U.S. Forest Service, and the loosening of restrictions on oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.<\/p>\n Already, regulators at Louisiana\u2019s Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve lifted a ban on reptile hunting. In Tennessee\u2019s Obed Wild and Scenic River, hunters no longer need an NPS-issued permit to hunt hogs.<\/p>\n Prior to the memo, a number of NPS sites allowed some type of hunting. These include national preserves, recreation areas, monuments, grasslands, seashores, and Wild and Scenic rivers. Historically, a patchwork of rules and regulations has governed hunting in these areas. According to the Times<\/em>, Burgum\u2019s memo ordered that any hunting closures and restrictions not required by state law must now be stripped to the \u201cminimum necessary for public safety or resource protection.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As of this publication, the NPCA tracked publicly documented changes at the following locations:<\/p>\n <\/section>\n A growing number of former NPS officials are sounding the alarm about the new policy. Dan Wenk<\/a>, a 43-year NPS veteran who was a superintendent at Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone, says the mandate goes too far. He told Outside<\/em> that the issue is not necessarily that rules are being changed, but the way they\u2019re being done.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are rules that were put in place because they were felt to be necessary for visitor safety and resource protection,\u201d Wenk said. \u201cThey weren\u2019t put in in a cavalier manner, and they shouldn\u2019t be taken out in a cavalier manner.\u201d<\/p>\nChanges Could Impact At Least 55 NPS Sites Nationwide<\/h2>\n
Changes Already Reported<\/h2>\n
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Former Park Staff Are Sounding the Alarm<\/h2>\n