Parks for All: The Emerging Trend of Diversity and Accessibility in U.S. National Parks
Imagine standing in Badlands National Park, South Dakota. A boardwalk brings you so close to the rugged wilderness that you can almost touch it. This simple image is a powerful symbol of a much larger mission: the National Park Service (NPS) is working to ensure these national treasures—often called “America’s best idea”—are a home for everyone. It’s a story of opening doors, building bridges, and, most importantly, listening.
Join us on a journey to explore how the NPS is taking concrete actions to dismantle long-standing barriers, proving that our parks belong in every American heart.
The “Why”: Representation and the Power of Belonging
Sometimes, a genuine connection to nature begins with a single moment of seeing yourself reflected in it. For Ambreen Tariq, that moment came in 2015 at Shenandoah National Park. She saw a sign featuring an image of an African American woman and child on a hiking trail under the slogan “Find Your Park.” As an Indian-American Muslim woman, the message hit her right in the soul. “It completely moved me,” she recalls. The sign was telling her, “You belong here, too.”
That spark led her to discover the #findyourpark hashtag, connecting her with a vibrant community of women and people of color sharing their outdoor adventures. This validation inspired her to create “Brown People Camping,” a platform to bring more diverse voices into the conversation about nature. Her initiative aligns perfectly with the NPS’s official “Find Your Park” campaign, which aims to make people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and those with fewer resources feel that the parks are truly theirs. As Nina Roberts of San Francisco State University notes, it’s not just about physical entry—it’s about fostering a true sense of belonging, a vital step in overcoming a legacy of discrimination.
Looking in the Mirror: Driving Change from Within
True inclusion isn’t just for visitors; it starts from within the National Park Service itself. “We are taking a very close look at ourselves, engaging in deep self-critique,” admits Sangita Chari, who heads the NPS’s office of Relevancy, Diversity, and Inclusion (RDI). The numbers reveal a clear need for this introspection: the NPS workforce is 83% white, 62% male, and only 9.5% of employees identify as having a disability.
Worse, a 2017 study found that nearly 40% of employees had experienced discrimination or harassment, with little faith that reporting it would lead to action. Since 2013, the RDI has been working tirelessly to cultivate a safe and welcoming environment for all staff. Initiatives like “Allies for Inclusion” provide spaces for employees to have frank discussions on sensitive topics like police violence and transphobia. These are crucial steps toward dismantling systemic discrimination. By hiring rangers with diverse backgrounds and collaborating with groups like “Pride Outside,” the NPS is building a more representative team. The hope is clear: if the NPS can be a beacon of inclusion for its own people, it will naturally become a magnet for a much wider and more varied world of visitors.
Breaking Down Barriers to Entry
Sparking Curiosity and Cultural Connection
Often, the biggest obstacle to visiting a national park is simply a lack of awareness. Historically marginalized communities have often lacked information about these public lands. An NPS survey from 2011 highlighted this, with many respondents, especially people of color, stating, “I just don’t know much about these parks.”
Ana Cholo, now an enthusiastic volunteer with “Latino Outdoors,” shares this experience. “My parents came from South America, so I had no idea what national parks were; it wasn’t part of my world growing up,” she confesses. It wasn’t until she was a single mother in her thirties that she first set foot in Yellowstone and Badlands. “It was an incredible experience that opened my eyes to the true beauty of this country!”
To create more “wow” moments like Ana’s, the NPS is building bridges. They offer distance learning programs where students can chat with park rangers and take virtual field trips. Even more exciting, they are redefining what a “national park” can be by including sites of deep cultural significance, like the historic Stonewall National Monument in New York City. This strategy helps more people feel a personal connection to these places, whether through shared history or natural beauty.
Opening Pathways: Tackling Economic and Physical Barriers
Beyond awareness lies the financial hurdle. While many parks are free, the most famous ones have entrance fees that can be a significant burden. The data is telling: in 2011, nearly 70% of high-income families visited a park, compared to only 22% of families earning less than $10,000. For some, even a $20 vehicle pass for Petrified Forest National Park is a luxury.
The NPS is actively addressing this with brilliant programs like “Every Kid in a Park,” which provides free annual passes to all fourth-grade students and their families. “It’s a fantastic initiative to tear down that economic barrier,” says Ricardo Escobar, a ranger at Petrified Forest. Furthermore, with support from the National Park Foundation, schools can get reimbursed for transportation costs, opening the door for countless children. For individuals with disabilities, lifetime passes also help ease the financial load.
But the challenges don’t end there. Once inside, what if a trail is too narrow for a wheelchair? Or a metal post blocks that majestic view? Amy Weyrich knows this reality all too well. Her 18-year-old son, Sam, has a condition called AGS. When he was younger, she could carry him to see the world beyond his chair. Now, she can’t, and Sam’s view is often one of barriers. Amy proposes simple solutions like using plexiglass at viewpoints so everyone can enjoy the scenery. These are “small adjustments that don’t cost much time or money, but that radically change the experience,” emphasizes Kevin Stickelman of the National Ability Center. Arches National Park, with its accessible trails and audiovisual programs, serves as a shining example that it can be done.
An Open Future for Everyone
So, have we reached the end of this journey toward inclusion? Not by a long shot. The road is long and requires constant effort. But as Sangita Chari says, the hope for the NPS’s next century is that future generations will look at our parks and say, “This is what true integration means!” The coming decades represent a massive opportunity—and a profound responsibility—for the National Park Service to continue opening its arms, ensuring these natural and historical treasures truly belong to all Americans and serve as a vibrant mirror of the diversity that makes our nation unique.
