UPDATE | NPS Hiring Seasonal Rangers

Editor's Note: This updates with information from the Department of the Interior in response to questions from the Traveler.

A year after balking at hiring seasonal rangers for the National Park System, the Interior Department has allowed the National Park Service to hire seasonal interpretive rangers to nine-month assignments.

According to a DOI spokesperson, "the National Park Service plans to hire more than 5,000 seasonal employees in 2026, consistent with previous years. Of those, up to 1,560 will be nine-month seasonal positions, with the remainder primarily six-month appointments based on park needs. This is the first year NPS has used the nine-month seasonal hiring authority, which is currently authorized through January 2027, so there is no direct comparison to previous years." 

After initially placing a hold on seasonal hiring last January, the Trump administration later allowed the Park Service to hire upwards of 8,000, according to the National Parks Conservation Association, which did know if that total was actually taken aboard.

One aspect of the job posting on USAJobs is that the seasonal positions are for nine months, vs. six-month assignments offered in the past.

"It's good that these jobs are open," read one comment on a Reddit page frequented by public land rangers. "And it's bad that they're not full-time with benefits or even part-time with benefits. I hope that the federal government will do more to invest in full-time support roles and service roles in national parks, national forest, national monuments and BLM land. And $20 an hour is chump change in this economy. The minimum wage be twice that for these types of roles."

At NPCA, Emily Douce, deputy vice president for governmental affairs, said "the hiring freeze delayed seasonal hiring last year, so we are pleased to see the process moving forward this year. Seasonal staff are integral to parks by helping educate and direct visitors, protect visitors and keep the park facilities clean during the busy seasons. While the 9-month positions allow the park superintendents to keep staff on during the shoulder seasons, these staff are not provided benefits and must be hired every year, occupying valuable staff time and resources."

Tracking by NPCA pointed to a nearly 25 percent loss of Park Service personnel last year as the administration worked to reduce the size of government. 

"Visitor experiences have been prioritized over important and necessary park protection work," Douce said while referring to the lost positions. "Seasonal staff should not replace the over 4,000 staff lost since 2024. Lost positions include biologists, historians, and other specialized positions to protect the natural, cultural and historic resources. We urge the administration to not only focus on hiring temporary visitor facing positions but replacing the full-time positions that protect the resources."