It’s planning season for spring and summer tours! But if you’re in the US or planning a bike adventure here, there’s some real question marks about our national park system. From budget cuts to layoffs and reinstatements to ever-increasing demand… is this the right year to consider a trip through Yellowstone or Shenandoah?
Pedalshift 400 Live
Hold the date… Pedalshift 400 Live will be Friday April 11th at 8pm ET - 5pm PT. Check out Pedlashift on YouTube or pedalshift.net/live for more. Ask Me Anything for sure, the rest is a surprise maybe to me as well?
What’s Happening with US National Parks in 2025?
•Brief overview of the budget situation: potential closures, service reductions, delayed seasonal openings
February firing of a category of federal employees
Buyout offer to some employees
Just recently a court order led to reinstatement of them
Still a huge gap in the staffing needed for the increasing demand
•Types of services at risk: ranger programs, campground availability, road maintenance, shuttle systems, water access
•Examples of parks most likely to be affected - Yosemite, Yellowstone and most of the majors that are on bike routes.
Impacts on Bicycle Touring and Bikepacking
•Common bike routes through or around National Parks (e.g., Skyline Drive, Natchez Trace, Blue Ridge Parkway, Yellowstone Loop, etc.)
•How closures or reduced services complicate trip planning
•Campgrounds unavailable or unmaintained
•Fewer refill spots for water/food
•Riskier road conditions due to lack of maintenance or ranger presence
•Potential increase in car traffic on fewer open roads
•Implications for car-free or low-impact travelers
Tips for Bike Travelers Navigating These Changes
•Research and plan ahead: how to track park-specific updates
•Use apps and websites that reflect real-time closures (NPS.gov, iOverlander, RideWithGPS updates, ACA forums)
•Be prepared for self-sufficiency: water filtration, food storage, backup shelters
•Consider alternative routes: National Forests, state parks, BLM lands
•Join or support advocacy efforts for bike access and funding for parks
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!