National Park Case Studies

Fact Sheet Read time:
Projects: Restore America's Parks
National Park Case Studies
Yellowstone landscape

Yellowstone National Park

iStockphoto

Note: Pew created these case studies using National Park Service data issued from fiscal years 2015 and 2016. The information listed here may no longer reflect the NPS site’s current condition or maintenance requirements. To find the most up-to-date information, please use the National Park Repair Needs tool. 

In 2017, the National Park Service needed an estimated $11.3 billion to eliminate its backlog of deferred maintenance. The Pew Charitable Trusts’ campaign to restore America’s parks has created a series of case studies highlighting examples of repairs needed at our nation’s treasures.

relaterede eksperter
Marcia Argust Director
U.S. Conservation
Fact Sheet December 23, 2020

Why We Need to Fix Our Parks, 2020

Quick View
Fact Sheet December 23, 2020

The National Park Service (NPS) is over 100 years old, and the infrastructure and facilities at the more than 400 sites it manages nationwide are aging. Add wear and tear from visitors and inconsistent annual funding, and the park service can’t keep pace with needed repairs. NPS’ maintenance backlog has grown to an estimated $13.1 billion, and more than half of that is for highest-priority assets.

Harpers Ferry
Harpers Ferry
Article April 9, 2019

Cost of Unaddressed National Park Repairs Grows to Nearly $12 Billion

Quick View
Harpers Ferry
Article April 9, 2019

Cost of Unaddressed National Park Repairs Grows to Nearly $12 Billion

Like a homeowner trying to patch numerous leaks in a roof during a rainstorm, the National Park Service (NPS) urgently needs help to address a backlog of maintenance issues across its more than 400 sites.

Data Visualization May 23, 2018

National Park Deferred Maintenance Needs

Quick View
Data Visualization May 23, 2018

National Park Deferred Maintenance Needs

With record crowds contributing to wear and tear and federal funding unreliable, the National Park Service is struggling to keep pace with repairs, estimated at $11.6 billion in fiscal year 2017. Use this tool, based on NPS data, to learn more about deferred maintenance at NPS sites across the county, in your state, and at your favorite park.

RELATED
Topics
Infrastructure Land Conservation
Projects
Restore America's Parks
Experts
Marcia Argust
Places
United States

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

A presentation being given by a businesswoman to a group of participants at a business conference.

Fact Sheet

April 12, 2024 Four Plan Features Can Boost 'Retirement Readiness'
A large group of people in formal or traditional attire stands together on a stage, with a digital background depicting marine life and the large text “WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.”

Article

April 10, 2024 WTO Needs to Redouble Its Effort on Fishing Subsidies
A man in a winter hat and sunglasses kneels on a rocky shoreline in front of a campfire, holding a metal mug with gloved hands. Behind him, in the water, a motorboat is moored to the shore. Cliffs rise on both sides of the water.

Article

April 4, 2024 Why Newfoundland’s South Coast Fjords Are Sacred

MORE FROM PEW

A presentation being given by a businesswoman to a group of participants at a business conference. Four Plan Features Can Boost 'Retirement Readiness'
An illustration of a couple holding hands walking away from an outline of houses behind them Pathways to Homeownership: Housing in America
A photograph of City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia to Address Pressing Policy Challenges
A bright blue T-cell infected by HIV is engulfed by hundreds of yellow virions. Pew Researcher Seeks to Crack Code on HIV Cure