It’s been voted the “Most Beautiful Place in America” and tallies more than 1.5 million visitors per year. As with the other 428 sites managed by the National Park Service (NPS), though, the future is up in the air for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, following a sweeping federal hiring freeze instituted by President Donald Trump. Depending on how long the freeze lasts, it could impact seasonal hiring at Sleeping Bear – something local experts warn could have far-reaching local implications.

Two weeks ago, the Washington Post reported that NPS had “abruptly rescinded” about 400 job offers across the country, following Trump’s government-wide hiring freeze. The move has prompted concerns of short-staffing at America’s national parks this summer, when they cumulatively draw more than 100 million visitors. Per the Post, NPS hires approximately 7,500 people each summer to accommodate the extra demand.

Sleeping Bear Dunes alone could be down nearly two-thirds of its usual workforce this summer. According to an NPS statistics page, the park relies on 46 permanent staff and another 83 seasonal employees to manage and conserve its 71,318 acres, 35 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, 105 miles of trails, three visitor centers, two islands, and 357 campsites.

Trevor Tkach, president and CEO of Traverse City Tourism (TCT), is worried about the ripple effects an underpowered Sleeping Bear Dunes could create for northern Michigan’s tourism economy.

“You’ve got to remember: this park is 35 miles along Lake Michigan; it stretches from Benzie north into Leelanau and includes two islands,” Tkach says. “There’s a significant amount of programming and infrastructure to consider – and a lot of stuff that locals and visitors alike have really come to enjoy. And there are also a lot of local businesses that are dependent upon a strong and healthy park system to keep their businesses strong through the summer. Losing any of that would be detrimental.”

The hiring freeze is part of a broader effort by Trump and his billionaire protégé Elon Musk to reduce the size of the government. Musk, appointed by Trump to lead the so-called Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE), has declared a goal of slashing $2 trillion from the $6.8 trillion federal budget. So far, DOGE has targeted federal entities as diverse as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of Education, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

While NPS and its $5 million annual budget have not been flagged by DOGE as top priorities, experts say the blanket federal hiring freeze could make parks collateral damage anyway.

“The seasonal workforce has been a core function of the Park Service for over 100 years,” said Jonathan Jarvis, NPS director during the Obama years, in an interview with travel writer Wes Siler.  “Seasonal hires do everything from cleaning restrooms to fighting fires to backcountry patrol, and they’ve become increasingly important due to the high levels of visitation.” Jarvis added that January and February are typically “the critical hiring window” for seasonal NPS employees.

Sleeping Bear Superintendent Scott Tucker declined to comment for this article, noting that “all press questions about the hiring freeze are being handled by the Washington office.” The Ticker’s subsequent inquiries to NPS were referred to the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees the bureau.

Asked how long the hiring freeze might last, an Interior spokesperson pointed to a section of Trump’s executive order that gives DOGE and the U.S. Office of Management and Budget up to 90 days to “submit a plan to reduce the size of the Federal Government’s workforce through efficiency improvements and attrition.” Only after that plan is released, the spokesperson said, will Interior leadership be able to formulate a hiring strategy for NPS and other bureaus it oversees. Since the hiring freeze was instituted on January 20, DOGE and OMB would have until April 20 to submit their plan.

While Tkach expects “high demand for northern Michigan and the Dunes” will still keep plenty of visitors flocking to the region this summer, he warns that staffing shortages at the park could equate to underwhelming visitor experiences, potentially creating longer-tail problems for the region.

“People are coming regardless, but what they experience at the Dunes may not be the same as what they have in previous years,” Tkach says. “There’s certain programming and certain assets that require a full team of park employees to facilitate. If the park is understaffed, it will fall to Scott and his team to prioritize what stays and what goes. And there’s a real possibility that visitors won’t have full access to certain parts of the park. Things like campgrounds, visitor centers, trails, or restrooms could be closed. That definitely diminishes the experience for the visitor.”

Tkach adds: “Word of mouth can be the best or worst marketing a destination can get, and while we do a good job of telling the story of Sleeping Bear Dunes and how magical it is, if people are coming to the region and it’s not a good experience for them, they aren't going to be shy about sharing that. So, a big concern is reputation management. Are we still seen as a premier spot if certain resources are limited or shut off completely? It’s always harder to find a new customer than it is to keep the customer you have happy, and I worry this hiring freeze could have long-term impact on people's perceptions of an experience when they come to the Traverse City area.”

For her part, Laura Ann Johnson, executive director of Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes, says her organization will be there to support the Sleeping Bear team this summer whether there’s a staffing shortage or not.

“TheFriends of Sleeping Bear Dunes supports the NPS team in their efforts to enhance the visitor experience and preserve the Lakeshore,” Johnson says. “Our organization assists the NPS team in many ways, including providing volunteers to help with various programs and activities. Staffing of the Lakeshore is not within our scope, so we are unable to provide details on that. However, we will continue our efforts to support the NPS team and Lakeshore in 2025 and beyond.”