Why Public Land Access Matters to Trail Riders & What You Can Do to Protect It
- Lily
- Feb 16
- 5 min read
If you’re a recreational stock user, access to public land and the labor of federal employees is what allows you to get out on trail with your equine. With the mass layoffs and hiring freeze of parks and forestry workers, the ability to ride on well maintained wilderness trails that we have come to take for granted is under immediate threat. Alongside advocating for and listening to the accounts of people whose careers are being affected, the best thing we can do to fight for public land as riders is to educate ourselves on its history and the way it is under attack.
How is public land structured & what access do stock users have:
The United States has a massive amount of public land available to utilize and explore. While lots of us first think of recreation when we imagine public land, it was originally set aside with the intention of conserving natural resources, supporting industries such as logging, mining, and ranching, as well as providing individuals with the ability to get outdoors. Over a third of the country is comprised of public land, which is broken down by what government entity controls it and what activities can take place on it.
This includes:
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land
National Forest
National Parks
National Wildlife Refuges
National Preserves
National Monuments & Conservation Areas
National Grasslands
National Seashores/Lakeshores
National Scenic Areas
State & Local Parks/Preserves
“Wilderness” is a specific classification within BLM, National Forest, and National Park land. As dictated by the 1964 Wilderness Act, these areas prevent human development and industry from taking place, although it should be noted that language used to describe wilderness areas has censored Indigenous peoples’ history of land use and maintenance.
Trail/endurance riders’ and other stock users’ access differs depending upon the type of public land they are riding on. Regulations are worth reviewing before every trip to a new area and are set in place to protect land, wildlife, and other users’ access. They can be equine specific, such as requirements for weed-free hay or if grazing is permitted, or can be general to everyone on trail, including regulations surrounding campfires, waste disposal, or dispersed camping.
Why parks staff & trail crews are essential for equine use:
Without proper maintenance, nobody would be able to access public land. For stock users specifically, our ability to get on trail is determined by often overlooked factors, such as road and parking lot conditions, the removal of downed trees, and wild land conservation efforts which support the growth of natural forage, amongst other initiatives that make taking equines into the wilderness possible.
Beyond the physical obstacles that park employees remove from our way, the knowledge amassed from a career spent caring for public land is impossible to replace. As evidenced by the breadth of distinctions between different land classifications, planning a backcountry riding trip would be very challenging without the resources that rangers and other interpreters offer.
Additionally, contemporary changes to public land including increasing tourism popularity in National Parks and climate-related threats like wildfires or floods make adequate land maintenance even more essential if riders want to protect stock access.
What has changed & who is being impacted:
Within the first weeks of the new presidential administration taking office, massive hiring freezes, a pause on funding, and unprecedented staff cuts have upended the lives of federal parks employees. Beyond the thousands of people facing job and housing insecurity, including many staff members who have devoted years to building specialized skill sets necessary for public land upkeep, anyone who wants to access US parks will be impacted.
In the name of “efficiency,” parks will be left even more chronically understaffed than they have already been for the past fifteen years, despite a 16% increase in visitation and substantial contribution to the US economy, particularly in western states. The roles being cut are unquestionably essential to park visitors’ experience and safety. Seasonal trail workers remove deadfall to make trails passable, clear vegetation to prevent wildfire, and generally make it possible to enjoy the country’s most beautiful and biodiverse areas.
The abrupt and dramatic disruption to parks agencies has left remaining staff members uncertain for their personal futures, and should leave the rest of us deeply concerned for the future of public land access as a whole. Simply put, without parks staff, it will quickly become much more difficult to get into the backcountry by any means, on horseback included.
Measures we can take to protect public land access:
The attacks being waged upon our public land can feel overwhelming, but if you benefit from a day on trail, I believe that it is your civic duty to do what you can to protect those who maintain our collective access to wild spaces.
Here are some ways to start:
Start reading & listening: seek out a variety of articles, interviews, and statistics. Becoming aware of what’s happening in local areas & beyond is an excellent first step towards protecting the parks.
Reach out to people who are being affected: if you have connections with people working for the parks, check in and get their perspective.
Sign petitions & contact your elected representatives: this is simpler than it seems! Try checking out the National Parks Conservation Association website for pre-written letters that are quick to sign and 5calls.org to get in touch with your congressperson.
Model good trail stewardship: seeing as parks will be understaffed regardless during peak visiting season in 2025, take extra care to follow Leave No Trace principles & take good care of the trails you visit
Check out volunteer opportunities: look up local preservation organizations and help out with trail maintenance while ALSO advocating for paid federal trail crews
Share your advocacy: chat with fellow horse people and outdoors enthusiasts, share your concerns & what you have learned.
Works cited and resources to explore:
I used a variety of resources to put this information together, including conversations with a close friend currently employed by NPS. If you have additional sources you would like
me to add to this list, please send me an email at rideroutsideinfo@gmail.com
National Parks Conservation Association: NPCA.org
Better Trail: Bettertrail.com
Equine Land Conservation Resource: ELCR.org
Backcountry Horsemen of America: BCHA.org
NPS.gov Hiking & Camping with Horses & Other Stock
