America’s National Parks Are Being Airbnb’d
How Private Interests Are Quietly Rewriting the Rules of America’s Public Lands
You show up early. You paid the fee. You waited your turn.
And then you watch someone else stroll right in - better view, better access, better perks. Not because they care more, or planned better. Just because they paid more.
That’s not a boarding gate. That’s a national park.
The velvet rope has arrived at the park gate, the campground, and the visitor center.
What was once a shared public experience is being remodeled for the premium customer.
What used to be shared wild spaces are now increasingly structured like loyalty programs: early access for the well-connected, upgraded amenities for those willing to pay, and a quietly degraded experience for everyone else.
We haven’t lost our parks - not yet. But we are losing control over them. And that loss doesn’t come with a loud announcement or a dramatic sale. It comes through long-term leases, opaque partnerships, and slow, silent shifts in who gets to decide how these places are run.
The trails are still there. The trees still grow. But th…