Great American Outdoors Act National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund Newsroom

Tuolumne Meadows Campground, originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and expanded in the 1960s, is a high-elevation gem located at 8,600 feet along the Tioga Road. For years, the campground faced long-standing maintenance needs, including aging infrastructure, damaged facilities, and challenges meeting modern accessibility standards. This GAOA-funded rehabilitation specifically addresses more than $11 million in deferred maintenance.

The Wild Rivers Backcountry Byway is a closed-loop, double-lane road which provides visitors to the area with scenic views and easy access to recreation areas, trails and recreational facilities. Originally constructed in the 1960s, and with more than 10,500 annual visitors, the byway was last repaved more than 20 years ago, although the most recent repair project took place in 2022. As a result of its popularity, some sections of the pavement are riddled with chips and cracks. Using funding from the Great American Outdoors Act, the Bureau of Land Management Taos Field Office will be repairing a 3.24-mile section of the road, which will extend the life of the byway, while also increasing safety for visitors and their vehicles.

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve recently completed a $19 million construction contract funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund. The project, a critical part of addressing deferred park maintenance and repair needs, dramatically improved the housing options for the concession employees who support visitor services in Bartlett Cove, including lodging and day tour operations. Old, substandard dormitory structures used by lodge employees since 1978 have been replaced with a housing facility compliant with modern building safety, fire, and accessibility codes.

Great Basin National Park recently celebrated a milestone with the completion of a $5.5 million rehabilitation of the park’s aging water distribution and wastewater collection systems. The long-awaited project was made possible by funding from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund.

Thanks to the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund, the Bureau of Indian Education has made significant progress over the past five years in modernizing school campuses and creating safe, sustainable learning environments for students and staff. These investments have enabled BIE to address longstanding infrastructure needs across multiple Tribal communities, supporting the agency’s mission while restoring the physical foundation of BIE’s education system. 

In celebration of the fifth anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), all National Park Service (NPS) entrance fees will be waved on Monday, August 4. GAOA’s National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) is making a significant impact by funding $6.65 billion in critical maintenance and repair needs in national parks across the country.

As the 5th anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act approaches, residents and staff at Death Valley National Park are thrilled about an upcoming major overhaul of the park’s largest water and wastewater systems. To celebrate the Act’s anniversary, all National Park Service sites will offer free park entrance on Monday, August 4.

Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area will be observing the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Great American Outdoors Act on Monday, August 4, 2025, with 50 percent off backcountry camping permit fees.

On Aug. 4, 2020, President Donald J. Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) into law, marking a historic moment for outdoor recreation and conservation in the United States. In the five years since its passage, this landmark legislation has provided significant resources for federal land management agencies – including the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Education, and U.S. Forest Service – to improve public lands and waters for the benefit of visitors and local communities nationwide.

Monday, Aug. 4, marks five years since President Donald J. Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act into law, establishing a generational investment in America’s public lands. This landmark bipartisan legislation funds repairs to critical infrastructure and improves access to national parks, wildlife refuges, recreation areas, and Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools.