The Chisos Mountains Lodge—the only hotel inside Big Bend National Park—has closed “until further notice” after pumps that supply water to the Chisos Basin failed in late December. Park officials have said there is currently no timeline for restoration, and water use across the basin has been severely restricted.

This closure is more than a temporary inconvenience. It is a warning.

Big Bend National Park is one of America’s most treasured landscapes, drawing visitors from around the world to its mountains, desert, and night skies. But right now, the park’s most basic resource—water—is failing. Restrooms and water spigots in the Chisos Basin are closed. Visitors are being told to bring their own water. Fire restrictions are in place. And officials have warned that if water levels drop too low to support firefighting, parts of the basin may have to close entirely.

This isn’t about mismanagement by frontline staff. Park officials have been clear: much of the water infrastructure in the Chisos Basin dates back to the 1950s and has far exceeded its useful life. These systems were never designed to withstand decades of strain, drought, and rising visitation. The result is exactly what we’re seeing now—emergency shutdowns and uncertainty, with no clear end in sight.

Big Bend should not be allowed to slide toward prolonged closures because of aging pipes and delayed repairs. Protecting our national parks means maintaining the infrastructure that keeps them safe, accessible, and resilient—especially in an increasingly arid Southwest.

We are calling on the National Park Service, the Secretary of the Interior, and members of Congress responsible for public lands and infrastructure funding to prioritize urgent repairs and fully fund water system upgrades at Big Bend National Park. Planned projects under the Great American Outdoors Act must move forward without delay, and emergency resources should be made available now to prevent further closures.

America’s national parks belong to all of us. Letting one of them falter because of preventable water failures puts visitors, wildlife, and surrounding communities at risk.

Sign this petition to urge immediate action to fix Big Bend’s water system—before temporary closures become the new normal.