Gun rights supporters have long contended that the federal law banning the carry of firearms in federal facilities is unconstitutional, particularly as it applies to national parks.
Last week, the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Joined by an FPC member, the coalition wants to overturn the ban on weapons at sites managed by the National Park Service.
Visitors to national parks face an unnecessary choice upon entry
The plaintiffs base their case squarely on the Bill of Rights and clear precedent from the high court.
“The Supreme Court has squarely held that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms, and that all responsible, law-abiding Americans are entitled to exercise that right,” the complaint noted. “In Bruen, the Supreme Court held that the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms fully extends to general carry of arms in public.”
It is counterintuitive to disarm the public in outdoor spaces such as national parks. It is hardly unheard of for campers and hikers to face trouble, either from humans or Mother Nature.
The right to keep and bear arms does not end at park gates
SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut observed that the National Park System had over 300 million visitors in 2025. Every one of these travelers faced being disarmed before they could enjoy the facilities.
“This disenfranchisement forces peaceable citizens to choose between following the regulation rules for each park or going unarmed while they gather the proper documentation allowing them to enjoy our National Park System,” Kraut said. “That’s not a choice any law-abiding American should have to make.”
FPC President Brandon Combs ripped the federal law as unconstitutional. “The right to bear arms doesn’t stop at the park gate, and peaceable people can’t be disarmed just because they walk into a visitor center or ranger station.”
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