Pros
Working on the front line with any National Park Service location is a privilege beyond belief. If you consider yourself a people person, this is where you need to be. Being able to research and study familiar and new information in depth opens your horizons. When you are trained CORRECTLY in interpretation, you are able to bring deliverables to other facets of your personal life and, if you decide to leave the NPS, to new work environments. You are placed in a situation, when trained CORRECTLY, to see issues from all sides of the spectrum. The uniform. Although it can be itchy, scratchy, and made from cheap materials usually, it's a humbling experience to know that you represent nearly a century of amazing heritage.
Cons
Pay restrictions. Unfortunately, Congress CLAIMS to be thankful for the work that is done, but NPS is ALWAYS the first organization that gets ridiculous cuts when budgets become divisive national topics. You can't pay for college loans and food off of $25K a year. Benefits are not as great as people assume. Government benefits are just enough. I didn't understand just how bad they were until I left and moved to higher education. Not saying everything in higher ed is the greatest thing ever, but the benefits far outweigh the government if you are in a position lower than a GS-10. A lot of hoops to go through for more than qualified civilians. At times, the hiring practices seem incestuous and geared towards vets. Many vets enjoy what they do, but others see it not as a great interacting opportunity, but as a permanent stepping stone to get to another agency or just work for the government. Not many opportunities to move forward in the agency or transfer to other areas as a permanent.