Technologies

TikTok’s Sexy Affair With National Parks Isn’t Clickbait. It’s a Wake-Up Call

Social media thirst traps are spotlighting a funding crisis for public lands. And millions of people are paying attention.

National parks, gay country music and thirst traps have a lot in common, at least on the internet.

Hundreds of TikTok posts combining sexually explicit audio, comical memes and stunning views of nature have flooded social media feeds. The viral trend coincides with President Donald Trump’s unprecedented funding cuts targeting federal parks, forests, monuments, seashores and trails.

The message of #ParkTok and #MountainTok is G-rated: to conserve and protect public lands. The raunchy content is merely a wrapper to lure followers and get that message in front of as many people as possible.

At first glance, the TikTok fan accounts for Yellowstone and Joshua Tree — among dozens of other national parks, forests and recreation sites — appear to be competing in an unhinged brawl. Some commenters speculate that federal park rangers or marketing strategists have gone rogue to garner outside financial support.

But the unofficial accounts, which are growing in number daily, are run by independent content creators with no affiliation to the government. According to the National Park Service’s Office of Public Affairs, the NPS has no official presence on TikTok, as there are no terms of service between federal agencies and the platform.

«Viral trends focused on national parks can certainly boost park visibility and drive increased interest and awareness,» the National Park Service told CNET in an email. «We appreciate the enthusiasm for our nation’s parks and the creative ways individuals share their experiences online.»

And millions of social media followers say they’re here for it. Promoting the country’s vast landscape and its preservation for future generations could serve as a kind of spiritual uplift in dark times.

Nature is sexy; budget cuts aren’t

Far beyond the racy adult content, there’s a unifying purpose to posting videos of cascading waterfalls, colossal trees, seductive deserts and enchanting wildlife.

Researchers have noted that national parks are key to conserving biodiversity and supporting people’s well-being. And it seems everyone, not just nature nerds, can get behind these public lands: US national parks saw a record number of recreation visits last year, nearly 332 million.

«If you actually love all this stuff, you get attached to that beauty,» said Kim Tanner, the creator of the Joshua Tree fan account. «And then you realize you don’t want that beauty damaged.»

The Trump administration’s 2026 budget plan includes slashing more than $1 billion from the National Park Service. It also threatens to axe a whopping $33 billion from national recreation management programs and conservation and preservation grants. The grants are critical to maintaining 433 individual areas of public lands covering more than 85 million acres, which are managed by the NPS.

The National Parks Conservation Association says the White House’s budget reductions are the largest proposed cuts to the National Park Service in its 109-year history and could «decimate at least 350 National Park sites.» Many have said Trump is laying the groundwork to sell off public lands and turn recreational areas over to state-level management.

According to Kristen Brengel, senior vice president of government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association, the NPS has already lost nearly 2,500 employees, or nearly 13% of its staff, in what she calls a «brain trust exodus» of environmental experts.

«What’s happening right now, in trying to dismantle the National Park Service from the inside out, is more horrific than anything we’ve seen before,» Brengel told me.

Getting wild for the wild

TikTok is controversial, and so is sex. That’s precisely why trends like these have political capital, capable of attracting admirers and haters, and bringing everyone else into the conversation.

«The polarization on social media is reflective of our real-life political polarization,» said CNET social media reporter Katelyn Chedraoui.

The #ParkTok and #MountainTok creators, some of whom are former park employees, are all nature lovers who span the political spectrum. Many of the accounts openly denounce the administration’s threats against the parks and direct viewers to demonstrations or fundraisers, but the trend isn’t overtly partisan or activist-driven.

«Most of their posts work on a subconscious level, prompting viewers to think about the national parks and their own experiences with them,» said Chedraoui. «It’s simple but effective.»

In fact, the TikTok engagement around public lands originated before the budget cuts to the parks. The first three fan accounts — Mount Hood, Mount Rainier and Yellowstone — appeared right after the elections last November. Managed by three friends who are avid outdoor enthusiasts, the accounts put up posts early on that were a mix of comic relief and wilderness awe.

There wasn’t much thirst trap content then. «It was just waterfalls and vistas and sunsets,» said Jaime Wash, the creator behind the Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens fan accounts. Then, two of the creators started trolling each other, and folks loved it.

It was fake beef, but the diss-track template became a winning strategy. By January, the trend started picking up speed, with more fan accounts joining the fray. Over the last several months, the popularity of the posts has seen ebbs and flows — until fairly recently, when all of #MountainTok and #ParkTok blew up for their risqué content.

Private parts in public lands became a magic formula, a kind of viral virility, that the creators knew how to play up.

«Social media users are very used to brands acting unhinged on TikTok,» said Chedraoui.

A bridge over troubled water

Some critics have slammed the parody accounts, accusing creators of trying to monetize a legitimate cause, or claiming that the sexually charged content damages the parks’ reputations.

But according to the creators, who collaborate regularly in a group chat, making money wasn’t, and never will be, their intention. Wash told me that if at any point they do collect a payout for the content, they plan to donate the funds to the parks.

After gaining such a huge following, Wash said, she felt it was her responsibility to get people involved. In April, the Mount Hood fan account brought out followers to Portland’s Hands Off protest.

«We’re building a community to show that things aren’t helpless, that change can happen and we’re there for each other,» Wash said. And besides raising the alarm, the posts add comic relief and entertainment to a daily cycle of doomscrolling and anxiety.

Tanner told me that #ParkTok and #MountainTok can open people’s eyes, showing how fragile nature really is. By highlighting endangered animals and the environmental damage from logging, drilling and mining, the posts can help millions of followers understand what’s really at stake.

The stunning power of social media

Social media acts as a cultural barometer, unveiling public sentiment in real time and broadcasting issues that most resonate. Platforms like TikTok also give grassroots movements a megaphone, allowing everyday people to bypass traditional media filters and speak directly to broad audiences.

«We’ve seen digital action lead to tangible action,» said Sheila Nguyen, associate director of communications and engagement for the National Parks Conservation Association. «The more people who see that social media content, the bigger the pool of people who may speak up and the more collective impact we can have,» Nguyen told CNET in an email.

In fact, social media publicity has been shown to boost national park visitation. A 2024 research study found that positive social media posts that include photos or videos drive the biggest increases in visitation.

«The more people we can get into these parks, the better. That way, they can experience it firsthand, see it, fall in love with it, and then want to protect it,» said Tanner.

The National Parks Conservation Association urges people to sign up for alerts on its advocacy page so they can raise concerns with congressional representatives.

«We feel that Congress is the best option right now to get the administration to back off of these bad proposals,» said the NPCA’s Brengel. «Congress needs to be pushed to stop some of these terrible actions.»

Many TikTok creators I spoke with also said they’re advocating ways to hold elected officials accountable.

«It’s heartbreaking to think the places that I absolutely love may never be the same again,» said Wash, «and I want to do anything to stop that.»

Technologies

First Partner to the Stars: Muon Space Adopts Starlink Lasers for Millisecond Data Transfer

By integrating Starlink’s mini laser technology, Muon Space will eliminate ground station bottlenecks to build a high-speed, real-time network in orbit.

Satellites firing lasers at each other in space sounds like science fiction, but it’s happening right now, as terabytes of data quickly pass across the Starlink network. Muon Space satellites are set to adopt the technology, enabling a near future when they transfer data as easily as we access the internet on the ground.

This week, Muon announced it will incorporate Starlink’s mini laser technology into its upcoming Halo spacecraft, with the first outfitted satellite going up in 2027. Starlink satellites communicate with each other using lasers, creating a mesh network in low-Earth orbit, or LEO. The tech supports 25Gbps connections between satellites at a range of up to 4,000 kilometers. Higher data speeds are available at shorter distances.

Muon Space will be the first company outside of Starlink parent SpaceX to use the mini laser technology on its satellites.

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Satellites typically suffer from bottlenecks like latency when communicating with ground stations, and lag when traveling between them.

«Most of the Earth observation and analytics in space have been constrained at a systems level by this little straw of connectivity, which gets pinched most of the time and only gets connected once in a while,» Muon Space’s president, Gregory Smirin, told CNET.

With the mini laser technology, Muon satellites will join the Starlink network for real-time data access and high-bandwidth streaming. Muon says latency gets reduced to milliseconds. It also noted that data is end-to-end encrypted to maintain the security of customer information.

The Starlink “mini laser” shown in today’s video will connect third party satellites and space stations into the Starlink constellation. The mini laser is designed to achieve link speeds of 25 Gbps at distances up to 4000 km, and was recently successfully tested in orbit on a… pic.twitter.com/8nW37CRp7s

— Michael Nicolls (@michaelnicollsx) August 25, 2025

Normally, this kind of announcement is intended to excite Muon’s existing and potential corporate customers, but the broader implications of the technology will also be felt by everyday people. Smirin equated the adoption of the mini laser technology on satellites to the shift from the days when people connected to the internet using dial-up modems to the always-on access that’s prevalent today.

«Even in 2027, you’re going to start to see the impact of this kind of persistent connectivity on services that will be visible to individuals,» Smirin said. «Space is becoming a ground truth enabler.»

For example, Muon Space is the hardware supplier behind FireSat, the system of satellites developed in conjunction with Google and the Earth Fire Alliance to locate and track wildfires from space. In July, the companies released the first FireSat images from an initial protoflight satellite in orbit for testing.

Smirin explained that reducing latency will help operators track a fire’s direction and progress. He cited this year’s wildfires in Los Angeles, when the winds and smoke prevented aircraft from flying overhead to make accurate observations. With FireSat, you could get that information on an ongoing basis, enabling responders to better establish perimeters for personnel and equipment.

«We’re providing five to ten times the capacity that the rest of the new space industry is providing, so this is a massive step forward,» he said.

Smirin said the company is confident in the technology. After all, these are the same terminals Starlink uses to operate its global mesh network. «It’s operating today for everyone, and it’s reliable, and now it’s about bringing that capacity to organizations outside of Starlink.»

Technologies

Kohler Wants to Put a Tiny Camera in Your Toilet and Analyze the Contents

The company’s new Dekoda toilet accessory is like a little bathroom detective.

Some smart litter boxes can monitor our pets’ habits and health, so having a camera in our human toilet bowls seems inevitable. That’s just what kitchen and bathroom fixture company Kohler has done for its new health and wellness brand, Kohler Health.

The $599 Dekoda clamps over the rim like a toilet bowl cleaner, pointing an optical sensor at your excretions and secretions. It then analyzes the images to detect any blood and reviews your gut health and hydration status. Depending on the plan you choose, the subscription fee is between $70 and $156 per year.

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At toilet time, you sign in via a fingerprint sensor so that the device knows who’s using the facilities. (Please wash your hands before signing out or tracking your progress.) Then, check in with the app for the day’s analysis and trends over time.

Wait until you’re off the pot, though, before you start doomscrolling your health. The device has a removable, rechargeable battery and uses a USB connection.

Kohler says it secures your data via the aforementioned fingerprint scanner and end-to-end encryption, and notes that the camera uses «discreet optics,» looking only at the results, not your body parts.

«Dekoda’s sensors see down into your toilet and nowhere else,» the company says.

Kohler warns that the technology doesn’t work very well with dark toilet colors, which makes sense. I’m sure there could be an upsell model with a light on it. Maybe the company could add an olfactory sensor, since smell reveals a lot about your gut health too. It could track «session» length or buildup under the rim to alert whoever has responsibility to clean it.

Kohler must have been straining to find appropriate lifestyle photos to include with the publicity materials. Many of the images are hilarious, featuring fit-looking men and women drinking water and staring off into space contemplatively — probably thinking about gas.

Technologies

Who’s Up to Fight Mega-Corporations in the Outer Worlds 2 on Xbox Game Pass?

Save the universe by fighting one CEO at a time in The Outer Worlds 2, plus play other great games coming to Xbox Game Pass in October.

Space is the final frontier, and it’s packed with some devious mega-corporations who are out to make a buck in The Outer Worlds 2. Xbox Game Pass subscribers can fight them in the highly anticipated sequel starting on Oct. 29.

Xbox Game Pass offers hundreds of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, smart TV and PC or mobile device, with prices starting at $10 a month. While all Game Pass tiers offer you a library of games, Game Pass Ultimate ($30 a month) gives you access to the most games, as well as Day 1 games, like Hollow Knight: Silksong, added monthly.

Here are all the games subscribers can play on Game Pass soon. You can also check out other games the company added to the service in October, including Ninja Gaiden 4.

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PowerWash Simulator 2

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 23.

If you’ve ever spent hours watching people on YouTube clean dirty rugs, cars and other grimy objects, you should check out PowerWash Simulator 2. As the name suggests, this sequel is all about blasting away dirt and filth from pools, homes and other objects around town. You have a furry kitty companion, and yes, you can pet them when you’ve finished cleaning.

Bounty Star

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 23.

The American Southwest has devolved into a lawless, post-apocalyptic desert called the Red Expanse in this game. You’re out to clean the place up in this game by taking down major bounties issued by the government, and the best way to do that is by piloting and customizing a giant mech, of course. When you want to nurse your wounds, head back to your run-down garage to rest, grow and cook food and raise animals. It’s like a cozy Armored Core game.

Super Fantasy Kingdom (game preview)

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 24.

After returning from a hunting trip, you find your 8-bit kingdom wrecked in this game. You must rebuild your domain in this roguelite, city builder. But as night falls, hordes of monsters emerge to tear everything back down. Build, mine, cook and grow your home, and prepare to defend it from all dangers.

Halls of Torment

Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 28.

Get ready to descend into the deadly Halls of Torment in this retro, horde survival game. You can choose between 11 playable characters, each with their own playstyle, and equip various items and abilities to survive waves of enemies. This game is like Vampire Survivors, so if you like that game give this one a shot.

The Outer Worlds 2

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 29.

Clear your calendar for this sequel to the award-winning sci-fi adventure, The Outer Worlds. This time, you’re an Earth Directorate agent investigating the cause of devastating rifts that could destroy humanity. You have a new ship, new crew, new enemies and mega-corporation goons standing between you and the answers.

1000xResist

Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Nov. 4.

One thousand years in the future, humanity is hanging on by a thread after a disease spread by alien occupation forces people to live underground in this sci-fi adventure game. You play as Watcher, and you fulfill your duties well, until one day you make a shocking discovery. This game won a Peabody Award in 2024, and it was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Game Writing that same year, so get ready for a story like no other.

Football Manager 26

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 29.

Get ready for a more immersive matchday experience in the latest installment of the Football Manager franchise. You can build a star-studded squad with new transfer tools, and this entry features official Premier League licenses and women’s football for the first time in the series’ history.

Game Pass subscribers can play the standard or Console edition of this game.

Games leaving Game Pass on Oct. 31

While Microsoft is adding those games to Game Pass, it’s also removing three others from the service on Oct. 31. So you still have some time to finish your campaign and any side quests before you have to buy these games separately.

Jusant
Metal Slug Tactics
Return to Monkey Island

For more on Xbox, discover other games available on Game Pass now and check out our hands-on review of the gaming service. You can also learn about recent changes to the Game Pass service.