The shutdown of the federal government in the United States has led to a string of activities at Yosemite National Park, including illegal BASE jumping, campers squatting at camp sites, and people hiking Half Dome without a permit, according to multiple reports and footage shared to social media.
The current shutdown began on October 1, 2025, as Republican and Democratic leadership have failed to settle budget disputes. Each side of the aisle has spent the past two weeks pointing fingers for the shutdown, and in the meantime, many government services have been suspended until a settlement is reached. Around 40 percent of the government’s workforce — nearly three-quarters of a million federal employees — are currently on unpaid leave. This includes National Parks Service staff (NPS) at places like Yosemite, where there’s either no enforcement capabilities or there’s very limited enforcement of regular operations.
In an interview with Newsweek, a director at the Association of National Parks Rangers said, “It appears that the base jumpers and squatters are taking advantage of the significantly reduced NPS staff during the shutdown. These are exactly the kinds of things that we knew were likely to happen if the recommendations of our several organizations to close the parks during the shutdown was ignored. I guess we can say, ‘We told you so.'”
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“BASE jumping is illegal in all national parks, including Yosemite, due to the significant safety risks it poses to participants, the public, and first responders,” the National Park Service’s Office of Public Affairs told Newsweek once footage of jumpers began making rounds on the internet.
A separate report from SFGATE referred to what’s going on at Yosemite as “the Wild Wild West.” The report says that one park employee, who spoke to SFGATE on a condition of anonymity to protect their job, said there is only one wilderness ranger they know of working the park right now. That person, they told them, is a volunteer.
Meanwhile, hikers have been recorded hitting Half Dome in waves as there is no permit system in place. The permit system at Half Dome was put in place to protect and preserve the wilderness as well as reduce crowding along the trail — a significant safety measure.
“Sadly, this gives hikers a bad name and frustrates the ones who do go through the proper channels and wait for a permit or who choose to follow the rules and do not hike at all,” said one climber. “As a health care worker, it makes me sad that those who break the rules do not consider the potential danger you put others in who may need to rescue you or recover your body.”
