Shutdown Makes Iconic Yosemite Spot Prone to Reckless Activities — Officials Have to Stay Vigilant

Yosemite National Park is quite a tourist attraction, known for its serene beauty, deep valleys, and waterfalls. But the park is again gaining traction for a whole different reason: illegal BASE jumping. The sport has been banned at national parks for the risk it poses. What gave the visitors the confidence to break the law was the lack of staff amid the ongoing 2025 federal government shutdown. According to CBS News, a large number of adventure-seekers have been visiting the park for BASE jumping since the shutdown. The employees looking after the public property have been furloughed, leaving enforcement compromised.

BASE stands for Buildings, Antennas, Spans (bridges), and Earth, and BASE jumping refers to jumping off high-altitude or tall structures. Because of the loose security, thrill-seekers have begun jumping off high cliffs at the Yosemite National Park, including the iconic El Capitan. "Car camping, BASE jumping, drone activities, from what I hear, people are hiking half domes without permits," Charles Winstead, a rock climber, told the outlet. "We started seeing people BASE jumping at not the typical crack of dawn, do it quick and run away, but in the middle of the day and walking off without any concerns," he added.

Rock climbers are worried about the drones and BASE jumpers above them. "I have definitely been climbing and had BASE jumpers fly past me," said Robbie Brown, another rock climber. "It's scary. It's like really loud, incredibly loud," he added. Brown also witnessed emergency services arriving to rescue somebody who got hurt, calling it "fairly regular." Since nobody is manning the gates, people have started to arrive at the national park in large numbers at any given time because the entry is free. "The employees that they need to run this, they have all been sent away," said Tom Evans, a veteran rock climbing photographer.

The park authorities have informed CBS News that there are rangers located around the park, but their main purpose is patrolling and keeping an eye out for the public's safety and protecting the environment, not manning the gate. According to the Grand Pinnacle Tribune, the National Park Service announced the conviction of three illegal BASE jumpers between the years 2020 and 2024. This highlights the long-time struggle of park rangers and authorities in preventing thrill-seekers from indulging in extremely risky sports. “We do not tolerate illegal activity in Yosemite National Park,” Superintendent Raymond McPadden said in an announcement.

“These convictions demonstrate the professionalism and dedication of Yosemite’s protection team in upholding federal regulations and ensuring the safety of both visitors and first responders," McPadden added. However, the situation at present has become quite concerning. Jumpers have become bold, not fearing the authorities, given the lack of on-ground security. The high frequency of BASE jumpers has emphasized the concern that keeping the National Parks open to the public amid a federal shutdown can be "dangerous and reckless."

McPadden has acknowledged the crisis, but he assured that the authorities will bring things back to normal. “Despite staffing challenges, Yosemite’s law enforcement presence is steady. Our rangers remain vigilant 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” he said, as per the outlet. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum also shared a series of social media posts sharing positive news about the activities in Yosemite. "Unauthorized camping, squatting, and illegal activities like BASE jumping are being addressed with firm, appropriate law enforcement action," he said.