Squatters have reportedly moved into Yosemite National Park’s campgrounds and others have been engaging in illegal behaviours — including base jumping from El Capitan, a vertical rock formation — without permits as the U.S. government shutdown continues.
Videos shared online by Charles Winstead show people base jumping, which involves jumping from objects with a parachute.
“Base jumpers coming off El Cap in the middle of the day. Must be taking advantage of the government shut down to get away with it,” Winstead captioned one video shared on Instagram.
“More base jumpers! Definitely feeling some freedom to flout the rules due to the shut down. Second group today,” he captioned another video.
Base jumping is not allowed at Yosemite National Park but officials say the activity is not uncommon.
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“BASE jumping is illegal in all national parks, including Yosemite,” a spokesperson for the park service’s Office of Public Affairs told Outside, adding that there are “significant safety risks it poses to participants, the public, and first responders.”
The spokesperson also said the National Park Service (NPS) is “aware of reports of BASE jumping in Yosemite and investigates all reports.”
In 2024, the National Park Service noted that, “Although generally prohibited by NPS regulations, BASE jumping may be allowed by permit, but only after it is determined to be an appropriate activity through a park planning process.”
A park employee also claimed that there are “lots of squatters in the campgrounds” at Yosemite National Park.
“There are lots of people that truly believe they can do whatever they want because of the lack of rangers. They’ve told us,” the park employee told SFGATE.
The employee, who spoke to the outlet on the condition of anonymity to protect their job, also revealed that there is only “one wilderness ranger working the entire park.” And, technically, that person is a volunteer and not a ranger, the employee added.
The Department of the Interior, which oversees the NPS, told Fox News Digital that the employee’s claims are “inaccurate.”
“The National Park Service can confirm that the park remains appropriately staffed to ensure visitor safety and resource protection during the lapse in appropriations,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “Law enforcement rangers and campground personnel continue to monitor visitor use, respond to incidents, and enforce park regulations.”
The department added that “reports suggesting that campgrounds are unmonitored or that widespread squatting is occurring are inaccurate.”
“Suggesting there is only one ranger is ludicrous,” the official added. “While we have sighted several individuals for camping in non-designated sites, it has been adequately addressed and those camp sites have been removed.”
The department added that the NPS will “continue to keep parks as accessible as possible during the lapse in appropriations.”
“Critical functions that protect life, property and public health will remain in place,” the statement continued. “Law enforcement officers remain on duty and will respond to violations, trespassing or resource damage.”
A U.S. government shutdown contingency plan released by the park service on Sept. 31 said “park roads, lookouts, trails, and open-air memorials will generally remain accessible to visitors.” However, parks without “accessible areas” will be closed, and sites currently open could close if damage is done to park resources or garbage is building up, the plan said.
On Monday, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson predicted the U.S. government shutdown may become the longest in history, saying he “won’t negotiate” with Democrats until they hit pause on their health-care demands and reopen.
With no endgame in sight, the shutdown is expected to roll on for the foreseeable future, according to The Associated Press. The closure has halted routine government operations, shuttered Smithsonian museums and other landmark cultural institutions and left airports scrambling with flight disruptions.
At its core, the shutdown is a debate over health-care policy — particularly the Affordable Care Act subsidies that are expiring for millions of Americans who rely on government aid to purchase their own health insurance policies on the Obamacare exchanges, The Associated Press reports. Democrats demand that the subsidies be extended, but Republicans argue the issue can be dealt with later.
— With files from The Associated Press
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