Yosemite begged to make major change as chaos reigns over park

America’s crown jewel of national parks has lost its sparkle.California democratic senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff fired off a scathing letter to the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service this week, warning that the decision to scrap Yosemite National Park‘s reservation system has created pure chaos.The letter comes after the agency eliminated timed-entry reservations for 2026, turning the majestic park into a chaotic zoo of gridlocked traffic, fumes and lawlessness — particularly during the busier summer months.The move followed a directive from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in April 2025 ordering all national parks to “remain open and accessible.” “In peak summer months, visitors are greeted not by the magnificent views of El Capitan, but with miles of gridlocked traffic, honking horns, and the oppressive smell of vehicle exhaust fumes,” reads the letter.The lawmakers argue that Yosemite’s reservation system, which was used during the summers of 2020 through 2022 and again in 2024, successfully spread out crowds while still allowing more than 4.1 million people to visit in 2024, making it the park’s fifth-busiest year on record.But the National Park Service dropped the program earlier this year “without providing any scientific justification or evidence of public stakeholder engagement.” Padilla and Schiff say reality has told a different story.

March visitation surged 45% compared to the month last year, according to the senators.They also cited “bumper-to-bumper traffic around the valley floor, hiking trails backed up with people, and parking lots full in the early mornings causing visitors to illegally park off-road on vegetation and in meadows.” California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

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