BASE Jumping, Climbing Without Permits Rampant in Yosemite Amid Government Shutdown

October 14, 2025

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. The Inertia