'It's reckless'

Yosemite creaks under weight of US shutdown

- Gabrielle Canon

Visitors have been surging into Yosemite’s vast wilderness to enjoy the crisp autumn weather, undeterred by the lack of services and absence of rangers.

National parks have largely been kept open through a US federal government shutdown that has left workers furloughed and resources more scarce than usual. But as the funding crisis enters its third week - and legislators warn it could beat the record 35-day halt in Donald Trump's first term - concerns are mounting over how the nation's treasured public lands will fare.

Even with winter weather setting in, cars and RVs continued to pour into Yosemite over the weekend, filling campgrounds and car parks. Already, there have been reports of illegal activity. Visitors have been spotted Base jumping off granite peaks, swimming in prohibited reservoirs, camping and parking in unauthorised areas and climbing Half Dome’s cable lines without permits.

One of the few park employees seen on duty over the holiday weekend, who spoke under the condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to comment publicly, said it had been chaotic. “Then again, when is it not?” he added sardonically.