The Quiet Gutting of Yosemite
“Yosemite’s flora and fauna are harbingers of a future that has been slashed, privatized, and finally abandoned,” writes Rachel Dec for The Free Press. (Photo by the author)
Overflowing trash cans, prison-quality food, and stalled conservation projects: America’s most famous national park is crumbling under Trump administration budget cuts.
--:--
--:--
Upgrade to Listen
5 mins
Produced by ElevenLabs using AI narration
1,086
This article was originally published in Dispatch.
You’re stuck in a snaking line of cars in 80-degree heat, tour buses idling behind minivans. The scent of pine still cuts through the fumes. The websites warned of hours-long queues, but miraculously your car’s tires roll past Yosemite’s entrance gate in less than 25 minutes.
“Very quick for a summer Saturday,” a ranger jokes as he hands you a map. “You should have seen it last weekend.”
After a half-hour descent into the valley, you can finally get out. High above, the granite cliffs are so tall they don’t fit in your iPhone’s viewfinder. Among the network of tall pines, you’ve never been so small.
That’s Yosemite for you.
Start Your Free Trial to Unlock This Story
Support our journalism and unlock all of our investigative stories and provocative commentary about the world as it actually is. Get your first 7 days free.
$8.33/month
Billed as $100 yearly
$10/month
Billed as $10 monthly
Already have an account?
Sign In
To read this article, sign in or start your free trial
