Yosemite reservation delays come amid Trump's firing of 1,000 park workers

YOSEMITE, Calif. - Yosemite National Park has announced it is delaying reservation bookings at popular camping sites amid uncertainty and widespread firings of federal positions.

What we know:

On Friday, the park announced the delay would affect reservations from June 15 to July 14, which hits during the busy summer tourist season.

The camping rights would be held at five campgrounds: Upper Pines, Lower Pines, North Pines, Wawona, and Hodgdon Meadow.

What we don't know:

Yosemite did not provide the reason for the delays, but they came as the Trump administration moved to fire about 1,000 newly hired National Park Service (NPS) employees.

The fired positions involve park cleaning and maintenance, visitor education and other duties targeted by the administration in its broad and sweeping declaration to downsize government.

That initiative has been headed by Tesla's Elon Musk and the newly formed outside government agency, the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE, which has made the controversial and legally challenged move to eliminate thousands of federal jobs.

The Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau's CEO and executive director, Jonathan Farrington, said that he didn't believe the delay to reservations was linked to the firings. 

"There is a lot of conjecture but few facts so far on any of the employment issues or impacts to services," Farrington said.

Olek Chmura, who was hired as a custodian with the NPS in Yosemite last year, said he was among those fired last week. 

MORE: Fired National Park Service employees make plans for class-action lawsuit

What they're saying:

"The last five days have been absolutely insane," Chmura told KTVU. "I’ve never cried more in my entire life. I felt like my world was swept out from under my feet. Just feeling really hopeless and gutted."

Chumera said he’s worried that the firings will result in a shortage of critical staffing and would pose a threat to safety at national parks.  

"Yosemite is a gigantic wilderness, and if you get hurt out there—I’m not trying to fearmonger—but the reality is you might have to depend on volunteers to come and get you, if they are available," Chmura said.  

A group of the fired workers are now planning to file class action lawsuits. 

A tourist haven

Staffing concerns grow especially during the park's peak visiting periods. 

Right now is a popular time for Yosemite as hundreds of visitors come, hoping to get a glimpse of the epic phenomemon known as Yosemite Firefall.  

YOSEMITE, CA - FEBRUARY 24: General views of the Yosemite Firefall natural phenomenon at Horsetail Fall ending in a pinkish hue on February 24, 2021 in Yosemite, California. (Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

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Photographers, both professional and amateur, station themselves near the park's Horsetail Fall in hopes of capturing that magical moment right before sunset when the sunlight hits the waterfall at the perfect angle, giving the illusion of a fiery molten orange cascade flowing down.

"Horsetail Fall can glow orange when it's backlit by sunset, which can make it appear to be on fire. This unique lighting effect happens only on evenings with a clear sky when the waterfall is flowing and when the sun is at the right angle in mid– to late February," the park said.

Officials warned visitors the event's popularity prompted restrictions.

"This event attracts many visitors to a small area, causing traffic congestion, parking issues, safety concerns, and impacts to natural and cultural resources," the park said. 

Reservation requirements have been set for three periods in February when viewing is expected to be optimal, including Feb. 22 and 23. 

This story was reported from Oakland, Calif.