Yosemite National Park has posted signs at several entrance stations reading "Station closed. Pay when exiting park," and employees say some booths, including Big Oak Flat and Arch Rock, have been unstaffed for extended periods.
Park staff describe the unmanned gates as a visible symptom of persistent staffing shortages and possible budget cuts, and one employee estimated permanent gate staffing is roughly 50 percent or less of needed levels.
Employees told reporters they have had to "stack schedules so that certain quieter days of the week are unstaffed at certain entrances [and] enough staff is available on weekends and busier days," and other staff said the recent signs are abnormal.
An NPS spokesperson disputed some accounts, saying entrance staffing is being adjusted "based on visitation and operational needs" and that the park "has hired additional staff approved back in December," adding new hires are expected shortly.
The staffing shortfall follows a longer decline in the federal park workforce, with a National Parks Conservation Association report finding a 24 percent loss since President Donald J. Trump took office, and reporting the total reached a 20 year low.
Managers and guides say the shortage is tied to rising operational strains. Elisabeth Barton, co owner of a Yosemite guided tour company, said, "We’re seeing the park really struggling to support the number of visitors that are coming in."
Recreation and Access On Glacier Point Road
Despite operational strains, some of Yosemite’s short hikes remain accessible, and Sentinel Dome is described as one of the park’s easiest summits to reach at 8,100 feet on Glacier Point Road, open from May through November.
The round trip to Sentinel Dome covers 2.2 miles with about 400 feet of elevation gain, and the trail begins with a footbridge through light pine forest and wildflower displays such as lupine, columbine, and red paintbrush.
The final ascent climbs the granite dome to a summit that offers 360 degree views that include Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, and El Capitan, and visitors can see the site of the famed Jeffrey pine from Ansel Adams’ 1940 photograph.
Trail advice in park dispatches recommends sturdy, closed toe shoes, and bringing water and sun protection because of exposed granite and high altitude effects for visitors from lower elevations.
The Sentinel Dome trailhead is reached by taking Wawona Road to Glacier Point Road and driving 13.6 miles to the Sentinel Dome and Taft Point Trailhead, where the Taft Point route splits off about 100 feet from the lot.
Taft Point is another 2.2 mile round trip with roughly 200 feet of elevation change and notable fissures in the granite that are reported to drop about 2,000 feet, and hikers are warned to take care near cliff edges.
