Yosemite National Park is experiencing dangerous overcrowding on its popular Mist Trail, with hikers describing the congestion as "insane" and "dangerous AF." Visitors have reported cautiously navigating steep, slick conditions while being passed by other hikers, raising safety concerns.
Claudia Magana, 30, a frequent hiker, described feeling unsafe on the trail this past weekend, noting that "one wrong move and it's easy to just slip." She observed people pushing past slower hikers on the narrow, rocky staircase leading to Vernal Falls, highlighting the proximity of climbers and descending visitors. Magana arrived at the park early Saturday morning, finding parking lots already full by 7 a.m., indicating high visitation.
These crowded conditions follow a February policy change by the Trump administration that removed the need for advance reservations at Yosemite and other national parks. The National Park Service (NPS) stated at the time that they would manage increased attendance with "real-time traffic management measures" and additional staff. However, Yosemite recorded 634,508 visits in June, a near record for the month.
Another visitor, 19-year-old Mobeen Zarekari, captured footage of dozens of tourists on a narrow cliffside trail under a rainbow. Zarekari called the crowd "very shocking" and felt the shoulder-to-shoulder hiking made the trail more dangerous. He expressed a desire for the return of the reservation system, stating that the park was "more peaceful" and "less dangerous" when it was in place.
The increased visitation has coincided with recent safety incidents. Last month, 22-year-old Josue Baires Alfaro died after falling from Nevada Falls on the Mist Trail. The 594-foot waterfall has been the site of previous fatalities, including an 18-year-old tourist in 2018 who fell while taking a selfie and a 19-year-old from Sacramento who died in 2013 after swimming in the waters above the falls. A caution sign at the falls warns, "Stay out of water! Powerful, hidden currents will carry you over the fall. Stay back from the slippery rock at the water’s edge. If you go over the fall, you will die."
Despite these concerns, the NPS reported that the Fourth of July weekend was "one of its smoothest holiday periods in recent memory." Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum praised the elimination of the timed reservation system, attributing the smooth holiday to the change and stating, "the results speak for themselves."