The Brief

After several months of uncertainty and delays, Yosemite National Park has announced it will begin accepting reservations for summer camping in several of the park’s most popular campgrounds starting Monday.

The campgrounds, which include the Upper Pines, Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow sites, will begin accepting camping reservations on Recreation.gov on Monday, March 24, for stays June 15–July 14, and on Monday, March 31, for stays July 15–Aug. 14. Reservations will be released at 7 a.m. PDT.

Several other Yosemite campgrounds, including Lower Pines and North Pines, will remain closed until further notice, with no advance reservations possible at the moment.

Camping reservations for Yosemite tend to sell out within minutes, so campers hoping to snag a spot are encouraged to act quickly when reservations are released.

Why were Yosemite reservations delayed this year?

On Feb. 14, President Donald Trump’s administration fired over a thousand National Park Service staff nationwide as part of a broader plan to cut federal spending.

The firings, including those at Yosemite, affected biologists, rangers, search and rescue personnel, custodians, locksmiths and wildlife specialists who had not completed their probationary periods, raising concerns about park maintenance and visitor safety. The NPS was also forced to temporarily freeze hiring for crucial seasonal workers.

A view of a welcome sign as hundreds of tourists and photographers flock in Yosemite National Park, California, United States on Feb. 19, 2025.

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Tayfun Coskun

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That same day, Yosemite officials announced on social media that summer camping reservations for the park would be delayed. While the announcement did not attribute the delay directly to the layoffs, it noted, “We understand the impact this has on visitors who are planning camping trips to the park.” In addition, Yosemite’s 2025 separate day-use entry reservation system, intended to limit traffic in the park at peak times, was already delayed by the time layoffs hit. (Jump straight to more on the delay on day-use reservations.)

On March 20, the National Parks Conservation Association announced that NPS was authorized to reinstate all probationary park staff who were fired in February. In a statement, a Yosemite National Parks spokesperson said all reinstated employees would receive back pay and “individual notifications are underway, and while the process takes time, affected employees can expect to receive notification soon, if they have not already.”

Many national park workers, however, say they remain anxious about the longer-term future of their jobs, and Yosemite National Park did not comment on how the reinstatements might affect the park’s plan for limited campground reservations this summer.

Mark Rose, NPCA’s Sierra Nevada and Clean Air Program Manager, attributed Yosemite’s decision not to open reservations for all its campgrounds, in part, to the post-firing shortage of park staff, as well the park’s forced delay in hiring seasonal workers.

“Even with the new reservations finally going online for some campgrounds, Yosemite is still holding back over 250 sites from reservations,” Rose told KQED by email. Rose supports NPCA’s conservation efforts in Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, as well as in the surrounding Central Valley and Sierra Foothill communities.

Yosemite officials say the park may release further sites if operational capacity allows and will “provide at least seven days advance notice via the park’s website and social media if additional reservations are released.” The new reservations, once released, will not impact any reservations made beforehand.

NPS reported a record 331.9 million visits to its lands nationwide in 2024, with Yosemite accounting for over 4% of all visits to national parks that same year.

Tourists visiting Yosemite National Park on Aug. 3, 2022.

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Michael Ho Wai Lee

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What to expect at Yosemite when visiting this summer

Reservations will be released at Recreation.gov for Yosemite campgrounds, including the Upper Pines, Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow sites on:

• 7 a.m. PDT on March 24 for stays June 15–July 14.
• 7 a.m. PDT on March 31 for stays July 15–Aug. 14.

For the latest updates, be sure to check the official Yosemite National Park website or follow the park on social media.

Rose warned that visitors and campers should prepare for a potentially different Yosemite experience this summer as a result of the federal personnel cuts, which have reduced staffing across various departments.

One major impact could be increased traffic in Yosemite, Rose said. With reduced staffing and no reservation system to manage the number of vehicles entering the park, Rose said visitors should expect traffic jams, not just when traveling into the park but also around it.

“Popular destinations like Eastern Yosemite Valley may start turning vehicles around early in the morning on numerous days throughout the summer when parking lots fill up,” Rose said. “While these impacts have been seen in past years when day-use reservations were not in place, with less staff, we can expect overcrowding to be even more severe.”

A line of cars creeps slowly from Fish Camp toward the western Highway 41 entrance of Yosemite National Park as viewed on June 18, 2024, just outside Yosemite National Park.

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George Rose

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Some of the other impacts visitors should anticipate:

• Limited campground services: Expect fewer rangers available for assistance and possible delays in maintenance.
• Longer lines: There may be longer lines at park entrances and visitor centers due to fewer staff managing traffic and services.
• Reduced ranger programs: Some programs, such as ranger-led talks and guided hikes, may be scaled back.

Park officials encourage visitors to be patient and plan ahead, as the reduced workforce could impact everything from check-in times to restroom maintenance at campgrounds.

Jonathan Farrington, executive director of the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau, remained optimistic about the upcoming visitor season despite recent staffing reductions at Yosemite National Park. He also pushed back against advocates and media speculation that essential services would be severely disrupted.

“There are actually more employees in Yosemite who don’t work for the government than do,” Farrington said, highlighting that hotels, restaurants, shuttle services and retail shops operate under private concessions unaffected by federal staffing changes.

Camas and western bistort bloom in Crane Flat, one of Yosemite National Park’s 3,000 meadows.

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Day-use reservations still in limbo

Separately from campground reservations, Yosemite officials had intended to implement a permanent policy this year requiring all visitors without camping or lodging reservations to make a separate day-use reservation before driving into the park. The measure was designed to help manage high visitor volume, especially during peak season.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the day-use reservation system, which was first tried in 2020 and was scheduled to become permanent this year, was placed on hold amid uncertainty about its approval by the Trump administration. The park still has not announced further plans for day-use reservations, saying only that officials “[anticipate] sharing details about this year’s reservation system in the near future.”

Farrington said that since a permanent system has never existed, it’s hard to tell if implementing it now would help with overcrowding in the summer.

“If a reservation system was implemented tomorrow, the confusion that it would create at the entrance stations would be debilitating,” he said. “More than half of the reservations in hotels for people that are coming, especially internationally, to Yosemite this summer are already made.”

Rose noted that last year, over 700 vehicles — about 2,000 visitors — a day arrived unaware of the reservation requirement. “That created two-hour backups and a lot of disappointed visitors,” he said.

El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.

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Can’t get a Yosemite campground reservation? You still have alternatives

For those who miss out on a campground reservation due to this year’s reduced inventory and Yosemite’s overall popularity, there are still other options to stay inside or near the park:

Inside the park:

• Yosemite’s first-come, first-served campgrounds: for example Camp 4, a popular walk-in campground, may have limited availability.
• Lodging in Yosemite: The Ahwahnee, Yosemite Valley Lodge and Curry Village provide hotel and cabin options within the park, albeit at a premium.

Outside the park:

• Private campgrounds and RV parks: Spots like Yosemite Pines RV Resort, High Sierra RV Park and other private campgrounds near Groveland, Mariposa and El Portal offer alternatives.
• National Forest Land: Nearby areas in Stanislaus, Sierra and Inyo National Forests offer dispersed camping, which can be a good alternative for those comfortable with camping without basic amenities like toilets and potable water.

Farrington urged visitors to plan ahead and to arrive early or late to avoid peak congestion around popular scenic viewpoints between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. He said visitors could also consider biking through Yosemite Valley rather than driving.

“Sunrise is the best time to visit Tunnel View,” he advised. “And renting a bike is one of the best ways to explore the park at your own pace.”

Many of the bear-proofing designs you see in parks with bears were invented in Yosemite.

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Useful reminders for visiting Yosemite in 2025

Here’s a list of essential tips if you’re hoping to visit Yosemite this summer:

Book early and check for cancellations
If reservations are full, check Recreation.gov frequently for cancellations, as spots may open up unexpectedly.
Prepare for self-sufficiency 
With reduced staffing, expect to handle basic campsite upkeep and pack out all trash. Bring extra supplies, including toilet paper, trash bags and hand sanitizer.
Arrive early 
Due to staffing cuts, campgrounds and entrances may be more congested than usual. Arriving early in the day can help avoid long waits.
Follow fire safety rules
Summer wildfires are a growing concern and fire restrictions may be in place. Check for updates before lighting campfires.
Respect wildlife 
With fewer rangers patrolling the park, bear activity could increase. Always store food in bear-proof containers and never leave food unattended.
Plan for limited cell service
Yosemite’s remote areas have little to no phone reception. Download maps, bring a GPS and let someone know your itinerary before heading into the backcountry.

KQED’s Carly Severn contributed to this story.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman is blaming Boeing and his own agency for botching a test flight of the Starliner spacecraft, designed to take astronauts to and from the International Space Station.

A 311-page report details the issues that led to the failure of Starliner's first crewed test flight, which in June 2024 launched NASA astronauts Butch Willmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral Space Force station in Florida.

The duo's launch was initially a success — but as their Starliner spacecraft approached the station, multiple thrusters failed, hampering the crew's ability to steer toward the station and dock.

After months of deliberation, NASA and Boeing made the decision to send Starliner back to Earth without Wilmore and Williams on board. Instead, the astronauts remained on the space station and returned home nine months later — in SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule.

In a news conference Thursday, Isaacman said the report classified the failure as a Type A Mishap — the highest classification for a mission failure. The Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia accidents, along with the Apollo 1 fire, were also classified as a Type A Mishap. While those accidents resulted in the deaths of crewmembers, the Starliner mission was "ultimately successful in preserving crew safety," according to the report.

The report identifies the thrusters as a key technical issue leading to the failure, although an investigation is still ongoing and a root cause has not yet been found.

"Starliner has design and engineering deficiencies that must be corrected," said Isaacman. "But the most troubling failure revealed by this investigation is not hardware. It's decision making and leadership that, if left unchecked, could create a culture incompatible with human spaceflight."

He said those organizational and leadership problems were seen at both Boeing and NASA, Isaacman's own agency.

The report identified an erosion of trust between the two organizations and leadership that was "overly risk-tolerant."

Isaacman said that the more than 30 launch attempts for this mission led to "cumulative schedule pressure and decision fatigue." When discussing whether to return Wilmore and Williams in Starliner, Isaacman said the "disagreements over crew return options deteriorated into unprofessional conduct while the crew remained on orbit."

Isaacman said there would be "leadership accountability," but didn't offer any details.

"These are very complex programs, and complex programs like this fail in complex ways," said Don Platt, department head of aerospace engineering, physics and space science at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida. "Those organizational issues are oftentimes, maybe even more important than the technical problems that they're facing."

Such a public scolding of NASA and one of its contractors by its own leader is uncommon, says Platt, who worked on the construction of the space station.

"I think it's really setting the stage for sort of the new way that NASA plans to do business here in his administration," says Platt.

He says that could mean greater transparency and oversight over NASA's contractors

Despite NASA's plans to decommission the space station by the end of the decade, Isaacman says he is still committed to flying Starliner. That would leave NASA with two options, Boeing and SpaceX, to fly astronauts to the station — something SpaceX already does with regularity.

The report offered 61 formal recommendations ahead of the next crewed Starliner mission.

"We're grateful to NASA for its thorough investigation and the opportunity to contribute to it," Boeing said in an emailed statement. "We're working closely with NASA to ensure readiness for future Starliner missions and remain committed to NASA's vision for two commercial crew providers."

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The Long Beach Unified Board of Trustees on Wednesday authorized the school district to end the employment of close to 600 employees, a move the LBUSD says is necessary to stabilize its ballooning deficit.

Board members approved two separate resolutions, the first of which does not renew the contracts of 515 certificated employees, who are on temporary contracts that must be re-upped annually. Though it is common for the district to choose not to renew some temporary contracts, the non-renewal of hundreds of TK-12 teachers, early childhood education teachers and social workers represents a massive change for the next school year from the current workforce of 10,000 total employees. While schools across the district will feel the cuts, Poly and Jordan high schools may be especially hard hit; 14 and 12 teachers at each site are listed on the district’s document of non-renewals.

The second resolution authorized the district to formally lay off 54 classified district positions: non-teaching staff members ranging from office support staff to instructional and recreation aides to library media assistants to parent liaisons.

The board votes come after months of warnings from the district that costs and spending have outpaced the district’s funding, saddling LBUSD with a $70 million deficit. The district is now attempting to shrink that deficit through a fiscal stabilization plan that “has prioritized preserving core instructional, wellness, and student support services,” the district wrote in an agenda item related to the cuts.

Prior to the vote, Superintendent Jill Baker framed the proposed cuts with the historical context of significant enrollment declines, the expiration of funds following the Great Recession and COVID-19 pandemic that had allowed the district to develop a healthy reserve, uncertain federal and state dollars and low attendance numbers, for which the district is penalized — “a really grave situation, fiscally,” she said, one that many districts across California are grappling with.

Baker walked board members through the significant efforts the district has made to manage costs, saving more than $47 million, including through significant central office reductions. Despite these efforts, it’s still not enough, Baker said.

“The release of temporary certificated contracts is one way of reducing the number of employees without impacting permanent certificated employees,” the district wrote in the agenda item.

For those 515 certificated employees who will be notified that their contracts will end, it’s a way that “the district can get away with letting teachers go without calling it a layoff,” said Peder Larsen, vice president of the Teachers Association of Long Beach, which represents certificated employees in LBUSD.

Some of them could be rehired, especially if their positions are in high demand, like science, math and special education teachers, Larsen said. Yet, it throws hundreds into a tailspin of uncertainty and fear, unsure if their jobs have definitively ended and how long they will have health coverage, he added.

While he said the district has not officially announced that no permanent certificated employees will be cut (they have until March 15 to do so), he said he is “reading the tea leaves” and predicting those permanent positions will be safe this year.

In his comment to the board during public testimony, Larsen advocated for examining the money spent annually on consultants and contracts and urged the board and district to re-examine their priorities and “choose to protect the people who serve students every single day.”

On both votes, School Board Member Maria Isabel López was the lone vote against the resolutions, voicing her opinion that some of these positions could have been saved if fiscal priorities had been different and major contracts had not been approved.

Other board members acknowledged that the votes will change lives. “There’s not one of us in this room that takes this lightly,” said Board President Diana Craighead before voting in favor of the cuts. Board Member Doug Otto said he was voting to adopt the resolutions “sadly, reluctantly and necessarily.”