Yosemite Campground Closure Will Disrupt Backpackers — Including JMT and PCT Thru-Hikers

Yosemite National Park has announced the closure of its primary backpackers camp located in Yosemite Valley, effective for the entire 2025 season. This decision, coupled with temporary shutdowns at other campgrounds, significantly impacts individuals with wilderness permits and presents notable challenges for those undertaking long-distance hikes like the John Muir Trail and Pacific Crest Trail.

Impact on Hikers

The park is temporarily moving the Yosemite Valley backpackers camp to a new spot within Camp 4, specifically to sites 1 through 6. However, the new location in Camp 4 will only accommodate about a third of the campers that the original site could host. With Yosemite welcoming around a million overnight campers each year, this significant reduction in capacity is bound to create some challenges and congestion.

This change is particularly significant for those planning to tackle the John Muir Trail. The Yosemite Valley backpackers campground has long served as a crucial starting point, or as a way for NOBO hikers to stay in the park after finishing their journey. With the campground closure and relocation, hopeful thru-hikers will need to put more thought into their logistics to secure a spot for their first or last night on the trail.

Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers, who often use the backpackers campground as an access point to resupply, will also need to be more flexible with their plans, as Camp 4 will be unable to accommodate the same number of campers.

What Caused the Closure

Yosemite National Park did not provide details of the rationale behind the closures, but their website discusses the fact that the park was already operating with a 30% staffing deficit in 2024, prior to even more staffing cuts instigated by DOGE that caused the National Parks Service to lose nearly 1,000 additional employees in early 2025.

Amid this staffing crisis, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has required National Parks to open for their stated hours, further stretching the resources of the park and leading to closures such as these, as the parks do not have the staff available to manage and maintain all amenities. 

These park regulations, including temporary closures, are established to manage resources and visitor impact for the long-term health of the park and the quality of the visitor experience. Choosing to disregard them undermines park authority and resource protection efforts. Following the directives, however inconvenient, directly contributes to the preservation of the park’s natural and infrastructural resources.

Hikers planning trips involving Yosemite in 2025 must consult the park’s official website for detailed closure information and adjust their itineraries, lodging, and resupply plans in advance.