Lawless Skies Over Yosemite
Yosemite skies fill with drones as the shutdown leaves rules unenforced
When a government shutdown closes offices and furloughs rangers, the silence that follows often echoes deeper than politics. At Yosemite National Park, that silence has become a siren’s call for rule-breakers.
Over the past several weeks, visitors and guides have reported a sharp rise in illegal drone activity — despite a federal ban in place since 2014. With reduced staffing and fewer eyes on the trails, the skies above Yosemite’s granite walls and waterfalls have become busier, louder, and more dangerous.
Elisabeth Barton, CEO of Echo Adventure Cooperative, told KQED that “there are lots of drones in the skies, like everywhere.” She adds that once other visitors see so many drones in use, some begin to think the rules don’t apply anymore. It’s a shift in behavior that undermines the careful stewardship these lands depend on.
And it’s not just drones. Reports have surfaced of BASE jumpers leaping from El Capitan in broad daylight, campers taking sites without permits, and hikers summiting Half Dome without authorization. Without enough rangers to enforce the rules, Yosemite has begun to feel, in the words of one guide, “eerie.”
Tour guide Bryant Burnette says drone operators have also grown more confrontational. “I’ve had people tell me they don’t care,” he told SFGate. “Even one guy who said nothing and just flipped me off.”
The issue extends beyond Yosemite. A viral video from Great Smoky Mountains National Park shows a drone chasing a bear from a tree, visibly distressing the animal. It’s a disturbing reminder that rules in parks aren’t about bureaucracy — they exist to protect fragile ecosystems and wildlife from human interference.
Even drone manufacturer DJI found itself in hot water recently after sharing a promotional video that included footage illegally filmed over several national parks. The company later deleted the post.
While most park visitors follow the rules, the small minority who ignore them can leave lasting damage — both to nature and to the culture of respect that makes public lands special.
At HiveWire Outdoors, we believe in balance. National parks belong to everyone — but so does the responsibility to treat them with care. Technology and adventure have their place, but when the wild is left unguarded, how we choose to act says everything about who we are as visitors, and as stewards.