In 2024, a developer paid $4 million for 83 acres outside Yosemite; two years later the US is considering a land swap for a private access road through the park

The National Park Service is examining whether a land exchange can be carried out under federal law

A Nevada-based developer is seeking a land exchange that could allow a private road to be built through Yosemite National Park, giving access to an 83-acre property just outside the park. The Trump administration is considering the proposal, according to documents and people familiar with discussions KQED reported.The property is owned through limited-liability companies operated by Kingsbarn Realty Capital. The company bought the undeveloped 83-acre plot for $4 million in 2024. The land, historically known as Hazel Green Ranch, is located outside Yosemite’s western boundary, about five miles from one of the park’s giant sequoia groves.Kingsbarn CEO Jeff Pori wants to build a short road linking the property to a road inside Yosemite. The proposed route would cross a roughly quarter-mile strip of National Park Service land. In exchange, the Park Service would receive land of equal value elsewhere in California, according to the proposal.The plan has brought back a dispute that has continued for more than two decades. A previous owner of the property had also sought permission to build a private road through Yosemite. That request was rejected by the Park Service, and a court later ruled against the owner.

Developer says road would provide direct access

The property already has an access road, but it is more than 10 miles from a Yosemite entrance. Reaching Yosemite Valley from the property using the existing route would require a circuitous drive of about an hour and a half.The proposed road would provide a much shorter connection to one of Yosemite’s main roads. The property could potentially be developed as a hotel, resort or private residence.The National Park Service is examining whether a land exchange can be carried out under federal law. The Park Service would first need to assess the value of the Yosemite land and identify another property in California of equivalent value.Land exchanges involving federal property are common, but the situation here is unusual because the Park Service would be giving up land within a national park to help provide private access, according to a former Park Service official cited by NOTUS.The value of the Yosemite land is currently being assessed. Sources told NOTUS that the appraisal is difficult because putting a value on a piece of Yosemite is not straightforward, particularly when the proposed access could significantly increase the value of the private property.

Similar request was rejected in court

The current proposal has its roots in an earlier attempt by California developer Lewis Geyser, who previously owned Hazel Green Ranch. Geyser wanted to develop the property as a resort and spent years seeking permission for a private road through Yosemite.The Park Service considered working with Geyser in the early 2000s as part of a broader effort related to development pressure in Yosemite Valley. That plan did not move forward, and the Park Service later refused to allow the proposed private access.Geyser sued the federal government in 2007, seeking to force the issue. He lost in district court and again on appeal in 2012. The courts ruled that he did not have a legal claim to a private road through Yosemite.Although the federal government has an obligation to provide an exit for private property completely surrounded by federal land, the courts found that it did not have to provide a new road when an existing route was available.

A map showing Hazel Green Ranch and Yosemite National Park. (Source: Newsweek)

When Kingsbarn bought the property in 2024, the company approached the Interior Department about reopening the issue.Former Yosemite Superintendent Cicely Muldoon said the request had previously been considered closed. “Whoever bought the land hadn’t done their due diligence and realized that this was not a possibility by law,” she told NOTUS.Former Yosemite Superintendent Don Neubacher also criticised the proposal. He said his office had conducted a legal review of the same land exchange in 2012 and concluded that the Park Service did not have the authority to provide the easement.“There was no legal right for this developer to have access into the Yosemite National Park,” Neubacher told KQED. “The only thing that’s changed is you have a new administration that just seems to be pro-development.”

Interior Department denies political pressure

In a statement to KQED, the department said the report relied on anonymous allegations and denied that there had been political pressure to reach a predetermined result. It also rejected claims that the department was secretly working to hand over Park Service land to a private developer.The department said any land exchange or access proposal involving National Park Service land would have to follow federal laws and regulations. That would include environmental review and public notification requirements.Lanny Davis, an attorney working for Kingsbarn, later confirmed that the company was pursuing a land exchange with the Park Service. He argued that the road would provide access to residents of the privately owned property and said it would not endanger endangered species. “It’s simply a road,” Davis said.The proposal has also drawn criticism from conservation groups and Yosemite employees. The National Parks Conservation Association said it strongly opposes the plan and called it a threat to public ownership of Yosemite.The Yosemite National Park employees union also criticised the proposal, saying that giving public land to private interests goes against the role of National Park Service employees.

Proposal faces opposition from lawmakers

The proposal was brought to the attention of Congress earlier this year. However, lawmakers overseeing the Land and Water Conservation Fund did not include the Yosemite project on a list of projects they supported for funding.California senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff have also opposed the proposed exchange. Padilla said the Land and Water Conservation Fund exists to protect natural areas, water resources and cultural heritage, and to provide recreation opportunities for Americans. He said projects should be selected on their merits rather than based on connections to senior administration officials.Schiff said Yosemite must be protected from further development and pointed out that courts had already rejected the earlier road proposal.The National Parks Conservation Association’s Neal Desai told KQED that the organisation had verified communications between the administration and Congress about the proposal. “Our national parks right now are in crisis, and Yosemite National Park is in chaos,” Desai said.Jesse Chakrin, director of Fund for People in Parks, also expressed concern about the specific area involved. He described it as a well-loved part of the park known for its dogwood, spring and autumn scenery.

The Interior Department has not yet made a final decision on the proposal. If approved, the plan would still have to go through the required legal and environmental reviews. Conservation groups are also expected to challenge the land exchange in court if it moves forward.