Trump Administration Weighs Yosemite Land Swap for Developer Access

The Trump administration is weighing a controversial land exchange inside Yosemite National Park that would grant a private Las Vegas developer a direct access road, bypassing the winding routes currently required to reach the property, according to recent reporting by The New York Times.

The proposal centers on a quarter-mile strip of land situated inside the western boundary of Yosemite National Park, roughly five miles from the famous Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias. According to NOTUS, the land swap would transfer this federal parcel to Sanctuary at Yosemite, a limited liability corporation controlled by the real-estate private equity firm Kingsbarn Realty Capital. In exchange, the developer would purchase equivalent land elsewhere and transfer it to the National Park Service.

Kingsbarn acquired the underlying 83-acre property—historically known as Hazel Green Ranch—for $4 million in 2024, according to The New York Times. The firm plans to develop two 40-acre parcels near the park. Currently, reaching Yosemite Valley from the property requires a winding, 90-minute drive spanning more than 10 miles from the nearest park entrance, largely over U.S. Forest Service roads, as reported by Times Now. Securing a direct road cut through the federal park strip would establish a private shortcut directly connecting the property to a central park thoroughfare.

Legal Precedent and Prior Court Rejections

Federal courts have already evaluated and rejected similar attempts to carve a road through this specific stretch of Yosemite. In 2007 and 2012, federal district and appellate courts ruled that former owner Lewis Geyser held no legal right to build a road through the park, noting that the property already accessed surrounding Forest Service land, according to NOTUS. The National Park Service itself rejected a similar proposal in the early 2000s, a decision subsequently upheld by the court system.

High-profile attorney Lanny Davis, who served as counsel to former President Bill Clinton, confirmed he now represents Kingsbarn Realty Capital. According to NOTUS, Davis petitioned the Interior Department to argue that direct road access qualifies as a pro-environmental measure because a shorter route would avoid endangering local species.

Political Timeline and Conservation Pushback

Federal election records cited by NOTUS highlight a shift in political giving by Kingsbarn CEO Jeff Pori, who had no record of federal campaign contributions prior to October 2024. Following that month, Pori began making monthly donations to Republican party committees and to President Trump’s campaign.

The financing structure for the transaction has also drawn scrutiny. The Interior Department notified Congress of its intent to consider funding the exchange using the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a pool dedicated to supporting public land conservation programs, per reporting from The New York Times. Members of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee received notification of the proposed transaction in early 2026.

The plan has sparked sharp opposition from conservation groups, members of Congress, and former park officials who argue the deal sets an unprecedented precedent for carving private access out of protected federal land. According to The New York Times, former Yosemite Superintendent Cicely Muldoon—who stepped down in 2025—noted that Kingsbarn attempted to reopen the road project shortly before her departure. Meanwhile, current Superintendent Ray McPadden has faced pressure from Interior Department officials to advance the proposal, according to NOTUS. Don Neubacher, a former Yosemite superintendent who currently serves on the executive council of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, criticized the initiative, telling The New York Times that the proposal is ridiculous.