Is Trump giving away part of Yosemite National Park to Kingsbarn Realty? What we know so far

A report by NOTUS, a Washington, D.C.-based news outlet, has raised concerns among national park enthusiasts regarding Donald Trump's administration's proposal to transfer a portion of Yosemite National Park to a private developer. According to the report, the National Park Service (NPS) is facing pressure from the Trump administration to allow the land exchange.

The parcel in question is located in a corner of the park and is being considered as part of a land exchange between Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a Las Vegas-based real-estate company, and the federal government. The Trump administration is reportedly in talks with Kingsbarn Realty Capital to make the transaction successful. The proposed transfer is said to have the full support of the US Interior Department.

The report suggests that the plan to give away the land parcel started in the Spring of 2025. The deal is expected to be made through a web of limited-liability companies operated by Kingsbarn. In return for the land, the Park Service would receive land of equal value in California, a location yet to be decided. The developer, Kingsbarn Realty Capital, owns a property near one of Yosemite's ancient sequoia groves and plans to construct a private road on the acquired land, which would grant the resort access to the park.

Proximity to the park entrance is currently more than 10 miles away, making the proposed road potentially valuable. One of the sources cited by NOTUS described the political pressure being exerted on the NPS and its officials as unusual.