No park rangers at the gates during the federal government shutdown, and no entrance fee. Photo by Tom Lyden
The data points are few, but tourism in the town of Mariposa appears to be holding steady heading into fall despite the federal government shutdown that has lasted nearly a month.
“October was fantastic,” said Jacob Hawley of the Mariposa Visitors Center.
“I guess when the government shuts down we get busier,” Hawley told the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 21.
There were 2,144 people who stopped by the Mariposa Visitors Center from Oct. 1 through Oct. 26. That was up by 247 people over the same period last year.
Sales of souvenirs in the tourist center was up more than $1,134 over the same time last year, according to numbers provided by the Mariposa Visitors Center.
Although for the year, the Mariposa Visitors
Center is down by 6,485 people compared with 2024, Hawley said.
Because of the federal government shut down there are no entrance fees for Yosemite National Park, which remains open.
Before last weekend’s cooler weather, the consensus was tourism into Yosemite National Park was still relatively robust, despite the federal government shutdown that has furloughed hundreds of park employees.
This year the hospitality industry has complained that foreign tourism is down sharply due to negative media attention of domestic American politics.
In the hospitality industry it is accepted wisdom that foreign tourists spend more than domestic travelers.
Some of that slack has been picked up by visitors from the Central Valley, but those visitors generally do not stay overnight and tend to eat fewer meals locally.
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