Trump weighs $4M private road through Yosemite

By Sohail Khan 31 August 2026, 10:48 pm

Benchmarks
Nifty24,080.40-95.25

Precious Metal
Gold (MCX) (Rs/10g.)154,200.00-2081.0

Enter search text:

Business News›News›International›Global Trends›Kingsbarn CEO Jeff Pori paid $4 million for land outside Yosemite. Why Trump is now considering a private road through the park

Read Today's Paper

Kingsbarn CEO Jeff Pori paid $4 million for land outside Yosemite. Why Trump is now considering a private road through the park
Synopsis

Kingsbarn CEO Jeff Pori paid $4 million for 83 acres outside Yosemite National Park in 2024. Now, the Trump administration is considering a controversial land swap that could allow a private access road through a small section of Yosemite, potentially giving Pori’s property a direct route into the iconic park and the proposal has sparked criticism.

Kingsbarn CEO Jeff Pori paid $4 million for land outside Yosemite<br> — The proposal has drawn criticism from conservation groups and former Yosemite officials

Kingsbarn CEO Jeff Pori paid $4 million in 2024 for 83 acres just outside Yosemite National Park. Now, the Trump administration is considering a controversial land swap that could allow Pori to build a private access road through a small section of Yosemite, giving his property a much more direct route into the iconic national park.

The proposal has drawn criticism from conservation groups and former Yosemite officials, while the Interior Department says “no final decisions have been made” and denies that political pressure is driving the process, according to news outlet KQED.

ALSO READ: Travis Kelce invests $200 million in Six Flags: How Taylor Swift’s boyfriend turned his childhood love for Cedar Point into a surprising business move

The proposal involves Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a Nevada-based real estate company that owns the land. The Trump administration is considering whether the National Park Service can exchange a roughly quarter-mile strip of Yosemite for land of equal value elsewhere in California.

The idea has triggered opposition from conservation groups and former Yosemite officials, while the Interior Department says no final decision has been made.

The 83-acre property, historically known as Hazel Green Ranch, sits just outside Yosemite's western boundar

Why does the developer want a private road?

The 83-acre property, historically known as Hazel Green Ranch, sits just outside Yosemite's western boundary, about five miles from one of the park's giant sequoia groves.

ALSO READ: White pillowcase cleaning hack

Its existing access road is more than 10 miles from a Yosemite entrance. Reaching Yosemite Valley from the property currently requires a circuitous drive of roughly 1.5 hours.

Kingsbarn CEO Jeff Pori wants to build a short road linking the property to one of Yosemite's main roads. That would provide unusually direct access to the national park. The land could potentially be developed into a hotel, resort or private residence, although no such development has been approved.

The $4 million land deal

Kingsbarn acquired the undeveloped 83-acre property through limited-liability companies in 2024 for $4 million.

The purchase revived an old dispute. The previous owner, California developer Lewis Geyser, had spent years trying to obtain permission for a private road through Yosemite while pursuing plans to develop the property as a resort.

ALSO READ: Google calls Lake Ontario “Lake America” in the US. Why is the new name visible for Canadians too?

The Park Service rejected the proposal, and Geyser eventually sued the federal government. He lost in district court and again on appeal in 2012. The courts determined that he did not have a legal claim to a new private road because an existing access route was available.

Kingsbarn CEO Jeff Pori paid $4 million in 2024 for 83 acres just outside Yosemite National Park

Why is the proposal controversial?

Former Yosemite Superintendent Don Neubacher said the Park Service had already concluded that it lacked the authority to provide the requested 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.”

Conservation groups argue that giving up even a small piece of a national park for private access could establish a troubling precedent.

ALSO READ: Two Canadian brothers turned 612,000 plastic bottles into a house in Nova Scotia

Neal Desai of the National Parks Conservation Association told KQED: “Our national parks right now are in crisis, and Yosemite National Park is in chaos.”

What would the land swap involve?

Under the proposal, the federal government would give up a roughly quarter-mile strip of Yosemite land or an interest in that land, while the developer would provide property elsewhere in California of equivalent value.

Yosemite National Park

Before such an exchange could happen, the Park Service would need to determine the value of the Yosemite land and identify replacement property.

That valuation could be complicated because giving the private property direct access to Yosemite could dramatically increase its potential value.

ALSO READ: These sustainable houses built from waste cost under $300: 2 tonnes of discarded plastic can become a home in just 7 days

Trump administration denies political pressure

The Interior Department has rejected claims that officials are secretly trying to hand over national park land to a private developer.

“This story relies on anonymous allegations to manufacture a political narrative that simply is not true,” the department told KQED. “There has been no political pressure to reach a predetermined outcome, and claims suggesting the Department is secretly working to hand over National Park Service land to a private developer are false.”

The department said any land exchange would have to comply with federal law and undergo environmental review and public notification.

“No final decisions have been made,” it said.

Kingsbarn's attorney Lanny Davis also confirmed that the company is pursuing the land exchange. “It’s simply a road,” Davis said, arguing that the proposed route would not endanger endangered species.

Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source
Add Now!

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

Read More News on
Jeff PoriKingsbarnTrump administrationYosemite National Park$4 millionprivate roadland swapYosemite landprivate developernational parks

Enter search text:

Continue reading with one of these options:
Limited Access
Free
Login to get access to some exclusive stories

& personalised newsletters
Login Now

Unlimited Access
Starting @ Rs120/month
Get access to exclusive stories, expert opinions &

in-depth stock reports
Subscribe Now

Unlock Access to All Exclusives with ETPrime FREE TRIAL

15 Days Free: Unlock All ETPrime Exclusives, Market Tools & ePapers

Trial offer expiring in00 : 05 : 00

I'd rather pay ₹2599 now

Uh-oh! This is an exclusive story available for selected readers only.

Worry not. You’re just a step away.

Prime Account Detected!

It seems like you're already an ETPrime member with

Log out of your current logged-in account and log in again using your ET Prime credentials to enjoy all member benefits.

Unlock ETPrime's Exclusive Stories Today!

Subscribe to gain powerful insights on business, stock market and industry trends.

Big Price Drop! Flat 40% Off

Student Only Offer

Already a Member? Sign In now

Already a Member? Sign In now
Already a Member? Sign In now

Offer Exclusively For You

Save up to Rs. 700/-

ON ET PRIME MEMBERSHIP

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get Flat 40% Off

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

ET Prime at ₹ 49 for 1 month

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Special Offer

Get flat 40% off on ETPrime

Avail Offer
Avail Offer

Claim NowAlready a Member? Sign In now

Need Assistance?

Connect with an ETPrime expert for personalized support and guidance

+91 9484700004

' + h3 + '

' + h4 + '

' + listing + '

What’s Included with

ETPrime Membership

1Exclusive Insights That Matter

Uncover the truth with our investigative stories

Make strategic moves using the real-world case studies

Read industry-specific stories to identify emerging trends

Spot opportunities with in-depth insights that matter

Trump temper on H-1B visas is forcing Indians to do these things to stay put in US

What Adani’s US indictment means for India Inc’s overseas fundraising
Why veterans like Reliance, L&T are on acquisition spree? Aswath Damodaran has an answer.

Will China’s dollar bond sale in Saudi Arabia trump the US in financial world?
Huawei launches its own OS to compete with Google and Apple. But can it win beyond China?

The problem with lab grown diamonds
Why a falling rupee is a better option for the economy

A list of top 20 momentum stocks that have delivered massive returns in one year