Obtained Friday in a Freedom of Information Act request by SFGATE, the report is a 2024 annual performance review of Yosemite Hospitality, a subsidiary of Aramark Corporation. The company has a 17-year contract that began in 2016 to operate and maintain the hotels, restaurants, gift shops and other attractions at Yosemite. For years, however, the company has been failing to meet the expectations of the National Park Service. 

On multiple occasions documented last year, the bar at the prestigious Ahwahnee Hotel had to be shut down because of rodents. At another time, faulty kitchen equipment was implicated in the spread of foodborne illness at the park’s food court, Base Camp Eatery. In another incident, an employee was injured at Yosemite Valley Lodge after tripping on stairs that had been tagged for fixing. On several occasions, the Curry Village Store was ransacked by squirrels and raccoons.

In the 2024 review, Yosemite Hospitality received the lowest rating of “unsatisfactory,” following years of poor marks, public documents show. That rating “constitutes grounds for termination of the concession contract,” the National Park Service noted in a bright red bar on the document — though it has not indicated it has any plans to do so.

Law enforcement records obtained by The Associated Press suggest such problems are on the rise at the park, offering a stark illustration of the pressures facing some of America’s most treasured lands as the National Park Service marks its 100th anniversary.