California Trails

A father and his two young children were backpacking through Sequoia National Forest when they were hit.

The board of the Wetlands Water District voted 7-1 not to join California WaterFix, the state's biggest water project in decades.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke recommended that six national monuments be reduced, but not the San Gabriels or Mojave Trails.

Camp Curry versus Half Dome Village. The Ahwahnee versus The Majestic Yosemite Hotel. When is a name just a name?

The Bay Area's third-highest peak, Umunhum, has turned from Air Force surveillance site into the Sierra Azul Open Space.

A gate lets in, keeps out, and sometimes traps hikers who want to hike on the outskirts of Pasadena.

Search-and-rescue crews retrieved a sedan—and two bodies—that plunged 500 feet from Highway 180 into the Kings River.

Of the 275 recreation sites in the region, only a handful have more parking than 20 years ago. It's enough to send some hikers back home.

As long as you don't covet a Saturday night spot, the greater Bay Area's 60 campgrounds have plenty of space for you.

Sacramento's popular Hidden Falls Regional Park kicked off a parking reservation and fee system to manage crowds.

Senate Bill 51 asks the California Environmental Protection Agency to protect scientific data.

On August 27, 1917, three teens climbed Mount Lassen—while it was erupting. This week, their relatives climbed in tribute.

Lake Tahoe's flagship 165-mile loop gets 400,000 visitors—and 15,000 volunteer hours—every year.

Recent research shows the largest area of extinction yet reported; climate change likely to blame.

Two adjacent fires force the closure of trails, campgrounds, and climbing routes in Yosemite.

“Why are we doing so many child’s poses? Because — goats."

A highly selective program introduces high school seniors and grads to National Park Service work in the Santa Monica mountains.

With good lake levels dispersing visitors, and smoke levels improving, Labor Day weekend is shaping up in northern California.

A three-acre blaze broke out at the Stanford Dish. The culprit? Probably a bird, officials say.

At Tinker Knob near Soda Springs, an Austrian man was struck—and lived to tell about it.

“California is the most energy efficient economy in the world, and least carbon intensive,” says researcher.

Wilacre Park, popular for its hiking and great views, will be closed from September 5 to January 5.

Los Angeles is coating some neighborhood streets in light gray. Will project "Cool Pavement" work?

Exploring the surprisingly desolate landscape of the high sierras.

On this 6-mile loop in Point Mugu State Park, you can climb to the tallest point in the Santa Monica Mountains and relax by the shores of Zuma Beach.

California’s oldest state park hides champion old-growth redwoods in tight gorges and steep, mossy canyons threaded with waterfalls.

The Orange County couple were hiking in the Mojave, where temps reached 113 degrees.

Miracle and Nomad, two California condors, have a chick—the first born in the wild in decades.

Though Southern California will only see 70 percent of a total eclipse, it'll still be damn cool.

Traveling to the Red Rock Swimming Hole, on the Santa Ynez River, and to Nojuqui Falls on the 101.

Skloot has 30 titles to his credit, and his latest, "4 Wheel Bob," is a profile of disabled hiker Bob Coomber.

Rarely seen by humans, a solo four-week-old bobcat kitten was found on a trail near Sausalito.

On the first day of a backpacking trip in the High Sierra, two hikers came face to face with a mountain lion. They got proof.

Less than half of L.A. residents have easy access to a park, but lush, six-acre Rowena Reservoir has been locked up for two decades.

P-55, a subadult male mountain lion, is only the fourth cat to cross the road since a 2002 National Park Service study began.

Highway 101 with a Chance of Light Swimming

The body of a woman who was hiking the Pacific Crest Trail was found in the northwestern part of Yosemite National Park.

Sacramento Bee reporter captures footage of male rattlers in a tangle on the Lake Clementine Trail.

For the first time in a hundred years, the shores of Webber Lake are available for camping and fishing.

Despite Los Angeles County's efforts to keep the canyon closed, the natural gas operations in Aliso start up again.

Two wildfires broke out in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, injuring firefighters.

The same helicopter crew responded to multiple incidents last weekend, rescuing three of the four parties.

Computer-powered leg braces help Stacy Kozel cover up to 30 miles a day.

Huge winter snows led to the latest opening ever for the national park's main road.

A crew of more than 5,000 has the blaze about 60 percent contained.

A 32-year-old from Japan was discovered in the South Fork of the Kings River near the PCT.

Mammoth Mountain will finally close the 2016-17 ski season on August 6.

The pair were airlifted by helicopter from the Mt. Baldy area.

The woman was lost and complained of heat exhaustion.

What draws us to the planet's outer edges? On a trek from the Lower 48's lowest point to its highest, Mark Jenkins looks for answers.

Volunteers have pulled an unusually high number of the free employee bikes out of a Mountain View creek in recent weeks.

Three regional trails will now allow the electric option as part of a pilot program.

Deep snow and raging rivers are forcing some thru-hikers off the PCT and west to a new challenge.

Heavy winter snowfall has kept the national park's road shuttered well into July, a near-record.

The national monument is one of 27 under review by the Trump administration.

The Detwiler Fire forced thousands to evacuate their homes in Mariposa County this week.

The unusually wet winter led to six-month surge in high water in rivers statewide.

The lawsuit came after Los Angeles closed the Beachwood Drive gate to the Hollyridge Trail in Griffith Park.

The annual ParkScore report gave the city high marks on park size, facilities, and access.

Rep. Doug LaMalfa introduced the Guide and Outfitters Act last January and hopes for a floor vote soon.

Organizing volunteer cleanups is just the start for one Northern California man.

Cooler temperatures and humidity led to higher levels of containment for several wildfires this week.

Changes at the International Olympic Committee mean LA will very likely host the Games in 2028.

Heat exhaustion appears to have played a role in the scoutmaster's death near San Rafael.

All 7 hikers got off-track in deep snow near Tuolumne Meadows.

Biologists confirm that new northern California pack traces back to the first wolf spotted in the state since 1924.

Travelers can now use a local trail to get to campgrounds, parks, and attractions.

Could mysterious hoots at Humboldt Redwoods State Park belong to the elusive Sasquatch?

Camp Sugar Pine closes its doors amid concerns about camper safety.

Cigarettes, cigars, pot, and e-cigs would be verboten under proposed legislation.

Catalina Sea Ranch offers sustainably raised mussels starting in mid-July.

The San Francisco Chronicle's Tom Stienstra won three awards from the Outdoor Writers Association of America.

Try your luck at these lesser-known California campgrounds tonight.

Some locals want protections lifted on Giant Sequoia National Monument.

Crews cleared the roads leading to the Calaveras Ranger District sites in time for the Fourth of July.

The 26-year-old woman slipped while attempting to cross Silliman Creek.

The 25-year-old man escaped unhurt after being swept into the South Yuba River.

Even the New York Times has noticed how much better backpacking food has gotten lately.

The pass is set to open Thursday, one of the latest openings in decades.

The eastern gateway to the national park is finally snow-free.