-
A ghost, loaner kayaks and beauty set Sierra lake apart
A ghost, loaner kayaks and beauty set Sierra lake apart
The prettiest lake most have never seen, Independence Lake, is emerging as the jewel of the high Sierra Nevada. It seems a ghost is on duty to protect it. The Nature Conservancy, which owns and operates ...
Lake Tahoe loop trail inches closer to completion
A new 3-mile section of trail spanning one of Lake Tahoe’s most spectacular areas, from Nevada’s Incline Village south to Sand Harbor State Park , represents a major step toward the longtime dream to ...
Finding solitude on one of California’s prettiest trails
Tucked in the most remote corner of northwestern California is one of the prettiest, easy hikes in the state where there’s a chance you won’t see another soul. For those frustrated with heavy traffic ...
Boaters 35 and younger face safety-card deadline in California
A time bomb is ticking for a huge swath of the boating public — the generation that ranges 35 and under — that will be required, starting Jan. 1, to have the California Boaters Card in possession ...
With 147 million dead trees, Californians brace for fire
Aerial surveys counted 147 million trees that died from drought and invasive beetles from 2010 to 2018. It’s a testament to the new era of wildfire danger.
Sierra campgrounds, lodges open for summer on Highway 88
In one easy lesson — a 30-mile drive on the high west flank of the Sierra Nevada — Highway 88 can lead you to 15 campgrounds, four lakes, three lodges and a series of outstanding trailheads. You arrive ...
Crush of people hits California parks, campgrounds
With July 4 falling at midweek, many people are adding vacation days to their weekends and have turned this week into the biggest vacation logjam many have ever seen. It affects destinations both near and ...
Rattlesnake season is here. Be prepared.
East Bay Parks posted a rattlesnake advisory for its 73 parks and 1,250 miles of trails. The caution warning makes sense throughout the Bay Area’s parks and open space, and beyond to the Sacramento ...
Bay anglers score best catch numbers in a lifetime
Thousands who drive every day over the Golden Gate, Bay and Richmond bridges could look down across San Francisco Bay and have no idea what is going on out there. Only the best catch numbers in a lifetime. ...
Yosemite National Park: Rules, crackdown reduce bear problems
The numbers show bear incidents are down 99 percent in 20 years at Yosemite, from a peak of 1,500 in 1997 to a low this year of 3. Wildlife education, new rules and enforcement have largely solved what ...
5 spots to river snorkel in California
Put on a diving mask and your favorite summer swimming hole can be transformed into a magic underwater kingdom. Add a snorkel or scuba gear and the conversion is complete. Here are the area’s best ...
Snow thaw means Sierra campgrounds finally opening for summer
Hot sun in the past 10 days has melted snow across millions of acres of national forest up to about 7,500-foot elevations in California’s mountain country. That is allowing rangers to open roads and ...
Yosemite to open Tioga Road Friday
Snowplow crews in Yosemite National Park punched through 9,943-foot Tioga Pass and will open Tioga Road Friday for limited access to Yosemite’s high country. It is one of the latest openings in the last ...
California hunters face nation’s first lead ammo ban
The nation’s first 100% lead-free ammunition ban for hunters takes effect in two weeks in California. The law shows a will to protect individual animals and birds and is taking effect as a fait accompli ...
How to get your kid to love the outdoors this summer
To help get youngsters into nature and outdoor activities, don’t forget to ‘let kids be kids.’
Whales, killer sharks steal some of U.S. Open’s thunder in...
The biggest sideshow on Earth, literally, the whales of Monterey Bay, are providing an irresistible spectacle adjacent to Pebble Beach and the site of this week’s U.S. Open. On Monday, a whale-watching ...
Create a home for birds, a new world for yourself
Add a feeding station for birds, maybe a hummingbird feeder, a birdbath and a birdhouse. All the struggle and strife that seem to carry the day for most people will wash away like dust in a spring rain.
Planning a trip to California’s far north this summer? Read...
The Shasta Cascade encompasses more than 50,000 square miles, among America’s greatest regions for adventures, getaways and vacations. Giant Mount Shasta is a testament to the stellar conditions as the ...
Everything you need to know to climb Mount Shasta ahead of a...
Thanks to epic winter snows, spectacular climbing conditions are predicted to peak at Mount Shasta “from mid-June to mid-July,” said Jen and Chris Carr, owners of Shasta Mountain Guides.
Tips for customizing your favorite outdoor gear
No matter what sets you free in the outdoors, you can make the outdoors your own by customizing your gear. With summer arriving, now is the time.
10 must-dos right now in the great outdoors
Kill the queen wasp now. For a sure thing, camp at one of Northern California’s big recreation lakes. When driving a country two-laner, watch out for newborn fawns and yearlings following their mothers ...
What to expect from Sierra trails after an epic winter
Those who hear the call of the wilderness have many questions: When will conditions be best? When will trailheads open? What are the current snow depths? What can you expect out there? There are many ...
Hot weather ignites rafting, gold season on South Fork American
Hot weather and cool water is the magic formula for rafting and gold-panning tours in the Sierra foothills. Starting this weekend, after an extended winter and a cold spring, you finally have a chance to ...
Auburn 8-year-old catches 5½-pound trout at Kids Fishing Day
Jacob Cavitt, 8, caught a 24-inch, 5½-pound rainbow trout from the shore Saturday at Lake Siskiyou at Kids Fishing Day, attended by about 150 youngsters and their parents from across the Bay Area and ...
Camping is booming thanks to Millennials
A new in-house KOA study about weekend and vacation camping shows that Millennials are joining the sport at a rate faster than seniors are leaving it.
Lakes full of fish in time for Memorial Day weekend
The Department of Fish and Wildlife crowned a program this week at eight lakes where trout grown to large sizes over winter in submerged pens were released. In most cases, DFW is adding supplemental stocks ...
A snow-covered Memorial Day weekend awaits high-country travelers
For Memorial Day weekend, travelers can expect to hit a wall of snow and closed mountain passes across the Sierra, Cascade and Shasta-Siskiyou ranges. The best bet is to plan trips to lakes located in the ...
10 great outdoor things to do in Marin
It’s the most visited national park site in America. But those who explore the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, do their detective work and go the extra mile, can find overlooked gems. Here are the ...
Whiskeytown Lake, in recovery since Carr Fire, set to open...
The 230,000-acre Carr Fire devoured 93% of the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. The national park is reopening step-by-step this spring and will be back on the map for Memorial Day w eekend for ...
Yosemite’s 50 new cabins sell out for July in a week
Tenaya Lodge sold out all of its July dates last week after announcing it would offer 50 new two-bedroom Explorer Cabins for this summer. Other cabins are still available.
Weekend getaway to Skyline Ridge on the Peninsula
What you see: At Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve, you can take a short stroll to pretty Horseshoe Lake. Or you can go all day, with an ambitious hike or mountain bike ride to a ridge with a view west ...
Big Basin trail camps avert annual shutdown
In a major coup for Bay Area outdoors recreation, the best trail camps at Big Basin Redwoods State Park and in the Santa Cruz Mountains will stay open through fall and winter. The decision by California ...
Weekend Getaway: Ocean Beach
What you see: The black sand, magnetite, is magnetic. The hang gliders are sensational. Beach walks go on forever. Along Ocean Beach to Fort Funston, about 750,000 people visit this stretch of San Francisco ...
Weekend getaway to bird watching and more at Coyote Point
What you see: The first surprise at Coyote Point is at the waterfront, where you can look out across the expanse of South San Francisco Bay. It’s so close to so many, but gazing out from land’s end at ...
Weekend getaway to the Diablo Foothills Regional Park
What you see: An extended series of monolithic sandstone structures is the highlight at Castle Rock Regional Recreation Area. As you pass through Pine Canyon and along Pine Creek, you have the option of ...
Sunday Drive: A weekend getaway to Fort Baker
What you get: World-class views and picnic sites, easy walks and a wild-card adventure for kayaks under the Golden Gate Bridge can put Fort Baker on the map for all. Fort Baker is set along the deep cove ...
Weekend getaway to Pescadero reveals beach, marsh
Why it works: You get a twofer at Pescadero State Beach and the adjoining Pescadero State Natural Preserve. For those who love beaches, carved-out havens against the cliffs, tidal reefs, lagoons and ...
Weekend getaway to San Francisco’s Coastal Trail
What you see: The views are so spectacular that it can feel like you are looking at a painting. You can see across the mouth of San Francisco Bay and out to sea, over to the Marin Headlands and the Golden ...
Weekend getaway to old-growth redwoods at Heritage Grove
What you see: The Heritage Grove Trail, one of the Bay Area’s newest trails, provides access to a 37-acre grove with some mammoth, old-growth redwoods. Whether you walk for 100 yards, a mile or make it a ...
Weekend getaway to waterfront possibilities at Bolinas Beach
What you see: At Bolinas Beach, the waterfront arcs in a half moon south to Stinson Beach. To your left, you can walk along the expanse of sand to the mouth of Bolinas Lagoon. Along the way, you can venture ...
Weekend Getaway: Trailhead offers view of Mt. Diablo,...
What you see: From the new trailhead at Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park, the payoff is the panoramic view from atop the 1,500-foot North Ridge Trail. Mount Diablo dominates the landscape to the northeast, ...
Sunday getaway to the gateway to Big Sur
What you see: Garrapata State Park is the gateway to Big Sur on Highway 1, and with it, access to a series of spectacular state parks: Garrapata, Andrew Molera, Pfeiffer Big Sur and Julia Pfeiffer Burns. In ...
Sunday getaway to see humpback whales in Monterey Bay
What you see: Humpback whales have provided such a sure-thing spectacle out of Monterey this month that the Monterey Bay Whale Watch Center has been running up to seven trips a day. Sightings have ranged ...
Weekend getaway to Jenkinson Lake
What you see: The scene was gorgeous last week at Sly Park: a full lake ringed by conifers, a few boats sprinkled across the water along with a handful of kayaks and powerboats. From the dam looking east, ...
Sunday getaway to Samuel P. Taylor State Park
What you see: In minutes, you depart the city life at Fairfax for open foothills and then enter beyond into creekside redwoods at Samuel P. Taylor State Park. The trip provides one of the sharpest ...
Sunday getaway to Coloma
What you see: By river or by land, Coloma is one of the state’s best launch points for surprises. It is the No. 1 site for rafting in California and a state park built around the 1848 discovery of gold. ...
Sunday getaway to Lake Hennessey
What you see: Surprises are great in the outdoors, and when you come ’round the bend and see Lake Hennessey for the first time, you might be shocked at what you’ll find: a small, gorgeous lake settled ...
Sunday getaway to Coyote Hills
What you see : Coyote Hills provides panoramic views across south San Francisco Bay, whether from a shoreline trail or a hilltop. In an interior wetland, a boardwalk is routed through a marsh that ...
Sunday Getaway to Lake Tahoe’s Emerald Bay
What you see: Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe is one of the prettiest places on the planet — a giant cove with cobalt-blue water, surrounded by a mountain rim crowned by Maggie's Peak, and dotted with Fannette ...
Sunday getaway to Carmel’s Point Lobos
Venturing to Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is kind of like falling in love. Each time you look, you see something different that draws you in. Take your pick: Gorgeous ocean views, secluded coves and ...
Sunday getaway to Bodega Bay
Why now: One of the fastest ways to give your world a three-day holiday weekend makeover — and get a jump on summer — is to head out on Bodega Bay in a kayak or SUP. It’s easy to do, the location is ...
Sunday getaway to El Corte de Madera Creek Preserve
What you’ll see: This easy trip features a pretty drive and five-minute walk to see the Methuselah Tree, a giant redwood. Go the extra mile and you’ll see the Tafoni — a one-of-a-kind sandstone ...
Sunday getaway to Uvas Canyon
What you see: The reopening of Uvas Canyon County Park brings with it a gorgeous easy walk, a good loop hike, and a campground with a guarantee that you won’t have to deal with parties. Swanson Creek is ...
Sunday getaway to Mitchell Canyon
Why now: If you hike on Mount Diablo one time a year, now should be that time. Winds out of the northwest are common in May and that cleans out the air for great long-distance views from ridges. ...
Sunday getaway: Del Valle Regional Park
Why now: Spring rains and warm April temperatures have sparked Del Valle Reservoir and its 5,000 acres of parkland to life. You could search across the Bay Area’s 275 recreation destinations and find that ...
Lake Tahoe loop trail inches closer to completion
A new 3-mile section of trail spanning one of Lake Tahoe’s most spectacular areas, from Nevada’s Incline Village south to Sand Harbor State Park , represents a major step toward the longtime dream to ...
Finding solitude on one of California’s prettiest trails
Tucked in the most remote corner of northwestern California is one of the prettiest, easy hikes in the state where there’s a chance you won’t see another soul. For those frustrated with heavy traffic ...
Boaters 35 and younger face safety-card deadline in California
A time bomb is ticking for a huge swath of the boating public — the generation that ranges 35 and under — that will be required, starting Jan. 1, to have the California Boaters Card in possession ...
With 147 million dead trees, Californians brace for fire
Aerial surveys counted 147 million trees that died from drought and invasive beetles from 2010 to 2018. It’s a testament to the new era of wildfire danger.
Summer oasis: Your guide to Shasta Lake
Shasta will hit peak full in the next two weeks, in time for Memorial Day w eekend for camping, boating, water sports and fishing. With the huge snowpack in the high country, the melt-off will feed and ...
Sunday drive to Pearson-Arastradero Preserve
Gateway park: A little-known trail from Pearson-Arastradero Preserve provides a gateway into Foothills Park, the only access available for non-Palo Alto residents. The payoff is a sensational view of the ...
