Category Archives: California

California, National Parks, Outdoors

Stop the National Park Surcharge Experiment

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Redirect existing revenue, fix the backlog, and keep parks open to everyone.

California boasts nine national parks — more than any other state — that are part of the National Park Service, which protects and manages the more than 10,000 acres of mountains, deserts, seashore, and old-growth forest. Those parks sit alongside numerous other National Park Service–managed units — national monuments, historic sites, preserves, and cultural landscapes — all part of the vast U.S. National Park System, which protects millions of acres under a range of designations. Continue reading →

California, Hikes, State Parks

Wildwood Canyon Named a State Park — Trails, Birds, Open Country

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

State Park and Recreation Commission formally classifies Wildwood Canyon State Park; the Yucaipa day-use area — open since 2003 — now moves into long-range planning with California State Parks.

Wildwood Canyon was formally classified and named Wildwood Canyon State Park by the State Park and Recreation Commission at its regular meeting on Dec. 17. The designation folds the Yucaipa day-use area — open to hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers since 2003 — into California State Parks’ portfolio with new planning and stewardship responsibilities attached. The change won’t close trails or alter views from a ridge, but it does set the stage for long-range decisions on access, conservation, and historic resources within the state agency’s authority.
 
Located about 75 miles east of Los Angeles and roughly 25 miles east of San Bernardino and Riverside, the park is a patchwork of scrub oaks, manzanita, yucca, and chamise with broad views over the surrounding valleys. It sits along the Pacific Flyway and supports more than 100 species of birds across the seasons; terrestrial inhabitants include mule deer, black-tailed jackrabbits, rattlesnakes, and occasional mountain lions, so visitors should treat the place like real country — keep dogs leashed, stay on maintained trails, and be aware at dawn and dusk. The property already serves trail users of multiple kinds and will continue to do so while planners and community partners work through the next phase.
 
State Parks’ Inland Empire District staff have signaled gratitude for local support and emphasized that the agency will coordinate planning with the public, California Native American tribes, and other stakeholders. That process will produce a cornerstone document and a general plan to guide decisions about recreation, resource protection, and potential restoration projects. There are nine buildings on site, and two of them have been flagged as candidates for nomination to the California Register of Historical Resources. This factor could influence restoration priorities and public access over time.
 
For anyone who rides or hikes in Wildwood Canyon, the practical bottom line is simple: the trails you know remain, but the park is now entering an era of formal planning backed by the state. Expect public outreach, the posting of planning documents on the park website, and a measured effort to balance visitor access with habitat protection and historic preservation. If you haven’t been, bring water, mind the wildlife, and follow the park’s updates as California State Parks shapes how this landscape will be managed for the years ahead.
 
You can find out more about our newest park on the California State Parks website HERE.
Activities, Bureau of Land Management, Off Roading, Outdoors

King of the Hammers: BLM Closures and Spectator Tips – What Johnson Valley Visitors Need to Know

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell
King of the Hammers is back. The world’s most extreme off-road race and a week-long desert festival, KOH mixes high-speed desert runs with brutal rock crawling that chews up equipment and separates the finished from the wrecked.
 
The festival runs January 22 through February 7, 2026, with qualifying and tech the week before the main event and a calendar that builds up to the Race of Kings on Saturday, February 7. Expect qualifying and tech February 2–4 (Monday–Wednesday), the UTV Hammers Championship on February 5 (Thursday), the Every Man Challenge on February 6 (Friday), and the Race of Kings — the headline 4400 Unlimited Class showdown — on February 7. Multiple race classes run through the week, so there’s action to watch every day when you’re in Hammertown.

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California, Fishing, News, Outdoors, Wildlife

MAPWaters Act: Digitizing Access to America’s Public Waters

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The MAPWaters Act has cleared Congress and is headed to the President’s desk.

For people who boat, fish, hunt, or paddle on federally managed waters, this is a practical fix: the law directs agencies to digitize and publish recreational access information so users can find clear, up-to-date rules on phones and chartplotters, rather than digging through scattered paperwork.

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Activities, Adventures, Bureau of Land Management, California, National Parks

Head for the Dark Night Sky: Catch the Geminids Meteor Show in California

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The sky over California puts on one of its best displays this weekend. From desert flats to high mountain vistas, the Geminid meteor shower peaks between December 13 and 14 — and under the right conditions, it’s the year’s most spectacular meteor show. Get away from town lights and clouds, and you’ll see fast, bright streaks and the occasional fireball that make a late night worth it.

The Geminids run roughly from December 1 to 21, with peak activity from December 13 to 14. Plan to be settled in by about 10 p.m.; the waning crescent moon doesn’t rise until roughly 2 a.m., which gives several moon-free hours when the faint stuff is visible. The stream is debris from asteroid 3200 Phaethon and, under dark skies, rates can hit 60–120 meteors per hour. NASA calls the Geminids one of the most powerful and spectacular annual showers. Continue reading →