Category Archives: National Forests

Activities, Hikes, National Forests, Outdoors, U.S. Forest Service

Mount Baldy Trail Closures Extended — What Hikers Need To Know

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Forest managers restrict summit approaches after heavy snow and rescue operations — check official alerts before heading into the San Gabriels.

Mount Baldy is close enough to the city that people treat it like a day hike, which is why the latest extended closure matters. When winter turns the ridgelines to ice, the mountain stops being a fairly strenuous stroll and becomes a treacherous mountaineering adventure that can kill the underprepared and the overconfident.

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California, National Forests, Outdoors, Recreation & Responsible Use, U.S. Forest Service

Tahoe Trails: E-Bikes, New Connectors, and Upgraded Trailheads

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Forest Service signs off on new e-bike branches, restroom-equipped parking and wayfinding. Construction slated for June 2026.

Lake Tahoe is about to change the way people get around on two electric-powered wheels. In early January 2026, the U.S. Forest Service finalized a basin-wide plan that expands where e-bikes can go and ties loose ends in the trail network across the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. The agency incorporated community input into route selection and environmental analysis, resulting in a mapped program with new access and infrastructure.

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Cal Fire, California, National Forests, State Parks, U.S. Forest Service

Fire Lookouts: the Overlooked Wildfire First Responders

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Volunteers and towers still catch small ignitions early — a human, practical layer that many agencies have let lapse.

Human observers remain a reliable detection option when cell service is spotty, and cellphone networks are disabled by power shutoffs. Many rural ridgelines and backcountry roads have little or no cellular coverage, and utilities’ preemptive outages can render personal devices useless exactly when they’re most needed.
 
Fire lookout towers once formed a dense statewide watch. At their peak, there were thousands of towers nationwide – and, roughly, 600 in California alone, situated to give broad, unobstructed views across forests and foothills. That system thinned over decades as budget cuts reduced staff and closed sites.
California, National Forests

Plumas National Forest Christmas Tree Permits Now On Sale

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell
The holiday season is a perfect excuse to get out into the mountains — and Plumas National Forest is making it easy. Christmas tree permits are on sale now for $10 each  at local forest offices or online through Recreation.gov (go to Plumas National Forest Christmas Tree Permit). Households may buy up to two permits; each permit covers one tree and is valid through December 31, 2025. If you buy online you’ll pay a $2.50 reservation fee and must print the permit and display it on your dashboard while transporting the tree. Fourth graders with a valid Every Kid Outdoors pass can claim a free permit (a $2.50 reservation fee still applies when using the online option).
 
A few rules to keep in mind: permits are valid only on Plumas National Forest lands — not on private, state, or other federal lands — and trees may not be cut in Wilderness Areas, active timber sales, developed recreation sites, or tree plantations.
 

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California, National Forests, U.S. Forest Service

Christmas Tree Permits for Mendocino National Forest Are Now Available

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell
Bring home a real tree and help the forest at the same time!
 
You can buy permits online through Recreation.gov (go to: Mendocino National Forest Christmas Tree Permits)) — read the overview and need-to-know info before you buy, and remember you’ll need to sign in or create a Recreation.gov account to complete the purchase.
 
Permits are also sold in person at local vendors and at forest offices in Willows, Stonyford, Upper Lake, and Covelo. Fourth graders with an Every Kid Outdoors pass can get a free permit by entering their pass/voucher number when purchasing (a $2.50 reservation fee applies).
 

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