Category Archives: California

County Parks, News

OC Parks longer summer hours schedule starts March 13th!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Daylight Saving Time brings longer spring-summer operating hours to Regional and Wilderness parks.

The clocks spring forward early March 13, marking the beginning of Daylight Saving Time and OC Parks’ spring-summer operating schedule.

Starting Sunday, March 13, the spring-summer hours for regional parks are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. That includes Carbon Canyon, Clark, Craig, Laguna Niguel, Mason, Mile Square and Yorba regional parks. Irvine Regional Park opens at 6 a.m. and will close at 9 p.m.

Santiago Oaks, Peters Canyon, O’Neill and Talbert regional parks operate on wilderness park hours, as do the outlying trails around Irvine Regional Park. Wilderness parks are open at 7 a.m. and close at sunset year round. OC Parks’ wilderness parks are: Aliso and Wood Canyons, Caspers, Laguna Coast, Whiting Ranch and Riley wilderness parks, as well as Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve.

Continue reading →

Activities, National Forests

Public invited to Eldorado National Forest Open House to discuss Off-Highway Vehicle grant applications

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

From USDA / Forest Service – The Eldorado National Forest will be submitting applications for Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Cooperative Funds for the upcoming 2015/2016 grant cycle.  The Forest is developing preliminary applications to the Off Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division which includes a strong emphasis on trail maintenance and repair, law enforcement across the four Ranger Districts, printing and distribution of the Motor Vehicle Use Maps, restoration of impacted areas, planning, and education.

As your ideas are important for developing our proposals, the Forest will be hosting an Open House on February 10 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM to discuss the proposed preliminary grant applications.  This Open House will be held at the Eldorado National Forest Supervisor’s Office, 100 Forni Road, Placerville, CA 95667.  You can call (530) 622-5061 for directions.

Continue reading →

National Parks

Wilderness Stewardship Plan

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The Yosemite National Park public scoping process to review and update the current Wilderness Stewardship Plan has begun. The current management plan was  adopted in 1989, and is starting to show it’s age.

The proposed new plan will “provide additional policy direction and address contemporary management challenges.”

From the National Park Service website: “Located in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range of central California, the Yosemite Wilderness area encompasses more than 704,000 acres and accounts for over 94% of the total area of Yosemite National Park. Officially designated by the California Wilderness Act in 1984, the Yosemite Wilderness has long been a place for inspiration, wonder, and discovery.”

Continue reading →

State Parks

Incredible Camping Opportunities: Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Recently, David Miller posted on the REI posted about seven U.S. state parks that offer up some great camping opportunities (see article: “7 U.S. STATE PARKS WITH INCREDIBLE CAMPING OPPORTUNITIES“). One of the parks mentioned was California’s own Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.

David wrote that  “Camping in a redwood forest is mystical. Tucked within a massive canopy of redwood, western hemlock, Sitka spruce, and grand and Douglas fir, and with a soft layer of duff covering the forest floor, there’s a sense of quiet and peace here. Sounds are dampened. Jedediah Smith is an entrancing place to camp: just imagine looking up through the huge branches and the understory of madrone and bigleaf maple, strolling through the giants in the Stout Grove, and wading in the crystal clear Smith River, the last major undammed river in California.”

Continue reading →

National Forests, National Parks

Welcome to National Public Lands Day!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Today is National Public Lands Day! Entry fees are waived in most of the national parks and national forests, so you won’t have to pay for day use areas – visitor centers, picnic areas, trailheads, etc.

You’ll still get o pay for concessions, camping, rentals, and other services. Check with your local national forest or park for specific information on the park you plan on visiting.

You can find out more about national parks, forests, wildernesses and other areas managed but the National Parks Service HERE.

Get outdoors and enjoy the day!