Category Archives: Outdoors

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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California, Conservation, Outdoors, State Parks

NoraBella Becomes Part of Big Basin Redwoods State Park — a 153-Acre Expansion Announced Today

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

California State Parks purchases the NoraBella parcel for $2.415 million, adding ridged forest and creeks to California’s oldest state park.

The acquisition — the park’s first acreage addition since Little Basin in 2011 — is a strategic move in the broader Reimagining Big Basin effort born out of the 2020 CZU wildfire. Planners see NoraBella as a natural approach to rebuilding a visitor experience: space for a welcome area at Saddle Mountain, room for shuttle access that keeps parking and buildings away from the most sensitive old-growth trees, and sites for operations that let the core groves heal while still welcoming visitors. California State Parks is advancing a facilities plan, general plan amendment, and environmental review to guide rebuilding. Continue reading →

Activities, California, Outdoors

Wildflower season at Carrizo Plain — California in bloom!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

A wet winter and early storms left enough water in the ground that wildflowers are erupting across the state.

At the Carrizo Plain National Monument, the first swaths of yellow and orange are up on the lower slopes of the Temblor Mountains. A wet winter and an early warm spell have moved the bloom ahead of schedule — the carpet of color can appear almost overnight and be gone within weeks. Plan on getting there early. Pay attention to the weather. Don’t be afraid to turn back if the weather changes, the roads are jammed, or the area is too crowded.

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Activities, Bureau of Land Management, California, Conservation, News, OHV

United States District Court Orders OHV Route Closures in the West Mojave Desert

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

United States District Court Orders OHV Route Closures in the West Mojave Desert

A federal judge has handed down a decision that will reshape how we use some of the Mojave’s most familiar dirt.

A January 2026 ruling against the Bureau of Land Management requires the closure of up to 2,200 miles of off-highway vehicle routes inside designated Desert Tortoise Critical Habitat unless and until the BLM completes a new route designation plan. The closures could begin as soon as March 2026. There are many hard conversations ahead.

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Day Hikes, Hikes, National Forests, Wildfire

Eaton Fire Closes Beloved Angeles National Forest Trails – And It Didn’t Have to Be This Way

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

I’ve hiked the Sam Merrill Trail more times than I can count. Echo Mountain. Mount Lowe. The old incline railway grade that reminds you California used to dream bigger than it does now. These aren’t just trails to me – they’re places I’ve carried memories into and brought new ones out of every single time.

They’re closed. All of them. The Eaton Fire saw to that.

Effective January 7, 2026, the Angeles National Forest has closed a significant chunk of the front range above Altadena through December 31, 2027. The closure covers roads and trails that generations of Southern Californians have been walking, riding, and exploring for over a hundred years.

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