Category Archives: Public Lands

National Parks, News

Rockfall Closes Trail to Rancheria Falls in Yosemite National Park

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

A rockfall in the Hetch Hetchy area of Yosemite National Park has closed the trail to Rancheria Falls east of Wapama Falls.

According to the National Park Service, at approximately 1:30 p.m. on March 31, a large rockfall occurred from the cliff just east of Wapama Falls above the Hetch Hetchy reservoir. The trail was closed just east of the Wapama Creek footbridges for safety purposes.  Boulders are preventing access beyond Wapama Falls to park visitors.  No visitors were injured in the rockfall.

Roughly 16,000 tons of rock fell from approximately 500 feet above the base of the cliff. Rock debris hit the slope below the cliff, breaking into numerous boulders, crushing trees, and creating a small dust cloud. Fresh boulders completely covered the slope, and many boulders tumbled into the reservoir. Roughly 400 feet of the Rancheria Falls Trail was destroyed in the main impact area.

Hikers can still access Wapama Falls starting from O’Shaughnessy Dam. The trail to Rancheria Falls just after Wapama Falls will be closed until further notice.

Activities, National Parks

Yosemite’s Housekeeping Camp

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

YosemitePark has just made a really interesting post about one of the unique camps in Yosemite.  From the “A Short History of the Oddly-Named Housekeeping Camp in Yosemite” post:

Located on the Merced River in Yosemite Valley with an unusual name, Housekeeping Camp straddles the line between camping and hotel accommodations and inspires fierce loyalty among park visitors. With amenities not usually found in campsites such as three walls, a canvas roof, beds, electrical lights and outlets, as well as standard amenities of picnic table and campfire ring, Housekeeping Camp is perennially popular with visiting families. Many of these families return year after year to the same units for easy access to the Merced River’s sandy beaches and activities like rafting and swimming. By examining the origin of Housekeeping Camp and its odd configuration and designation, it is apparent that this particular type of Yosemite accommodation has had great influence on the evolution of national park campgrounds as we know them today.

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National Parks

Yosemite’s Merced River opens to kayaking and rafting

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Eugene Buchanan has penned a post over at the Adventure Journal website about the new playground that kayakers and rafters have acquired.  From the post:

Kayakers and rafters have a new cliff-lined paddling playground in the heart of Yosemite National Park. While California’s Merced River has long been a hotbed of paddling outside the boundaries of the park, paddlers have now gotten the green light for a coveted section within the park as well. Yosemite National Park recently released its new Wild and Scenic Final Comprehensive Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for California’s Merced River, putting paddling on the same footing as climbing and hiking within the park’s boundaries.

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State Parks

Become a volunteer with California State Parks and help make a difference!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The California State Parks are looking for volunteers!  From their brochure:

In addition to ongoing opportunities in parks, one-day events are scheduled for Earth Day and Trail Days in the spring and Coastal Cleanup Day in the fall. These days offer great opportunities to spend time with your family or to make new friends as you get out and help make a difference. In many parks, annual and special events take place to celebrate our resources while teaching visitors about the wonders of nature and history. Join us—be part of what makes California so extraordinarily unique and wonderful!

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State Parks

Anza-Borrego, a Park Dealing With a Drought on Top of a Drought

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Lisa Morehouse has posted a great article about the Anza Borrego Desert State Park over at KQED.org‘s website. From the post:

A desert is, by definition, dry. But even a desert can have a drought, complete with impacts for native flora and fauna on the one hand and for the humans who live and visit on the other.Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California’s biggest state park by far, is in the third straight year of drier-than-usual weather. The long dry spell has had a visible impact. The lack of rain has muted Anza-Borrego’s wildflower bloom, the one event every year that brings a crowd of visitors to the community of Borrego Springs and other desert destinations.

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