Park rangers crack down on fires, smoking, fireworks
Every time a flame is lit, some rangers cringe. Some say a prayer. Some give tickets. As the Fourth of July arrives, rangers will crack down on illegal campfires, all fireworks and smoking in banned...
View ArticleCamping solutions, drought victims (gallery & video)
Every week this summer in California, drought has brought new recreation shutdowns and deviations in nature rarely seen before. But there’s a place that seems untouched. While Yosemite Falls went dry...
View ArticleHigh voltage: Sierra lightning strikes in thousands
Lightning can give you the fear of death. A thunderstorm can also feel like the marrow of life. In the high Sierra Nevada, lightning ignites the dark sky like a strobe. Above tree line, lightning can...
View ArticleStienstra: Crystal Basin’s answer to drought, fires
At water’s edge at Loon Lake, the expanse of the Crystal Range rises up in front of you to the Sierra Crest. It could be difficult to improve how you might feel here. Not unless you could improve on...
View ArticleThis National Park site: No people (11 pics)
High on the flank of a little-known peak, perched in a remote corner of an underutilized national park, it felt as though we were the only ones around in 250 square miles. You can still find spots like...
View ArticleBest, worst Labor Day rec prospects (with pics)
Punch the data in your recreation calculator and add it up for Labor Day Weekend: The best fishing of the year for salmon and rockfish is a go right now for the Golden Gate Fleet. While many big...
View ArticleBay Area’s best campsites: What works, what doesn’t
The switch has been thrown. The annual post-Labor Day recreation season – great weather, plenty of space – starts now. Or does it? School is a go, the 49ers and Raiders open the season Sunday, and the...
View ArticleNight sky photo wizard showcases best of Sierra meteors, stars, Milky Way (15...
“As a little kid out camping, seeing shooting stars was always one of my favorite parts of the trip,” said Tony Rowell, America’s night sky photography wizard. “Camping that night, I looked up and said...
View ArticleHow to track lightning, forest fires; new campfire rules for rest of summer
It’s lightning that ignites most forest fires. It’s the human-caused blazes, often from illegal campfires, that set off the biggest infernos. To get a handle on both, agencies have created websites...
View ArticleNorth state’s adventure portal to volcanic lakes, camps, views, caves
The Medicine Lake Highlands has gorgeous lakes, lake-view campsites, trout fishing, an awesome mountain top lookout and nearby lava beds with hundreds of caves. Because of the area’s remote setting in...
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