Outdoors Archives - Active NorCal

May- 2020 -

28 May

More Than 4,600 Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Released into Native Lake Tahoe

Photo: USFW The U.S. Fish and Wildlife has conducted its second stocking of Lahontan cutthroat trout into Lake Tahoe, releasing…

28 May

Walk High Among the NorCal Redwoods on the Brand-New Trees of Mystery Canopy Trail

Photo: Trees of Mystery The Trees of Mystery in Klamath, California has been wowing visitors for decades with its novel…

28 May

How to Experience Being Surrounded by Millions of Butterflies on Lassen Peak

Lassen Peak is known to many as Northern California’s most active volcano, having erupted just over 100 years ago. The…

28 May

Fisherman Nearly Breaks California Record with 25-Pound Rainbow Trout on Feather River

A fisherman had one heck of a day in the Thermalito Diversion Pool on the Feather River on Friday, May…

27 May

Lava Beds National Recreation Area Increases Access for Visitors

Photo: National Park Service The Lava Beds National Monument, which sits in a remote area of Siskiyou County near the…

27 May

NWS: Heatwave Could Melt What’s Left of the Northern California Snowpack

May Lake. Photo by Matt Artz. It was a disappointing winter in Northern California, with very little precipitation leaving the Sierra…

27 May

Great White Shark Attacks Kayaker Along the Humboldt Coast

Fishermen bringing the kayaker to shore. Photo courtesy of Shelter Cove Fire. A fisherman from Eureka was on his kayak…

24 May

Ooowee! Brand-New Outdoor Company Offers Guided Trips in Northern California

Have you ever wanted to rock climb Castle Crags? Or maybe ski in Lassen? Or backpack the Trinity Alps? Or…

24 May

Yosemite’s Reopening Plan Includes an Online Lottery System

Photo by Trent Erwin Yosemite National Park has outlined its plan to reopen following 2-months closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.…

24 May

A Comprehensive List of Outdoor Destinations Open in Northern California

As Covid reopenings sweep through California and the sun shines bright through the North State, residents are looking for outdoor…

23 May

It’s Rattlesnake Season in NorCal. Here’s Some Tips on How to Avoid Them.

As stay-at-home rules are relaxed around the state of California, hikers are undoubtedly anxious to take advantage of the opportunity…

23 May

PG&E’s Draining of Lower Bucks Lake Presents Grim Fate for the Fish

Photo: Bucks Lake Fire Department Inc. Sitting deep in the wilderness of the Plumas National Forest is Lower Bucks Lake,…

23 May

Forest Service Opens 12-More Campsites in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest

Gumboot Lake Last week, Forest Service officials announced they would be reopening 37 campsites in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, just…

22 May

Whiskeytown NRA Increases Recreational Access While Resuming Entrance Fees

Photo by Fabien Delétraz on Unsplash Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, which has seen plenty of closures over the last two years with the…

22 May

Lassen Volcanic National Park Unveils Plan to Begin Reopening Next Week

Photo by Deanna Lewis The National Park Service released its plan to begin reopening Lassen Volcanic National Park, beginning with a…

21 May

California State Parks Increases Access to All Parks in the North Coast Redwoods

Praire Creek Redwoods State Park. Photo by Richard Price. The California State Parks continues to slowly reopen parking lots across Northern…

21 May

Trail Cam Video Shows Mountain Lion Walking Right Next to Unaware People in NorCal

A trail cam near Susanville captured a couple magnificent videos of a mountain lion recently, showing the big cat walking…

20 May

Tahoe National Forest Begins to Reopen Select Campsites, Trailheads and OHV Areas this Week

The Forest Service announced a bevy of reopenings in the Tahoe National Forest this week, including all motorized roads and…

20 May

Forest Service Opens 6 More Campgrounds in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest

Last week, Forest Service officials announced they would be reopening 31 campsites in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, just in time…

20 May

Lassen has Completed Snow Removal on its Highway. So When Will the Park Reopen?

Snow removal in Lassen via 2017 In an annual celebration of the passage between winter and summer season in Lassen…

19 May

Complete List of California State Parks Open in Northern California

Folsom Lake State Recreation Area is now open to the public Over the weekend, California State Parks quietly began opening…

18 May

Snowy Conditions Bring Chain Controls to the Sierra

The unseasonable May storm has arrived in Northern California and it’s creating winter travel conditions in the Sierra Nevada mountains.…

16 May

WATCH: Kayaker Circled by Great White Shark in Monterey Bay

It was just hours after the fatal shark attack on a surfer in Santa Cruz when a kayaker was approached…

15 May

Forest Service Announces the Reopening of Campsites Shasta-Trinity National Forest

The Shasta-Trinity National Forest is increasing access to the public by opening additional developed recreational areas, including many of the…

15 May

A Plan to Remove the Scott Dam on NorCal’s Eel River is Gaining Steam

Scott Dam. Photo: PG&E A group has submitted a plan to remove a Northern California dam which will provide headwaters…

15 May

Union Pacific Finally Pledges Support for New Mossbrae Falls Trail

Photo: OSU Special Collections & Archives Anyone that’s ever had the pleasure of visiting Northern California’s most unique waterfall –…

14 May

‘400 to 500 Pounds!’ MONSTER Sturgeon Caught on Shasta Lake

Photo via Larry Teague Fisherman Larry Teague set out on a normal day of catfish fishing on Shasta Lake recently,…

13 May

A Fecal Matter: Disgustingly High Levels of E. Coli Still Found in Sacramento Waterway

Sacramento’s homeless population is growing and much of them have settled down on the shores of the American River, flowing…

13 May

VIDEO: Stunning Albino Deer Seen Near Mount Shasta

We’ve seen some recent sightings of an albino deer along the Trinity River just east of Redding, but the above…

13 May

Watch Kayaker Launch of Whiskeytown’s Crystal Creek Falls

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is known for being a great area for kayakers… But not this type of kayaker. RELATED:…

13 May

Mount Shasta Set to Reopen Above 10,000 Feet this Week

Photo by Richard Lee Following a three-week closure of Mount Shasta above 10,000 feet due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Forest Service…

13 May

Caught on Camera: Hiker Rescued by Off-Duty Officer in Strong Whirlpool Near Yosemite

While Angel Falls may be a little south of Northern California (see our definition of “NorCal”), this video of a…

11 May

Rare Albino Deer Spotted Along the Trinity River

It can be a stunning sight the likes of which many people never get a chance to see. An albino…

11 May

See the Best Photos from the Flower Supermoon in Northern California

This week saw the final supermoon of 2020 and it didn’t disappoint. May’s full moon was known as the Flower…

11 May

Surfer Killed in Shark Attack in Santa Cruz

A 26-year-old surfer was killed in a shark attack near Santa Cruz on Saturday, marking the first fatal shark attack…

7 May

The Final Supermoon of 2020 Will Peak Over NorCal Tonight

Photo by Mike Petrucci Another super moon will appear over the night sky tonight. Sadly, it will be the last one…

7 May

1.6 Million Fall Run Chinook Salmon Released into the American River

Although fishing season in four California counties has been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the California Department of Fish…

7 May

See Blooming Flowers and Chirping Birds in the Still-Empty Yosemite

It’s springtime in Northern California, with sunny weather bringing out the beautiful wildflower blooms and chirping birds that we know…

7 May

A Potential Record-Setting Heatwave is Heading for Northern California

Rafters on the American River. Flickr/Robert Couse-Baker It’s the first week of May and the past month has seen some…

6 May

Fish Advisory for Sacramento River Offers Safe Eating Advice for 18 Fish Species

Photo: Ken Lund An updated state fish advisory for the Sacramento River and northern Delta in nine Northern California counties provides safe eating…

6 May

California Releases List of Permitted Outdoor Activities During Shelter-in-Place Mandate

California Governor Gavin Newsom. Photo by Gage Skidmore While many residents have grown weary of California’s shelter-in-place mandate, Governor Gavin…

6 May

5 Rafters Rescued on the Sacramento River in Redding

Photo: Redding Police Department A group of rafters celebrating Cinco De Mayo were rescued on the Sacramento River in Redding…

3 May

Largest Restoration Project in Tahoe’s History Begins on Upper Truckee River Marsh

The California Tahoe Conservancy has begun construction on restoring the Upper Truckee River Marsh, the largest wetland restoration project in…

2 May

NorCal’s Final Snow Survey of the Water Year Shows Snowpack at Just 3 Percent of Average

Photo: California Department of Water Resources The California Department of Water Resources conducted its final snow survey of the water…

2 May

Sleep Under the Stars on the Floating Campsites of Lake Oroville

Photo: TomOwen Camping in Norther California is a pretty straight-forward endeavor. You drive to your campsite, pop your tent, unload…

2 May

Forest Service Extends Closure on Mount Shasta Due to Coronavirus

Mount Shasta The Shasta-Trinity National Forest has extended its closure of all areas of Mount Shasta above 10,000 feet due…

1 May

Cliff Jumpers Perform Acrobatics Off 1800’s Gold Mining Crane in Northern California

On the South Fork of the Yuba River in a remote area west of the Sierra Nevada mountains sits the…

Apr- 2020 -

29 April

Sites Reservoir Project is Shrinking with a New Environmental Document

The Sites Project Authority has announced its plans to revise and resubmit its environmental report for circulation, this time with…

29 April

Man Has Lived Off-the-Grid in the NorCal Redwoods for 50 Years. Now the Compound is Worth $6 Million.

In 1968, Charles Bello and his wife Vanna Rae bought 400 acres of redwood forested land in Mendocino County and…

29 April

VIDEO: Roosevelt Elk Take Down ‘Wild Elk’ Sign in Redwood National Park

Photo: Terry Feuerborn Roosevelt Elk are known to call the Redwood National Park home. There are seven herds in the…

28 April

Despite Fishing Closures, CDFW Won’t Issue Refunds for California Fishing Licenses

Following pleas from multiple rural counties, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife decided to delay fishing season in select…

27 April

Sea Lions Spotted Underneath the Tower Bridge on the Sacramento River

As the temperatures begin to heat up in Northern California, seas lions are swimming upstream from the San Francisco Bay…

27 April

Where the Wildflowers Are: See NorCal’s Super Bloom at Oroville’s Table Mountain

Flickr/Sathish J Spring has arrived and that means wildflowers have begun to embellish many of our favorite trails. Strolling through…

27 April

Parts of Northern California Beginning to See Signs of ‘Extreme Drought’

Photo: Ben Amstutz We all knew this day would come. Following a lackluster winter in which parts of Northern California…

25 April

Merry Fishmas! The 7 Best Places in NorCal to Fish on Opening Day

Saturday, April 25th is truly a magnificent holiday. It’s the time of year when you get together with your friends…

23 April

Forest Service Announces Mount Shasta Closure Due to Coronavirus

Photo: Forest Service The Shasta-Trinity National Forest has announced closures in the Mount Shasta Wilderness due to health and safety…

23 April

California Officially Adopts Fishing Season Delay in Some California Counties Due to Coronavirus

Photo by Chip O’Brien Following weeks of conversation and debate regarding the impending opening of trout season in California during…

18 April

This Man Gave Up His Japanese Citizenship to Become a Park Ranger at Muir Woods

Paul Myers / Parks Conservancy It’s not everyday someone gives up their citizenship to pursue a career, but that’s exactly…

16 April

Yosemite Bear Sightings Have Quadrupled Since Coronavirus Closure

Photo: Josh Carter The general human public still isn’t allowed in Yosemite National Park and it seems like the animals are…

16 April

Man Files Lawsuit Against Vail Resorts to Refund Tahoe Epic Pass Following Coronavirus Closure

Photo: Heavenly Ski Resort A California man has filed a class-action lawsuit against Vail Resorts seeking compensation for his season…

15 April

California Unanimously Approves Fishing Ban in Rural Counties Due to Coronavirus

The California Fish and Game Commission conducted its rescheduled emergency meeting today in which they unanimously granted Governor Gavin Newsom’s…

14 April

Meeting to Determine Fishing in California Rescheduled for Wednesday Morning

The California Fish and Game Commission has rescheduled the meeting to determine the fate of fishing in state amidst the…

14 April

CDFW Cleans Up Illegal Cannabis Operation at Tehama Wildlife Area

Wildlife officers at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) completed a cleanup of an illegal cannabis operation deep…

13 April

One of North America’s Rarest Mammals Spotted in Yosemite

The Sierra Nevada red fox is one of the most elusive mammals on the planet, living in solitary and only…

10 April

North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve Temporarily Closing Due to Coronavirus

Photo: Lisa Ouellette The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is temporarily closing North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve in Butte…

9 April

Listen to the California Fish and Game Commission’s Emergency Fishing Meeting Erupt into Chaos

The California Fish and Game Commission scheduled an emergency meeting for 8:30 am on Thursday to discuss the status of fishing in…

9 April

Officials Close Burney Falls State Park to the Public

All 280 California State Parks have been closed to vehicle access for over a week now with the condition that…

9 April

The California Fish and Game Commission’s Emergency Meeting was a Chaotic Mess

It’s all that’s been talked about in California fishing circles for the past few days – will California restrict fishing…

9 April

Historic Video Footage Shows Scenes Around Tahoe in the Early 1900’s

Northern California was much different 100 years ago. The developed roads and landmarks we know so well today are just…

9 April

The Best Photos from the Super Pink Moon in Northern California

Photo by Jason Duclos It was a beautiful scene in the clear skies above Northern California this week, as the…

8 April

Mt. Shasta Ski Park Donating 10 Percent of Season Pass Sales in April to Food Banks

The Mt. Shasta Ski Park is using their season pass sales in the month of April to help out the…

7 April

California Fish and Game to Hold Emergency Meeting to Decide Coronavirus Fishing Mandates

The California Fish and Game Commission will hold a remote emergency meeting to decide whether to delay, restrict, or suspend…

6 April

VIDEO: Experience the Breathtaking Beauty of Redwood National Park

The Redwood National Park along the Northern California coast probably doesn’t get the attention it deserves. From the tree-shaded trails,…

6 April

Watch Male Coyotes Fight Over a Female During Mating Season in Point Reyes

Mating season for coyotes in the Point Reyes National Seashore typically runs from December to March, and can be a…

5 April

The Short and Spectacular History of the Lassen Peak Fire Lookout

The newly-built Lassen Peak fire lookout in 1913. Photo by Olan Hampton via NPS. In 1913, the Forest Service built…

5 April

Officials Estimate that 9 Billion Gallons of Water in California are Diverted for Illegal Pot Grows

California National Guardsmen and volunteers prepare some of the three hundred miles of irrigation line removed from an illegal marijuana…

5 April

VIDEO: Wildlife Comes Out to Play in an Empty Yosemite National Park

Photo by Rakshith Hatwar Yosemite National Park has been closed to the human public for over two weeks now, and it…

5 April

This Week’s ‘Super Pink Moon’ Will Be the Biggest and Brightest of 2020

Photo by Ganapathy Kumar Another supermoon will appear over the night sky this week, and it will be the biggest and…

3 April

California Untamed Postpones 330-Mile Trail Run from Arcata to Mt. Shasta Until 2021

Ryan Spitz, Founder of California Untamed, took to social media to announce he will be postponing the inaugural 330-mile trail…

3 April

Local Artists Selected to Paint Mural on Tahoe’s East Shore Trail

Tyler Rivenbark and Frida Ticehurst-Rivenbark, a husband and wife art and design duo based in North Lake Tahoe In response…

3 April

April Showers: Rain and Snow Forecast to Pound Northern California this Weekend

April 1st arrived with the California Department of Water Resources announcing that California snowpack sat at a paltry 53 percent…

3 April

Key Ingredient for Coronavirus Testing Comes from Lassen’s Hydrothermal Waters

Boiling Springs Lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Photo: Lassen Volcanic NP The gates of Lassen Volcanic National Park remain…

2 April

Sierra Snow Survey Reveals California Snowpack to be Nearly Half of Average

Photo: California Department of Water Resources While many California residents remain hunkered in their residences waiting for the Coronavirus outbreak…

Mar- 2020 -

31 March

Watch a Fly Fisherman Catch a Big Bass Under the Golden Gate Bridge

For enthusiastic fishermen in Northern California, the typical trip to land some big fish doesn’t typically bring us to San…

31 March

Silver Lining: Travel Ban Could Significantly Improve Tahoe’s Water Clarity

At the outset of the Coronavirus outbreak in California, the visitor’s bureaus in the Tahoe asked people not to visit…

30 March

An Empty Yosemite Looks Like a Winter Wonderland with a Fresh Coat of Snow

The Coronavirus outbreak has closed the gates of Yosemite National Park for the foreseeable future. It’s a sobering outlook for…

29 March

$1.7 Million Granted to Lassen National Forest and NorCal Watershed for Wildfire Restoration

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and U.S. Forest Service announced $1.7 million in grants to restore forests and…

29 March

How to Go Ice Fishing on Mount Shasta’s Castle Lake

Now here’s something you don’t see everyday in Northern California. In the wintertime in Mount Shasta, visitors to Castle Lake…

29 March

California State Parks Closes Vehicle Access to ALL 280 Parks Due to Coronavirus

Flickr/Steven Bratman In a drastic move inspired by growing visitation numbers in lieu of California’s shelter-in-place mandate, California State Parks…

28 March

Lassen Volcanic National Park Closes All Access Due to Coronavirus

Following another round of closures for outdoor destinations in Northern California due to the Coronavirus outbreak, Lassen Volcanic National Park…

27 March

California Closes Vehicle Access to 59 More State Parks Due to Coronavirus

Castle Crags State Park – Closed California State Parks today announced it is temporarily closing vehicle access to 59 additional…

27 March

PCT Association Asks Thru-Hikers to Cancel Pacific Crest Trail Plans

Photo: Pacific Crest Trail Association The Pacific Crest Trail Association, the organization responsible for preserving, protecting and promoting the PCT,…

27 March

Finding NorCal’s Best Secret Fishing Spots

In a crowded pub I had one of those “TV commercial” moments. My buddy and I were talking fishing when…

26 March

Forest Service Closes Developed Recreation Sites in California Until April 30

*Press release from the USDA Forest Service USDA Forest Service appreciates the public’s interest in outdoor recreation, particularly in light…

25 March

Watch Huell Howser Take on Northern California Waterfalls

Huell Howser is a California legend. His adventures in the state showed a whole generation all the beautiful and historical…

24 March

NorCal Park Closures Mount as Coronavirus Quarantine Tightens

Lake Ilsanjo at Annadel State Park in Sonoma County. Flickr/harminder dhesi First it was Yosemite National Park. Then it was…

23 March

Watch Fishermen Go Crazy After Catching 50-Pound Striped Bass on the Sacramento River

View this post on Instagram #nowords #fuckcaronavirus #wefish #trophyhunting #beastmode #dreamsdocometrue #guidedfishing #riverlife #guidelife #swimbaits #swimbaitunderground #glidebait @delta_fisher @denisisbister @slyguylures…

23 March

Outdoors

Yosemite National Park is Eerily Empty as Coronavirus Closure Continues

Bridalveil Falls in Yosemite National Park The Coronavirus outbreak in Northern California has created eery situations throughout the area. The…

22 March

Bay Area

Areas of Point Reyes National Seashore Closed Due to ‘Unprecedented Visitation’

As California residents look for ways to practice social distance amidst the “stay-in-place” mandate, outdoor destinations in Northern California are…

21 March

News

New Storm Forecast to Bring 2 Feet of Snow to NorCal Mountains this Week

Photo: National Weather Service Although this winter has been wildly disappointing in terms of precipitation in Northern California, March storms…