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News
Dying Redwood Outside California Courthouse Gets New Life as a Chainsaw-Carved Bear
A century-old redwood tree outside the historic Merced County Courthouse is getting a second chapter, thanks to a chainsaw and…
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Yosemite-Mammoth
New HBO Docu-Series Explores the Life and Legacy of Yosemite Climbing Legend Dean Potter
A new HBO docu-series is shining a light on one of Yosemite Valley’s most compelling and complicated climbing figures. “The…
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History
The Bizarre Story of the Horse that Summited Mount Shasta in 1903
Photo by Sebastien Goldberg Who isn’t fascinated with standing on top of NorCal’s premier active volcano, the formidable Mt. Shasta?…
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Destinations
This California Campground is Nearly Impossible to Get a Reservation
With a plethora of national and state parks, California is home to numerous coveted camping spots. However, one campground in…
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News
Rebounding Chinook Populations Bring Back California’s Ocean Salmon Season
California’s ocean salmon fishing season is making a major comeback in 2026 after three consecutive years of commercial closure and…
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Tahoe
Final Report on Deadly Lake Tahoe Avalanche Skiers Had Lifesaving Equipment That Never Activated
The National Avalanche Center has released its final report on the February avalanche near Donner Summit that killed nine skiers,…
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News
California Pulls Funding From Tribal Salmon Restoration on the McCloud River
A tribal-led effort to bring endangered winter-run Chinook salmon back to the McCloud River above Lake Shasta is in danger…
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News
California Just Recorded Its Second Lowest April Snowpack Ever
California’s snowpack is in crisis. The Department of Water Resources conducted its annual April snow survey at Phillips Station on…
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Wildlife
California’s Coastal Birds Are Dying in Unusual Numbers and Wildlife Officials Finally Know the Cause
California beachgoers have been encountering an unsettling sight lately — dead and dying seabirds washing ashore along much of the…
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Tahoe
Sierra Storm Delivers 2-Feet of New Snow to Palisades Tahoe
A powerful two-part storm system brought significant snowfall to Palisades Tahoe, with the resort potentially reaching a 2-foot storm total…
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Random
Yosemite to Add Escalator to Half Dome for Easier Access
*Happy April Fool’s Day! This article is part of the Active NorCal April Fool’s Day Extravaganza. Don’t @ us. In…
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Random
Lake Tahoe Installs Velvet Rope at Sand Harbor to Manage “Beach Influencer” Traffic
Nevada State Parks has taken an unconventional approach to managing crowds at one of Lake Tahoe’s most popular beaches this…
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Random
Lassen Volcanic National Park Installs “No Cold Plunges” Sign at Boiling Springs Lake
*Happy April Fool’s Day! This article is part of the Active NorCal April Fool’s Day Extravaganza. Don’t @ us. Lassen…
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Random
NorCal Brewery Releases IPA Brewed With Actual Sierra Nevada Snowmelt
*Happy April Fool’s Day! This article is part of the Active NorCal April Fool’s Day Extravaganza. Don’t @ us. A…
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Random
Yosemite Introduces Express Lane for Influencers at Half Dome
*Happy April Fool’s Day! This article is part of the Active NorCal April Fool’s Day Extravaganza. Don’t @ us. Yosemite…
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Uncategorized
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News
Drone Helps Rescuers Find Injured Hiker in Remote American River Canyon
A drone played a key role in locating an injured hiker deep in a remote stretch of the South Fork…
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Stories
The Mystery of the Severed Leg Found on a Northern California Beach Has Been Solved
A leg bone discovered by a family searching for seashells at Salmon Creek Beach in 2022 has finally been identified,…
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Outdoors
California Ski Resorts Are Closing Early All Over the State
California’s ski season is ending well ahead of schedule. A brutal March heat wave, combined with a lackluster winter overall,…
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Outdoors
Helicopter Crew Rescues Three People Trapped in Fast-Moving Water on the Russian River
A Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office helicopter crew pulled off a dramatic swiftwater rescue on the Russian River south of Healdsburg…
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Destinations
Lassen Volcanic National Park Could Open Its Highway Earlier Than Usual This Year
Crews are gearing up to begin clearing the Lassen National Park Highway, and a below-average snowpack this year could mean…
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News
Lake Tahoe Sees Biggest Winter Water Boost in Recent Memory
A stretch of winter storms has delivered a massive water boost to Lake Tahoe, with roughly 16 billion gallons flowing…
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Destinations
The Rugged Hike to the Abandoned Punta Gorda Lighthouse on the Northern California Coast
Tucked deep along the rugged Lost Coast, the abandoned Punta Gorda Lighthouse is one of Northern California’s most rewarding off-the-grid…
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History
This Popular Northern California Destination was Once the Scene of a Bloody Battle in 1855
Photo by Brandon DesJarlais We know Castle Crags as the beautiful Northern California wilderness area settled just between Shasta Lake and…
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Wildlife
A Massive Salmon Release Hit the Sacramento River This Week at the Worst Possible Time
More than 6.2 million juvenile fall-run Chinook salmon were released from the Coleman National Fish Hatchery into Battle Creek this…
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Tahoe
Record Spring Heat Is Forcing Tahoe’s Largest Ski Resort to Close Weeks Earlier Than Planned
Palisades Tahoe, long known as the last Lake Tahoe resort standing each spring, is pulling the plug about a month…
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News
Prescribed Burns Are Scheduled Near Weaverville and Shasta Lake This Week
The Shasta-Trinity National Forest is set to begin prescribed burn operations starting Sunday, March 29, with activity potentially running through…
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Outdoors
Lake Oroville Is Nearly Full and DWR Is Working to Hold Onto Every Drop
Lake Oroville is sitting at 89 percent capacity, and the Department of Water Resources is focused on keeping it that…
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Tahoe
Lake Tahoe’s Priciest Home Ever Just Sold and the Number Is Staggering
Lake Tahoe’s real estate record didn’t just get broken — it got demolished. A lakefront estate in Incline Village traded…
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Outdoors
A Snorkeling Biologist Just Captured Something Never Before Photographed in a Northern California Creek
Photo via NPS / Michael Reichmuth A fish biologist got more than he bargained for during a routine snorkel survey…
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North Coast
California Condors Nest in Northern California Redwoods for the First Time in a Century
Photo via the Yurok Tribe Two young California condors are making history deep in Northern California’s redwood country. Program officials…
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Wildlife
Chinook Salmon Hatch in Upper Klamath Basin for First Time in Over a Century
For the first time in more than a century, young Chinook salmon are swimming in the tributaries of Upper Klamath…
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News
Vacation Rental Host Accused of Secretly Filming Guests Near Yosemite
Authorities in Madera County want to hear from anyone who booked a stay at a short-term rental on Granite Butte…
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Waterfalls
Discover Glen Alpine Falls: A Must-Visit Gem Near South Lake Tahoe
Looking for a quick, scenic escape near South Lake Tahoe? Glen Alpine Falls should definitely be on your list! Tucked…
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Outdoors
OPINION: I Almost Always Side with Environmentalists. Sites Reservoir Is the Exception.
When I started Active NorCal, I made a commitment to champion conservation. Northern California’s wild places, its rivers, forests, and…
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News
Kayaker Dies After Capsizing on Tomales Bay Near Point Reyes
A weekend kayaking outing on Tomales Bay ended in tragedy after a 37-year-old Los Angeles woman died when her kayak…
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Shasta Cascade
A Splitboarder’s Rough Day Above 12,000 Feet on Mount Shasta Ended With a Team Rescue
A splitboarder’s backcountry session on Mount Shasta took a serious turn on March 20 when altitude sickness left him stranded…
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News
Rangers Arrest Yosmite Base Jumper for Instagram Video. He Claims its AI.
A Southern California man is facing federal charges after rangers say he illegally BASE jumped inside Yosemite National Park and…
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News
Pilot Killed in Plane Crash Near Olympic Valley While Approaching Truckee Tahoe Airport
A pilot was killed Sunday evening when a small plane crashed in remote, rugged terrain southwest of Olympic Valley while…
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Weather
The Numbers Behind Northern California’s Historic March Heat Wave
Northern California just lived through a heat wave that had no business showing up in March. Sacramento broke daily high…
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Tahoe
19-Year-Old Petaluma Man Found Dead in the Truckee River After Multi-Day Search
A 19-year-old Petaluma man who disappeared while swimming in the Truckee River near Floriston on Saturday has been found dead…
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News
Skunk Train Guides Stumbled Upon a Missing Hiker in the Redwoods and Helped Save Her Life
A woman who had been missing for several days in the redwood forest near Camp Noyo was rescued on March…
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News
Sierra Snowmelt Is Running Two Months Early and Northern California Water Managers Are Racing to Keep Up
Record-breaking March heat is melting California’s Sierra snowpack at a rate of roughly 1% per day, pushing runoff into reservoirs…
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News
Gray Whale Found Dead Near the Golden Gate Bridge Was Likely Struck by a Ship
A 42-foot gray whale found floating in San Francisco Bay near the Golden Gate Bridge earlier this week was likely…
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Outdoors
A 300-Mile Trail Through Northern California’s Redwoods Is One Step Closer to Reality
One of the most ambitious trail projects in the country just took a major step forward. The Great Redwood Trail…
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Yosemite-Mammoth
Yosemite’s Attendance Climbed in 2025 and Dropping Reservations Could Send 2026 Even Higher
Yosemite National Park welcomed more than 4.2 million visitors in 2025, a jump of 156,000 over the previous year and…
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Wildlife
Dead Seabirds Washing Up on Point Reyes Beaches Linked to Avian Influenza
Avian influenza appears to have made its way to Point Reyes National Seashore after a sharp uptick in dead seabirds…
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Shasta Cascade
The Push to Raise Shasta Dam Just Got $40 Million in Federal Backing
The federal government is putting $40 million toward early planning efforts to raise Shasta Dam, reigniting a debate that has…
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Outdoors
Crystal Cave at Sequoia National Park Is Open Again and Tickets Are on Sale Now
One of California’s most spectacular underground experiences is gearing up for another season. Crystal Cave at Sequoia National Park opens…
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Tahoe
Lake Tahoe’s Snow Is Melting So Fast It Could Set a Historic Low in Two Weeks
Lake Tahoe’s snowpack is vanishing at a startling pace, and the consequences could stretch well beyond ski season. State officials…
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Tahoe
Popular Tahoe Ski Resort Announces Early Closure Due to Lack of Snow
Sierra-at-Tahoe is pulling the plug on its 79th season this Sunday, wrapping things up as warm weather and a snowless…
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Outdoors
Two Northern California Ski Resorts Call It Quits as Dismal Snow Season Takes Its Toll
A lackluster winter has caught up with two California ski areas, both of which are wrapping up operations well ahead…
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Yosemite-Mammoth
Warm Weather Set to Melt Yosemite Snow and Boost Waterfalls
Yosemite National Park is shifting quickly from winter to spring, with temperatures expected to climb into the 80s this week…
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Tahoe
Lake Tahoe License Plates Fund $1.2 Million in New Basin Projects
Specialty Lake Tahoe license plates in Nevada are doing more than decorating cars. The program recently generated $1.2 million in…
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Wildlife
California Reviewing Program That Compensates Ranchers for Wolf Losses
As gray wolves continue to reclaim territory across Northern California, state wildlife officials are taking a closer look at a…
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