stories
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Destinations
Celebrate Veteran’s Day at Living Memorial Sculpture Garden Near Mount Shasta
Photo: Discover Siskiyou Every year, Veteran’s Day sits as a reminder to all Americans about the sacrifice made by the…
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Stories
Documentary About the Deadly Avalanche on Alpine Meadows Coming to Video on Demand
On March 31, 1982, a large avalanche hit Alpine Meadows, burying the main lodge and parking lot in 20 feet of…
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News
Witnesses Claim Meteorite Destroyed Northern California Home During Taurid Meteor Shower
Many people saw a massive fireball flying across the sky in Northern California during the Taurids meteor shower Friday night.…
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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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News
What Was It? Giant Fireball Lights Up Northern California Sky.
Many people were shocked to see a massive light moving quickly across the Northern California sky Friday night. No, it…
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Shasta Cascade
Mt. Shasta’s Brand-New Gray Butte Lift is Finished. Here’s How it Will Completely Transform the Mountain.
View of the Mt. Shasta Ski Park from the brand-new Gray Butte lift. Photo by Mt. Shasta Ski Park. The…
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Stories
A Total Lunar Eclipse Called the ‘Beaver Blood Moon’ Will Light Up the Night Sky this Week
Photo by Zoltan Tasi This week will see a spectacular lunar event with the “Beaver Blood Moon” lighting up the night…
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Outdoors
Celebrating 50 Years of ‘Wild Trout Waters’ in California
Hat Creek in Shasta County is forever linked with CDFW’s Heritage and Wild Trout Program as one of the first…
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Stories
Movie Review: Find Northern California Views in a Spooky Setting in ‘Hotel Dunsmuir’
The film “Hotel Dunsmuir” is out, and just in time for a spooky NorCal Halloween. How do you make Dunsmuir,…
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Stories
Movie Crew Shares Haunting Experiences While Filming ‘Hotel Dunsmuir’ in Northern California
The newly-release Hotel Dunsmuir has been a hit for audiences this Halloween season, receiving positive reviews and earning Michael Zaiko…
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Stories
The Legends and Mysteries of Siskiyou County
Photo by Marco Bicca It’s well documented that the areas surrounding Mount Shasta are full of legends and mysteries. From paranormal…
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Outdoors
5 Survival Lessons From the Northern California Man Lost in Yosemite For Nearly a Week
Photo by Jason Strull When Alan Chow solo-hiked into the Yosemite National Park wilderness in the spring of 2018, he had…
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Wildlife
Meet the Underwater Fly that Rules Mono Lake by Living Underwater
Over 100 years ago, writer Mark Twain observed the case of some “incredibly weird” flies in Mono Lake, near Mammoth…
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History
Remembering the Deadly 75-Foot Tidal Wave that Leveled Crescent City in 1964
Beginning in Northern California and running all the way up to Alaska in the Pacific Ocean sits multiple fault lines…
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Outdoors
How NorCal’s Outdoor Opportunities Stack Up Against Yellowstone National Park
Photo by Steven Cordes I gotta admit, I’m torn on this one. I’ve recently returned from a fishing trip to Yellowstone…
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Stories
Could Mount Shasta Bring America’s Next Great Volcanic Eruption?
The recent volcanic history of Mount Shasta eludes us. For a long time, the last eruption was believed to be…
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Stories
The Dam Removal Era in Northern California Explained
While some Northern California dams are primed for removal, Shasta Dam provides crucial water storage and flood mitigation for the…
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Outdoors
How Do Northern California Wildfires Impact Wildlife and Forests?
Written by Meghan Snow Seeing a forest recently burned in a wildfire can be jarring. Green is replaced by shades…
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Outdoors
Sierra Notes: Four Characteristics of a Thriving Forest and How You Can Help Keep Them Healthy
Written By Cal Robinson When you close your eyes and think of a healthy forest, you may picture one that’s…
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Stories
The Literary Titans of Northern California – Part 2
Northern California has always attracted creative superstars, and the list of famous writers who either come from NorCal or spent…
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History
The Fascinating History of Redding Rancheria
The Wintu Tribe of Northern California When I am outdoors visiting our beautiful NorCal landmarks, curiosity always slips into my head…
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History
The Mystery Behind the Sunken World War II ‘Ghost Boat’ on Shasta Lake
Photo: U.S. Forest Service There have been plenty of historic structures revealed on Shasta Lake during severe drought. With multiple…
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Stories
Newly Released Horror Flick Features One of Our Favorite NorCal Mountain Towns
It’s not every day you get to enjoy a movie filmed in one of your favorite towns in the world.…
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Stories
Stand By Me Deleted Scene Shows Added Danger on the Famed Northern California Bridge
Stand By Me is a cult classic movie from 1986 about four curious boys wandering into the wilderness in search…
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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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North Coast
‘Lucky to be Alive’: Surfer Details Vicious Shark Attack on Northern California Coast
Jared Trainor was excited for another fun day surfing on the Northern California coast on Sunday. The Fortuna man was…
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Stories
This Underwater Trail in Lake Tahoe is Home to Shipwrecks and Other Historic Artifacts
The history of Lake Tahoe sits at the bottom of its crystal-clear water and it’s now home to an underwater…
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Video
See What it’s Like to be a Smokejumper in Northern California
It’s fire season in NorCal, which means we must keep in mind the brave men and women who put their…
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Outdoors
An Oral History of the Cantara Chemical Spill on the Sacramento River
Northern California is no stranger to disasters. Over time we’ve lived through earthquakes, volcanos, firenados, floods, mudslides and avalanches. Would…
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Stories
The Great Northern California Taco Trail
Northern California is typically known as a wonderland for outdoor enthusiasts. From Mount Shasta to cascading waterfalls to National Parks…
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Stories
The Literary Titans of Northern California – Part 1
Hunter S. Thompson began his literary journey in San Francisco When you think of famous people associated with Northern California,…
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Stories
Livin’ on the Edge: The Time Aerosmith’s Music Video Was Filmed in Northern California
Aerosmith is kind of a big deal. In case you’ve been living in a cave for the past 45 years,…
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Stories
20 Horror Movies That Take Place in Northern California
Laurie Strode had a Northern California family reunion with her psychopathic brother Michael Myers in Halloween H2O Northern California is…
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North Coast
Eel River Dam Removal is Moving Forward. It Will Create California’s Longest Free-Flowing River.
In April, PG&E’s 50-year license for the Eel River Dams expired, with the company opting against renewing the costly Potter…
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Video
UFO Over Lake Tahoe – Proof of Aliens or Elaborate Hoax?
A video on Lake Tahoe went viral worldwide as UFO experts attempt to dissect if it shows proof of alien…
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Sacramento
The Largest Corn Maze in the World Sits Right Here in Northern California
In Dixon, California sits a 63-acre fall utopia with a pumpkin patch, hay rides and the largest corn maze in…
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Stories
Want to See What the Lemurian City in Mt. Shasta Looks Like? Here Are Illustrations From the Man Who Claims to Have Visited It.
Rendition of the city of Telo in Mount Shasta from Lowell Johnson In 2021 we learned about Lowell Johnson, the…
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History
The Yosemite Camping Trip that Changed America
I call it a successful camping trip if I don’t forget the mosquito repellant and a roll of TP. But…
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History
How John Muir Almost Died on the Slopes of Mount Shasta
Many people take the slopes of Mount Shasta for granted. You may see images of people from all over the…
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Tahoe
Inside the $75 Million Lake Tahoe Mega-Mansion with a Hillside Tram
One of the most expensive mansions on Lake Tahoe is worth around $75 million and it’s one of the coolest…
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Uncategorized
The Adventures of Mark Twain in Northern California
People dream of coming to California to become the next Meryl Streep or Tom Hanks, but hardly the “father of…
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Shasta Cascade
The 5 Best Places to Go Stargazing Around Redding, California
Brought to you by Choose Redding Stars over Chaos Crags When summer arrives in Northern California, the night sky comes…
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Stories
Fighting Northern California Wildfires with a Helicopter Flamethrower
While massive wildfires continue to burn through Northern California, fire officials are always looking for new techniques to gain containment…
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Video
The West is on Fire: Short Film Documents the Lives of Surfing Firefighters in California
“I think that when people think of news here in California, they think of large-scale wildfires.” “The entire state’s a…
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Stories
Help One of Our Favorite NorCal Photographers as He Deals with 3rd Battle with Cancer
Jake and his daughter in the flowers below Lassen Peak Some of our favorite content in Northern California comes from…
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Outdoors
Yosemite is One of the Most Deadly Rock Climbing Destinations in the World. That’s Why It’s So Popular for Climbers.
Photo by Billy Onjea There are inherit dangers in any rock climbing scenario. Sturdy equipment, knowledge of your surroundings and climbing…
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Sacramento
The Bats of the Yolo Causeway Marvel Onlookers with Nightly ‘Batnadoe’
Flickr/Bev Sykes Every summer just west of Sacramento, roughly a quarter of a million migrating Mexican free-tailed bats settle at…
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Stories
The Mysterious Case of the UFO that Flew Over Northern California
The incident began at about 4:30 pm on a seemingly normal day in 2017 when the air traffic controller from…
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Stories
Nostalgic Northern California National Park Posters to Hang in Your Home
Rob Decker grew up in the Bay Area and found a love for National Parks at a young age. He…
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Stories
The Story Behind the Famed Traffic Sign that Kept Getting Stolen in Weed, California
There have been far too many giggles from people driving through Northern California near Mount Shasta who come across the…
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North Coast
Watch Rob Lowe Search for Bigfoot in the Northern California Wilderness
It’s no secret that Northern California sits as the unofficial home of Bigfoot. So when Rob Lowe and his sons…
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History
The History Behind the Extravagant Castle Along the McCloud River
You’ve probably heard of the Hearst Castle, the magnificent residence of newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst. But have you heard…
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Stories
Redding Woodworker Creates $65k Table from 1,500-Year-Old Redwood Tree
A woodworking company in Redding recently created a table from a 1,500-year-old redwood tree, selling it to a local restaurant…
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History
The Real Life Zorro: The Life and Legend of Joaquin Murieta
Some say he was a good man turned renegade when all he held dear was taken from him. Others claim…
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Video
Big Basin’s Story: How a Wildfire Completely Changed California’s Oldest State Park
On August 18, 2020, the CZU Lightning Complex Fire blazed through California’s oldest state park – the Big Basin Redwoods.…
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Stories
How We Witnessed the Filming of Top Gun: Maverick in Northern California
It was a beautiful morning in February 2020 when Brien O’Brien (Bob) and I began our 9-mile hike to Feather…
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Stories
How the Carr Fire Ushered ‘The New Normal’ into Northern California
On July 23rd, 2018, a flat tire on a trailer sparked a wildfire in the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. 39…
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Wildlife
An Ode to Squirrels: The Badass Rodents Living in Your Backyard
Photo by Simone Mascellari When a buddy asked if I had seen any of the “Squirrel vs. Rattlesnake” videos on YouTube,…
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History
The History of NorCal Names – How Redding Was Once Named ‘Reading’
Photo courtesy of the Shasta Historical Foundation Redding, California sits center stage in Northern California, nestled comfortably smack dab in…
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History
This Northern California Ghost Town is Cursed, According to its Visitors
Flickr/Robert Shea The workers at the Bodie State Historic Park are used to receiving letters in the mail talking about…
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Sacramento
An Urban Hike to Explore Sacramento’s Spectacular Murals
Improv Alley in Sacramento’s Midtown District It was a beautiful day in Sacramento so I set out to take an…
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History
The Good Guys and Bad Guys of Historic Northern California – Part 1
Hollywood is obsessed with “good guys and bad guys,” and why not? There’s something very satisfying when good triumphs over…
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Stories
The Zodiac Signs as Northern California Destinations
Just like human beings around the world, the destinations of Northern California have distinct characteristics that can bring out thoughts…
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Stories
Why Are There Old Train Tracks Going Into Lake Tahoe?
If you’ve ever explored the breathtaking beaches of Lake Tahoe, you may have noticed a rare sight of railroad tracks…
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Stories
The Rich History of Star Wars in Northern California
It was in the 1950’s, just east of the Bay Area in Modesto, California, where a young man named George…
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History
Courageous Explorer or Bloodthirsty Killer? The Sobering Truth About Kit Carson in Northern California
Who hasn’t heard of Kit Carson, the steely mountain man, courageous explorer, military hero, character in numerous dime novels and…
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Yosemite-Mammoth
The Weird Controversy Behind the New ‘Tenaya Stone’ at Disneyland
Photo: Disneyland Resort Disneyland recently opened the Tenaya Stone Spa at the Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, boasting a…
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News
Geologists War ‘Ring of Fire’ Volcanoes in Northern California are Due to Erupt
Photo by Deanna Lewis With the volcanic eruption of Kilauea in Hawaii last year, geologists are on high alert for the…
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History
Historic Photos Show Lumberjacks Chopping Down the Giant Northern California Redwoods
Northern California is known for being the home of some of the oldest and largest trees in the world. The…
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Stories
Guardians of the River: How the Yurok Tribe is Fighting to Save their Sacred Klamath
“Being a Yurok person, the river is our lifeblood. It’s just as important as the air we breathe.” The project…
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Stories
Literary Review: ‘A Wall of White’ Humanizes One of the Deadliest Avalanches in American History
The list of special places in NorCal is endless, but besides getting out there and forming your own impressions, it’s…
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Stories
Ancient Aliens Dives Deep into the Mysteries and Unexplained Disappearances of Mount Shasta
The mysteries of Mount Shasta have been heavily documented on this website. Our admitted obsession with the iconic mountain and…
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Destinations
22 Jaw-Dropping Outdoor Destinations to Visit in Northern California in 2022
We did it! We survived 2021! With a crazy year in the rearview mirror, it’s about time we look forward…
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Tahoe
Short Film Explains the Importance of Removing the Word ‘Squaw’ from the Tahoe Basin
We have seen the typical “comment section warrior” nonsense when it comes to the name change surrounding what is now…
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North Coast
Unique Northern California Redwood Forest Permanently Returned to its Indigenous Tribe
Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ, 523 acres of forestland donated to the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council. Photo by Max Forster, courtesy of Save the…
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North Coast
Everything You Need to Know About Jason Segel’s New Movie Filmed Entirely in Northern California
At the end of 2020, a Hollywood film crew descended on Humboldt County to film Jason Segel’s newest movies. With…
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History
These Stagecoach Drivers Were the Rock Stars of California in the 1800’s
Mark Twain tried, but no matter how good a storyteller you are, you just can’t make this stuff up. Historic…
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Yosemite-Mammoth
Why Are There License Plates Sticking Out of Trees in Yosemite National Park?
Photo: National Park Service If you’re on a summer hike in Yosemite National Park, you may come across one of…
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Stories
Dog Lost in Caldor Fire Found 4 Months Later in the Snowy Sierra
Photo: Tahoe PAWS a Community Animal Response Team When the Caldor Fire moved through the mountains west of South Lake…
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Stories
The Top 10 Active NorCal Stories from 2021
Another great year here at Active NorCal! The New Year brings new vitality at the Active NorCal office as we…
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Stories
NorCal Nerds: What Did Northern California Look Like Millions of Years Ago?
One of Active NorCal’s priorities is inspiring people to get out there and get active, to get off the couch…
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Stories
How to Shop Local this Holiday Season in Siskiyou County
Brought to you by Discover Siskiyou Five Marys Farms The Holiday season has arrived in Northern California and we couldn’t…
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Stories
NorCal Rocks: The Fascinating Geological Story of Northern California
Lassen Peak Geology is not considered terribly exciting, probably because most of it happens in ultra, ultra, ultra slow-motion. But…
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Stories
Famed Pioneer Stephen Meek Arrived in Northern California in the 1800’s. He Was Probably Just Lost.
When Christopher Columbus discovered the “New World,” (Cuba and the Bahamas, really) he was convinced he had landed on the…
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History
Who Was Jim Beckwourth? A Life as Big as America
How do you take the measure of a man? It usually begins with facts documented and witnessed by credible sources.…
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Stories
A Guide to Cutting Down Your Own Christmas Tree in the Northern California Wilderness
It’s that time of year again. With the holiday season upon us in Northern California, it’s time to knock the…
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Stories
50 Years Later, this Bigfoot Footage Filmed in Northern California Keeps the Legend Alive
Bigfoot remains one of the most popular legends and mysteries in the United States. Thousands of sightings and the never…
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Stories
Why Does Whiskeytown Lake Stay Full of Water Year-Round?
With Northern California’s lakes and rivers experiencing drastically low water levels from the historic drought, there’s one lake you can…
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Stories
Famed Camp Fire Muralist Brings His Hauntingly Beautiful Art to Greenville
When the Camp Fire burned through the town of Paradise in 2018, muralist Shane Grammer decided to bring his art…
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Stories
Experience the Beautiful Fall Salmon Run on the Klamath River
Brought to you by Discover Siskiyou It’s fall in Northern California, which means the salmon who were once hatched in…
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Stories
Has Infighting Between CalFire and the Forest Service Slowed Firefighting Efforts in Northern California?
The brave firefighters battling the dangerous and fast-moving fires in Northern California put their lives on the line to protect…
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Stories
Dear Armchair Experts – This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things
It’s the internet age. Everyone’s done their own “research” and thinks they are an expert on everything. It’s become a…
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Stories
Journal of a First-Time Home Brewer – Part 1: Overcoming Anxiety and Finding a Recipe
I never knew there was such a thing as “brewer’s anxiety,” until it smacked me in the face. While it…
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Tahoe
Palisades Prognostications: Why Squaw Valley Got it Right with its New Name and Logo
We’ve deliberated for more than a decade about whether Squaw Valley should change its name. Today, the right decision was…
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Uncategorized
Could Parts of Northern California Become Uninhabitable?
Like a whole lot of people, I’ve been trying to avoid the question. Residents of NorCal tend to love where…
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Stories
Are There Frozen Bodies at the Bottom of Lake Tahoe?
Sitting at 6,225 feet elevation as the largest alpine lake in North America, there is plenty to be fascinated with…
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Stories
An Inside Look at the UC Davis Master Brewers Program – One of the Most Prestigious in America
Photo: Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis Residents of NorCal love their beer. But how many knew the oldest and most prestigious Master…
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History
Jedediah Smith’s Travels Through Northern California – Part 2: Strong Was His Middle Name
Every time he visited California he got arrested. When a grizzly bear chewed off his hair and ear, he had…
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History
Jedediah Smith’s Travels Through Northern California – Part 1: The First White Settlers of NorCal
There is little doubt the standards have changed for what it means to qualify as a “bad dude.” NorCal has…
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Stories
Man Claims to Have Recently Visited with Lemurians Inside Mount Shasta
Since diving deep into the legends of Lemurians in Mount Shasta (and posting my findings on this website), I have…
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