Free Republic

Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Santa Cruz County is partially reopening later this month—with reservations accepted starting Friday for limited day-use access—for the first time since the CZU Lightning Complex Fire destroyed much of the park in August 2020. The fire burned more than 97 percent of the park, destroying its headquarters, campgrounds, employee housing and nearly every other structure, and the park is still without electricity, running water or phone service, California State Parks officials said. Big Basin will partially reopen starting July 22 to allow visitors to explore the Redwood Loop and about 18 miles of fire...

Brian Laundrie admitted to killing girlfriend Gabby Petito in a notebook left in the Florida swamp where he committed suicide — but Laundrie insisted it was an act of “mercy,” according to a report Friday. “I ended her life,” he proclaims in the note, which was recovered by the FBI in October, according to Fox News. “I thought it was merciful, that it is what she wanted, but I see now all the mistakes I made. I panicked. I was in shock.”

Official says the fire was likely started by an illegal campsiteA tragic loss in the North Bay, where one of the last remaining old growth redwoods in Marin County was destroyed by a fire this week. The Pioneer Tree inside Samuel P. Taylor State Park was hundreds of years old. Fire officials believe an illegal campsite could be to blame. "It's lost forever," said Marin County Fire Chief Jason Weber. Fire crews were still on scene of a blaze on Friday which destroyed an iconic piece of Samuel P. Taylor State Park, known as the Pioneer Tree. The loss is...

California State Parks will be doing more than a week of prescribed burns at Wilder Ranch State Park in Santa Cruz. The burns will take place between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. starting Wednesday, Oct. 27, and will run through Friday, Nov. 5. Proactive monitoring and patrol will continue throughout the burns. The burns are not only to reduce wildfire risk, but to enhance the health of the grassland by removing dead brush, leaves, and roots, which will, in turn, restore essential nutrients to the soil. People throughout Monterey Bay can expect to see smoke lingering until the burns are...

After nearly two years of being closed to the public, Castro Adobe State Historic Park will once again invite people to come learn about an important part of California history.After nearly two years of being closed to the public, Castro Adobe State Historic Park will once again invite people to come learn about an important part of California history. Located on a hill off of Larkin Valley Road and overlooking the Pajaro Valley, Castro Adobe’s main draw is a historic, two-story hacienda built between 1848-49 by Juan Jose Castro, son of Jose Joaquin Castro (an original member of the Juan...

The historic Pioneer Cabin Tree, a former "drive-through" giant sequoia in Calaveras Big Trees State Park in Calaveras County, was felled in California's weekend storms. The tree was hollowed out in the 1880s to allow tourists to pass through it, and even allowed cars, but more recently has hosted only hikers. It was part of the "Big Trees Trail" at the state park. Jim Allday of Arnold is a volunteer at the park who was working there Sunday. He said the tree went down about 2 p.m. and "shattered" on impact.

A pair of hikers who had been rescued after getting lost in the fog and rain inside a Maine state park drowned on Tuesday night when their car plunged into the water off a boat launch as they were trying to leave. Amy Stiner, 37, and Melissa Moyer, 38, were found dead inside a minivan in 20 feet of water about 175 feet from the boat ramp on the edge of Roque Bluffs State Park, the Washington County Sheriff's Department said. A dog, a pit bull mix who was with them, also drowned. Officials say the women, who had just...

Named the Silver Moon Diamond since its discovery happened during the weekend of the full moon supermoon event. Melissa and Kenny Oliver of Rosston, Arkansas, enjoy the adventure of treasure hunting, so they make regular visits to the Crater of Diamonds State Park to prospect at Arkansas’s diamond site. On Sunday afternoon the couple found a flawless, 2.44-carat white diamond at the park. Due of the gem’s silver white color, and because it was discovered during the weekend of a full moon “supermoon” event, the couple named their diamond the Silver Moon. According to Park Interpreter Margi Jenks, “The Oliver’s...

A Baton Rouge, LA woman visiting Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro found an apparently flawless 2.09-carat white diamond the size of a tooth. Rhonda Bankston reportedly says she found out about the park's surface diamond prospecting on a show about finding cash and treasure. She was into her second day of prospecting by surface searching over a newly plowed field with friends when she spotted the gem. The park is located on the eroded surface of the world's eighth largest diamond-bearing deposit and visitors pay a fee to surface search there.

A 39-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson near Malibu Creek State Park, a sheriff's deputy said Sunday. Suren Sahakyan was booked on suspicion of arson at the sheriff's Lost Hills Station and held in lieu of $75,000 bail, said Deputy Byron Ward of the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau. An area resident saw the man on shoulder of Stokes Canyon Road near Mulholland Highway, starting a fire using paper and leaves about 5:20 p.m. Saturday, Ward said. The resident stomped out the fire, and Sahakyan fled but was caught by sheriff's deputies a short distance away.

An out-of-control fire that has burned at least 5,200 acres and destroyed one building near Henry Coe State Park east of Morgan Hill continues to threaten about 50 private cabins in the area. The rapidly spreading blaze, called the Lick Fire, began Monday at 1:46 p.m. and was fanned by gusty winds. It is about 10 miles from the Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton, according to a fire spokesman. The observatory is not endangered, but campers were evacuated from the state park Monday. "It is serious," said San Mateo County Battalion Chief Scott Jalbert, who assisted Cal Fire in tackling...

Amid breezy conditions, firefighters this afternoon were scrambling to fight a brush fire that quickly scorched 200 acres outside of Morgan Hill near Henry Coe State Park, authorities said. Crews are using 10 Cal Fire engines, two helicopters and the DC-10 Air Tanker to battle the Lick Fire. No homes or buildings are currently threatened. Bay Area residents reported thick plumes of smoke billowing out over the ridge line and traffic on Highway 101 between Gilroy and Morgan Hill had slowed. "It is serious," said county Battalion Chief Scott Jalbert. "This has the potential of being a major fire."

I was up in the Indian Peaks Wilderness area (Brainard Lake) today for my afternoon training run about 5 miles west of Ward, Colorado which is about 12 miles WNW of Boulder. As I turned off of Peak to Peak highway (Colorado State HWY 72) onto the road leading upto Brainard Lake I immediately noticed cars coming down that were covered with a few inches of snow. A few miles west towards the trailhead were my training run was to start it was snowing, lightning and thundering. There was about 3 to 4 inches of heavy wet snow everywhere. Here...

DAVENPORT, Calif. - The state acquired five miles of beaches and rugged coastline in Santa Cruz County on Friday, bringing public ownership to one of the longest stretches of private beachfront property in Northern California. The state Public Works Board voted to accept 407 beachfront acres of Coast Dairies Ranch, which consists of 6,845 acres of redwood forests, artichoke fields and rolling hills northwest of Santa Cruz. The beaches, including Panther Beach, Bonny Doon Beach and Davenport Bluffs, will become part of a new state park that will be opened to the public and patrolled by rangers over the next...

BAKER LAKE, Wash. (AP) - Rain-eeeeer .... Bear? When state Fish and Wildlife agents recently found a black bear passed out on the lawn of Baker Lake Resort, there were some clues scattered nearby - dozens of empty cans of Rainier Beer. The bear apparently got into campers' coolers and used his claws and teeth to puncture the cans. And not just any cans. "He drank the Rainier and wouldn't drink the Busch beer," said Lisa Broxson, bookkeeper at the campground and cabins resort east of Mount Baker. Fish and Wildlife enforcement Sgt. Bill Heinck said the bear did try...