BIZARRE: State parks - What They Never Told You

Margaret Minshall donated 400 acres; it is now Oakoasis Open Space Preserve

Land transfers often outlast the people who make them, and Margaret Minshall's are a good example. She was a retired high school teacher and avid equestrian. In 1971, she gave more than 400 acres of her Oakasis Ranch, near the San Vicente Reservoir, to the County of San Diego. Four…

The Times of India · Oct 2

In 1982, a California cheese maker donated thousands of acres from his dairy ranch; 44 years later crews removed his old cattle levees and reconnected the San Joaquin River to 220 acres of floodplain

For over 70 years, a section of California’s San Joaquin River was cut off from the land it once naturally fed. Old levees, not built to hold back a river but to hold cattle, had quietly changed the landscape. Then in 2026 crews started to undo that history. Great Valley…

The Times of India · Aug 21

Shark attack off California leaves surfer, 39, with injuries to both legs and forces beach closure

The victim was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Authorities have not yet released an update on his medical status

The Independent UK · Mar 20

8 of the best State Parks in the US for hiking

The extensive network of 6,000 State Parks across the country harbor some of the most enchanting and dazzling landscapes you’ll ever set eyes on

Advnture · Jul 15, 2023

‘He went on a rampage’: Man allegedly barricaded himself at Hearst Castle after stealing truck

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — A man stole a pickup truck from a Cambria Community Services District utility yard on Sunday and drove up Highway 1 to Hearst Castle before barricading himself in one of the San Simeon estate’s historic guest houses, officials said.

Tribune News Service · Feb 27, 2023

What states don't have bears – and can I even go hiking in them?

We do some digging and find out what hiking adventures are out there among the US states for the extra bear aware adventurer

Advnture · Feb 20, 2023

California State Library Parks Pass Program Expands Availability In 2023

The California State Library is once again teaming up with California State Parks to offer all valid library card holders access to Parks Passes to check out.

RideApart · Feb 2, 2023

Disease nearly wiped out sea stars on California’s Central Coast. Is the population recovering?

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Crouching low among rocky tidepools nearly completely covered with sharp-shelled mussels, California State Parks interpretive manager Robyn Chase gave out a sharp cry.

Tribune News Service · Jan 1, 2023

Folsom’s historic Negro Bar will undergo a temporary name change from California parks

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California State Parks Commission on Friday voted to temporarily rename Folsom’s lakeside Negro Bar recreation area, changing it at least for the time being to Black Miners Bar.

Tribune News Service · Jun 18, 2022

Anza-Borrego park faces claims of neglecting rain ‘guzzlers,’ leading to bighorn sheep deaths

SAN DIEGO — Mark Jorgensen scowled, squinting under the desert sun on a recent afternoon in the Vallecito Mountains south of Borrego Springs.

Tribune News Service · May 30, 2022