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Yosemite Launches Lottery System for Half Dome Cable Climbing

2012-01-22T21:40:45Z

Yosemite National Park will use a lottery system to allocate Day Use Permits for climbing the Half Dome cables during the summer 2012 season, with the preseason drawing conducted through www.recreation.gov.

"We are trying to eliminate (permit) scalping, and to make the process as fair as possible for park visitors," Yosemite National Park spokesperson Kari Cobb told OldWestNewWest.com Travel & History Magazine.

Point Reyes 2012 Shuttle Buses for Visitors To Watch Whales Begins

2011-12-02T23:51:44Z

The 14th year of offering shuttle bus transportation allowing visitors to Point Reyes National Seashore in northern California easier access to watch migrating gray whales and Northern Elephant seals will begin Dec. 31, 2011.

"Winter is a wonderful time not only to watch the annual Pacific gray whale migration from Alaska to Mexico but also to celebrate the recovering populations of Northern Elephant seals as they return to breed at Point Reyes," said Park Superintendent Cicely Muldoon.

Celebrate Fall at Whiskeytown’s 1st Harvest Festival

2011-10-09T19:45:22Z

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area in northern California will host its 1st Annual Harvest Festival on Oct. 22, 2011 and the family-friendly event will feature apple tasting, a harvest-themed bake-off contest, games for all ages, tours of the historic Camden House and orchards, and light refreshments.

The Harvest Festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the park's Tower House Historic District.

Sequoia’s Popular Trail of 100 Giants Closed Until 2012

2011-10-07T06:00:36Z

The Trail of 100 Giants, Sequoia National Forest's popular recreation site, probably will remain closed all of this winter due to two huge sequoia trees that fell across the trail Sept. 30, 2011.

The trail was immediately closed for public safety, and no injuries were reported.

Yosemite’s Historic Wawona Hotel Fountains Spring Back to Life

2011-08-28T21:24:34Z

Two signature features of the historic Wawona Hotel in Yosemite National Park in California have been brought back to life for visitors to enjoy for years to come.

The stone fountain in front of the hotel and a fountain at the entrance to the adjacent Thomas Hill Studio are once again flowing following $400,000 in rehabilitation work. Yosemite Conservancy, the National Park Service, and DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, Inc., which manages the hotel, partnered on the projects.

New Murre Bird Colony Discovered at Channel Islands National Park

2011-08-13T22:05:07Z

For the first time in almost 100 years, California Common Murre (Uria aalge californica) chicks have hatched on the Channel Islands, researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and National Park Service (NPS) discovered.

"This is an exciting finding; certainly a historic one," said Josh Adams, a seabird ecologist with the USGS Western Ecological Research Center. "The murres appear to have re-established their former southern range, perhaps benefitting from present ocean conditions."

Lassen Volcanic National Park Main Road Opens

2011-08-01T02:43:24Z

The main road into Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California is open for through traffic, marking the end of what has been a long 2011 winter and late spring.

"The park road crew and Caltrans have cleared snow along the 30 mile highway through the park, road turnouts, and trailhead parking areas," Park Superintendent Darlene M. Koontz said in late July. "We are happy to have this primary access to Lassen National Park open for our summer visitors. This year's heavy snowfall seemed to come later this winter and spring, which extended the time it took to open the road."

Three Visitors Presumed Dead After Being Swept Over Yosemite’s Vernal Fall

2011-07-21T03:56:49Z

Three Yosemite National Park visitors are presumed dead after reportedly plunging over the 317-foot Vernal Fall on July 19, 2011.

According to park rangers, Hormiz David, a 22-year-old male from of Modesto, Calif., Ninos Yacoub, a 27-year-old male from Turlock, Calif., and Ramina Badal, a 21-year-old female from Manteca, Calif., came to the park for a day trip with a group of family and friends.

Surprise Bus Inspection at Yosemite Finds Several Violations

2011-06-23T23:32:53Z

A surprise bus inspection at Yosemite National Park in California June 8-9, 2011 resulted in citations being issued to more than half of the vehicles gone over, and five buses being taken out of service.

A multi-agency task force made up of members from the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the San Francisco Police Department, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the California Public Utility Commission inspected a total of 56 buses at the park.

Yosemite’s Tioga Pass Reopens, Half Dome’s Cables Going Up

2011-06-20T02:42:11Z

Continuing its efforts to shake off Old Man Winter, Yosemite National Park in California has finally reopened Tioga Pass, and will be putting Half Dome's cables in place for climberson Wednesday, June 22, 2011.

Due to the heavy snowpack this past winter (199 percent of normal) and a cool spring, Park Superintendent Don Neubacher said there is still several feet of snow in the Tuolumne Meadows area.