NEWS CLIPS

 The opinions and views expressed in the news stories of interest do not always reflect those of the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

News Stories of Interest 

California Department of Parks and Recreation 

Week of Oct. 5, 2026 

The opinions and views expressed in the news stories of interest do not always reflect those of the California Department of Parks and Recreation. 

Tropical Storm Rachel: When will it hit SoCal? How bad will it be?: Tropical Storm Rachel, which has been moving northwest across the Pacific Ocean, is expected to make a sharp right turn toward Baja California on Friday.

Hannah Fry & Rong-Gong Lin II, LA Times, Oct. 9, 2026

 

Three Arrested After Nearly 500 Pismo Clams Illegally Harvested on Pismo Beach: Three Bay Area residents were arrested over the weekend after Pismo Beach police discovered them in possession of nearly 500 illegally harvested Pismo clams, authorities said.

Lauren Bray, Edhat, Oct. 9, 2026

 

Record-breaking $680,000 raised at Jack London Park Partners Sept. gala: The Jack London Park Partners, the nonprofit organization responsible for overseeing management of the Jack London State Historic Park, raised a record-breaking $680,000 during its ninth annual gala (Subscription Required).

Ruchi Shahagadkar, Sonoma Index-Tribune, Oct. 9, 2026

 

Angel Island burn: Weather data showed smoke could be trapped hours before air district let crews light fire: It was not an ideal day to start a fire, and the public data and forecasts had hinted at this for two days. The Bay Area Air District let it go ahead anyway (Subscription Required).

Greg Porter, SF Chronicle, Oct. 8, 2026

  • Additional Coverage: KPIX (Video)

 

A Kelvin Wave on Top of El Niño? What Bay Area Hikers, Bikers, Swimmers and Campers Should Know This Winter: The latest El Niño forecasts show the Bay Area could be in for a particularly wet winter, affecting any late-season outdoor trips locals typically save for the region’s “second summer” in October. 

Sarah Wright, KQED, Oct. 8, 2026

 

State Parks Will Show Chico Its Options for Bidwell Mansion’s Future on October 25: California State Parks will host a free open house on Sunday, October 25, from 2:30 to 5 p.m. at the Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park Visitor Center, 525 Esplanade in Chico. Visitors can drop in at any point, with a short opening presentation at 3 p.m. and a brief closing one at 4:30 p.m.

Active NorCal, Oct. 8, 2026

 

Smoke Aside, the Angel Island Fire Was a Win for the Island’s Wild Landscapes:Angel Island might be one of the hardest places in California to hold a prescribed burn. 

Daniella Garcia-Loos Almeida, Bay Nature, Oct. 8, 2026 

 

Special-fare train to run from Sacramento to Black history landmark Allensworth:A special discounted train to a landmark of Black American history will depart from Sacramento on Saturday, Oct. 10. 

Anne Ewbank, The Sacramento Bee, Oct. 8, 2026 

 

Desalination project near Doheny State Beach gets changes approved, timeline pushed back (Subscription only):Several changes to an ocean desalination project proposed near Doheny State Beach to help generate drinking water for South Orange County were discussed Wednesday, Oct. 7

Laylan Connelly, The Orange County Register, Oct. 8, 2026 

 

Tahoe Bears Are in Feeding Mode, and That Means More of Them on the Road:Tahoe’s black bears are eating as much as they can right now, and the search for calories is sending them back and forth across the basin’s highways just as the evening commute slides into darkness. 

Active NorCal, Oct. 7, 2026

 

Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park invites visitors to unravel a mystery:This Halloween season, California State Parks invites those who dare to visit Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park for “The Curse of the Gold Miner’s Necklace” tour.

Village Life, Oct. 7, 2026 

 

Dog Rescued From Vehicle After Crash Onto Rocky California Shore: A driver who crashed off a California road and landed in the rocky surf below miraculously made it out of the vehicle with one of their dogs, but a second dog had to be rescued by firefighters.

Carrie Collins, National Enquirer, Oct. 7, 2026

 

Spooky Season: These 10 Haunted Places in California are a Must-Visit Before Halloween: As the Halloween season commences, these Golden State locations are worth a spooky visit. They include local legends and alleged supernatural encounters, but you don’t have to believe in ghosts to enjoy the trip.

Katelyn Liddy, Edhar, Oct. 7, 2026

 

The all-volunteer Salinas Surf Club gives kids from East Salinas a chance to experience the ocean: The Salinas Surf Club is a grassroots organization that’s been busing kids from Salinas out to the beach for more than 11 years.

Sloan Campi, Monterey County Now, Oct. 6, 2026

 

Old-growth Redwood at Big Basin dedicated to former Congresswoman Anna Eshoo: On Sunday, October 4, Sempervirens Fund dedicated an old-growth redwood tree in Big Basin Redwoods State Park in honor of former Congresswoman Anna Eshoo.

InMenlo, Oct. 6, 2026

 

Rescue Crews Free Dog After Van Crashes Into Surf Near Malibu:Firefighters and lifeguards rescued a dog trapped in a van after it left Pacific Coast Highway near Deer Creek Road north of Malibu on Saturday.  

Westside Current, Oct. 5, 2026 

 

Amtrak has more special trains to Black history site in south Valley. At 50% off:The Amtrak Gold Runner will offer special trains once again to a Tulare County spot where Black history was made. 

John Holland, Modesto Bee, Oct. 5, 2026 

 

California Renamed Its Free State Parks Pass for Kids and Sign-Ups Jumped 46 Percent:California State Parks quietly retired the Adventure Pass label this summer, started calling it the Free Fourth Grade Pass, moved the sign-up window to line up with back-to-school shopping, and watched downloads climb 46 percent compared with the first six weeks the pass was offered earlier in 2026. 

Active NorCal, Oct. 5, 2026 

 

Witches on the Lake returns to Lake Natoma:If you see a whole lot of witches and other characters paddle boarding on Lake Natoma on Oct. 18, not to worry, it's just the annual Witches On the Lake event ahead of Halloween. 

Gold Mountain California News Media, Oct. 5, 2026 

 

California’s Giant Sequoias Are at Risk. Prescribed Fire Is Helping Save Them: Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition intentionally burns forests to save endangered trees

Brad Branan, Comstock’s Magazine, Oct. 5, 2026

 

Hopkins Marine Station hosts ‘Sharktober’ event, educates public about white sharks: Researchers from Stanford’s Hopkins Marine Station presented the latest tracking technology and findings on white shark behavior at a “Sharktober” event on Saturday.

Bella Kim, The Stanford Daily, Oct. 5, 2026

 

Dramatic video shows dog being rescued from vehicle after crash into surf near Malibu: A dog trapped inside a vehicle that crashed off Pacific Coast Highway and landed among rocks in the surf north of Malibu was rescued by firefighters and lifeguards, officials said.

Lily Dallow, KTLA, Oct. 4, 2026

 

Gold Runner to offer special trains, fares to Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park for 2026 Rededication Celebration Oct. 10: More than 100 years ago, Allensworth, CA was founded as a bold vision of freedom, opportunity, and self-determination. Gold Runner invites you to honor that vision.

Harlo Pippenger & Ahdel Ahmed, Contra Costa Herald, Oct. 3, 2026

 

Woman swept off Panther Beach rocks dies after ocean rescue; man's condition unknown: A woman who was swept into the ocean while fishing off Panther Beach died Wednesday evening, California State Parks said.

Ricardo Tovar, KSBW, Oct. 2, 2026

 

Yosemite’s Dome Fire Was Caused by An Abandoned Campfire. Here’s What to Know About Camping During Fire Season: Wildfires are one of the biggest risks of being outdoors in California, especially at this time of year — and particularly if you’re planning to stay outdoors in a campsite. 

Sarah Wright, KQED, Oct. 2, 2026