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. 19, 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. 

 

Chico's Bidwell Mansion future will be discussed at Sunday open house: An open house this weekend will give the community a chance to learn about future plans for the Bidwell Mansion after it was destroyed by fire. State Parks will share updates on the "Reimagine Bidwell Mansion" project based on community input.

Kelli Saam, Action News Now, Oct. 23, 2026

 

Doheny Desalination Project Changes Approved by California Coastal Commission: Originally planned for the Doheny State Beach campground, the wells will instead be placed in the north day-use area in light of further geological studies that found the initial location would not provide enough seawater for the plant.

Hayze Law, Dana Point Times, Oct. 23, 2026

 

California State Parks photo contest names 2026 winners: California State Parks Foundation has announced the winners of its second annual photo contest, which attracted more than 1,041 submissions from park visitors and photography enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels. (Copy of Press Release)

Mountain Democrat, Oct. 23, 2026

 

California State Parks considering plan to rename Fremont Peak park: The parks department will accept public comments until close of business on Oct. 23, after which department staff will review the feedback and submit a recommendation report.

James Welch, Benito Link, Oct. 22, 2026

 

California State Parks considering plan to rename Fremont Peak park: The parks department will accept public comments until close of business on Oct. 23, after which department staff will review the feedback and submit a recommendation report.

James Welch, Benito Link, Oct. 22, 2026

 

Man’s death being investigated after body is found in Lake Natoma near Folsom: Authorities were investigating the death of a man whose body was found Thursday afternoon in Lake Natoma near Folsom.

Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, Oct. 22, 2026

 

[Update: Missing Man May be in State Park Area] Missing Ventura Man’s Vehicle Found in River Near Dyerville Overlook; Public Asked to Call 911 if He’s Seen: A vehicle belonging to a missing Ventura man was found stuck in the river in the Dyerville Lookout area of Southern Humboldt yesterday, and the man has not been located, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.

Kym Kemp, Redheaded Blackbelt, Oct. 22, 2026

 

California Issues Beach Warning After Multiple Sharks Spotted: California officials are warning beachgoers to be extra careful after they detected more shark activity off the coast near Marina State Beach, days after dramatic footage of a great white shark suddenly breaching just meters from an unsuspecting beachgoer went viral.

Amanda Greenwood, Newsweek, Oct. 22, 2026

 

 

Big Basin’s Return Has Been Slow and Measured. It’s Also an Opportunity: On a ridge overlooking Big Basin State Park, David Cowman, director of land stewardship for the Sempervirens Fund, pulled over to take in the view. 

Ahead, the Pacific Ocean stretched to the horizon. Below, the footprint of the southern core of the CZU fire, which burned more than 85,000 acres here in 2020, dominated the landscape.

Sarah Wright, KQED (NPR, San Francisco), Oct. 22, 2026

 

West Shore Trail Extension Study Underway: The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and El Dorado County announced the opening public scoping period for a joint environmental study of a proposed 6.5-mile extension to the West Shore Tahoe Trail from Meeks Bay to D.L. Bliss State Park.

Tahoe Daily Tribune, Oct. 21, 2026

 

Caltrans begins work to stabilize Crystal Cove slope: Traffic has been restricted to one lane in each direction on a scenic stretch of Pacific Coast Highway near Crystal Cove as crews work to address the issue of a fissure discovered last week along a coastal slope beneath the road.

Andrew Turner, Daily Pilot, Oct. 21, 2026

 

  • Additional Coverage: ABC7

 

US: Off-Duty Rangers Pull Trapped Woman From Burning Car (video): Two California State Parks officers on their way to a training class pulled a woman from a burning, overturned car moments before it was engulfed in flames on a Northern California highway.

Reuters Connect, Oct. 21, 2026 

 

State workers in SLO County strike for better contract — ‘We have power in numbers’: Dozens of state workers gripping umbrellas and bundled in rain jackets, braved the soggy weather to picket for higher wages outside the Caltrans building in San Luis Obispo on Wednesday morning.

Hannah Poukish, Graham Womack, Corey Schmidt and Joan Lynch, San Luis Obispo Tribune, Oct. 21, 2026

 

Big California state worker strike set to begin today: California state workers are planning a one-day strike today in multiple cities including Sacramento, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Lynn La, CalMatters, Oct. 21, 2026

 

'Just keep trying': California rangers speak out on woman's rescue from burning car in Sutter County: Two off-duty California state park rangers are being hailed as heroes after rescuing a woman from a burning car on Highway 70 in Sutter County on Friday morning.

Genna Garcia, KCRA, Oct. 20, 2026

  

$4M allocated to fix 360-foot crack threatening Pacific Coast Highway: Orange County officials have approved millions of dollars in emergency funding to fix a 360-foot crack in the bluffs of one of California’s historic coastal zones.

Olivia Harden, SF Gate, Oct. 20, 2026

 

5 great white sharks spotted off Marina as advisory remains in effect: Five great white sharks were spotted about 200 yards off the beach near Sanctuary Beach Resort in Marina on Tuesday morning, according to drone video shared by Evan Brodsky with Sanctuary Cruises.

Ricardo Tovar, KSBW, Oct. 20, 2026

 

Placer County resident among winners of California State Parks photo contest: The second annual California State Parks Foundation Photo Contest invited park visitors and photography enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels to capture the natural beauty, recreational activities and unique landscapes of California’s state parks. (Copy of Press Release)

Gold Mountain California News, Oct. 20, 2026

 

California state workers are about to strike. What that means for the DMV, EDD, parks and more:California state government’s largest union is scheduled to strike this week. It could affect services at a number of offices that people visit every day, including the DMV.
Lynn La, Cal Matters, Oct. 20, 2026

 

697 Acre Prescribed Burn Underway In Calaveras Big Trees:Planned burning has started in Calaveras Big Trees State Park as part of a strategy to bring beneficial fire to the landscape.
B.J Hansen, My Motherlode, Oct. 20, 2026

 

‘Real-life horror movie:’ Heroic officers share experience of saving woman from burning car:  A woman’s life was saved on Friday after her car overturned and caught on fire before being rescued by two California State Parks Peace Officers.
Natalie Sierra, Fox 40, Oct. 19, 2026

 

'It happened so fast': Great white shark surprises beachgoers in Marina:A great white shark breached off Marina State Beach over the weekend, leading to a shark advisory after the rare moment was captured on video.
Jazmon DeJarnette, KSBW 8, Oct. 19, 2026

 

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park reopens after Timber Fire left burn scars and closed trails: Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park has reopened to visitors after a two-month closure due to the Timber Fire, though some trails remain closed for safety reasons.
Jazmon DeJarnette, KSBW 8, Oct. 19, 2026

A look inside Archives Crawl, where Sacramento history buffs dive into city’s past: California State Archives, California State Library, Center for Sacramento History and Sacramento Room at the Sacramento Public Library opened up their rarely seen collections for the annual event.

Steve Martarano, PBS KVIE Abridged, Oct. 19, 2026

 

SHARK VIDEO: Shark seen breaching off Marina State Beach; advisory issued: A shark was seen breaching off Marina State Beach around 12:30 p.m. Saturday in a video captured by a beachgoer.

Ricardo Tovar, KSBW, Oct. 19, 2026

 

Kayakers help rescue two from waters of Folsom’s Lake Natoma Sunday: Two people were reportedly rescued from the American River near Rainbow Bridge in Folsom on Sunday morning with the assistance of nearby kayakers and paddlers, after emergency crews were dispatched to reports of someone in distress in the water.

Folsom Times, Oct. 18, 2026

 

California's iconic Pacific Coast Highway teeters on the edge of falling into the sea after a terrifying crack appears in cliffside after storm: California's most famous highway is in need of emergency repairs after a large crack appeared in the cliffside underneath the roadway, raising concerns about a landslide. 

Alyssa Guzman, Daily Mail, Oct. 18, 2026

 

Bryson Fire containment at 74%; Malibu evacuation orders lifted: All evacuation orders and warnings have been lifted in Malibu as Los Angeles County crews continue to gain containment on the Bryson Fire, which erupted in the hills on Thursday afternoon before quickly burning nearly 150 acres of brush. 

Dean Fioresi, CBS, Oct. 18, 2026

 

Expanded Santa Cruz County marine protections denied: The California Fish and Game Commission denied petitions to expand marine protections off the coast of Santa Cruz County during a meeting Wednesday. (Subscription Required)

Caroline Hemphill, Santa Cruz Sentinel, Oct. 18, 2026

 

California State Parks to host open house for Bidwell Mansion rebuild in Chico: Californians will have a chance to learn about plans to restore Chico’s historic Bidwell Mansion nearly two years after an arson fire destroyed the landmark.

Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, Oct. 16, 2026

 

Old Town San Diego exhibit honors Día de los Muertos with vibrant Catrina creations: Old Town San Diego is alive with the spirit of Día de los Muertos through an exhibit featuring Catrina creations from head pieces to dresses.

Esmeralda Perez, CBS 8, Oct. 16, 2026

 

Get charged! Electricity Fair returns to historic Folsom Powerhouse Saturday: From hands-on science experiments and solar-powered creativity to electric vehicles, music and a little history, the annual SMUD Electricity Fair is ready to spark some family fun at one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.

Bill Sullivan, Folsom Times, Oct. 16, 2026

 

California State Parks officers rescue woman from fiery wreck in Sutter County: Two off-duty California State Parks officers rescued a woman from a burning vehicle Friday morning after it veered off Highway 70 and overturned on an embankment in Sutter County.

Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, Oct. 16, 2026

 

I-5 near Camp Pendleton fully reopens after closures due to fires: A vehicle fire off the freeway spread to nearby brush Friday, near where the Henderson fire was already burning.

Kristina Davis & Caleb Lunetta, OC Register, Oct. 16, 2026