Off the 101 Freeway in Central California is one of the older National Park Service units. In 1908, Theodore Roosevelt named 2,500 acres of the Gabilan Mountains, made up of "rock spires and crags that are remnants of an ancient volcano," as the Park Service puts it. Today, Pinnacles National Monument is 26,000 acres and there's a campaign to designated it as a National Park. more ›

If you don't mind the wind, it is a vacation paradise. Santa Rosa Island boasts miles of white sand beaches, rare torrey pine forests and beautiful scenery throughout. It's the second largest island off California's coast and is one of the five within Channel Islands National Park. (if you've got 3 minutes and 30 seconds, check out this amazing photo slideshow of the island). more ›

On the heels of a U.S. Supreme Court case decision on the constitutionality of a war memorial cross in Mojave National Preserve, the item itself has been stolen, the National Park Service is reporting this morning. more ›

Of the five islands that make up Channel Islands National Park, it's one of the smallest that has some of the biggest problems. 17 miles off the coast of Oxnard is Anacapa Island. The 1.1 square-mile series of three large volcanic rocks that shoot out of the ocean is the birthplace to most all seagulls you see on Southern California beaches and many of the pelicans found throughout the West Coast, as far as Alaska. more ›

The large Dr. Seuss-looking Giant Coreopsis plants only bloom a couple months of the year. That part of the year is now, but these rare plants are not exactly local to everywhere in Southern California. In fact, there are only a handful of places where you can find them in big numbers. One such place is in Malibu at the Point Dume State Preserve, which we showed you last week. But one of the most popular places to view these flowers is on Anacapa Island, one of the five islands within Channel Islands National Park. more ›

Once ousted from Southern California's existence, thanks to the harmful chemical DDT, bald eagles have been making a comeback in Channel Islands National Park since 2002. On the largest island, Santa Cruz, which is about one hours... more ›

Today marks the end of a nearly 20-year battle over creating a landfill, purportedly the largest in the world, next door to Joshua Tree National Park. The Department of the Interior today announced they will not appeal a 9th Circuit Court decision to ban a public lands be exchange with a company that wanted to create the Eagle Mountain landfill, which would be filled by 20,000 tons of trash from L.A. County via train six days a week for 117 years. “Secretary [Ken] Salazar made the right decision to protect our national treasure--Joshua Tree National Park-- from a literal mountain of trash,” said Mike Cipra of the National Park Conservation Association. “Los Angeles’ future garbage disposal needs can be offset with existing landfills and increased recycling.” more ›

Back in 1996, four German tourists vanished in Death Valley National Park on a blistering 120-degree day. After months of searching, their minivan was found in a ravine, but there was no sign of the group, which included two boys aged 4 and 10. Since there have been no breaks in the case, which has been a long-standing mystery for the park. more ›

In a major victory for environmentalists, the 9th District Court of Appeals today sided with the National Parks Conservation Association in a fight against a landfill, which would be surrounded by Joshua Tree National Park on three sides, meant for garbage from L.A. County brought in by train. more ›

It may be Halloween, but it is also the anniversary of a major environmental bill that affected close to 9.2 million acres of California desert back in 1994. The California Desert Protection Act brought us two national parks, one national preserve, millions of acres of federal wilderness areas, as well as other special areas from Death Valley to the Mexico border. more ›

One of the perks of visiting two of the outer islands in Channel Islands National Park is a trip to Painted Cave along the northwest coastline of Santa Cruz Island. The park's main transit vendor, Island Packers, makes a point of doing frequent stops during travels because the park is not just land based, but also miles of protected water in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Whales, dolphins and other sea life are often spotted, but one of the most popular attractions from a boaters perspective is Painted Cave. more ›

Yosemite, Sequoia, Joshua Tree. They all win the popularity contests with folks around here. There's good reason for that, but the closest traditional National Park to Los Angeles goes without much notice. That's too bad considering the striking beauty found in Channel Islands National Park. more ›

Thousands may see it from the beaches of Zuma and Malibu, but the experience of the isolated Anacapa Island is a world away, chock full of dramatic views, beautiful sunsets and sunrises and a fascinating history from the Chumash Indians to failed attempts at farming. more ›

The close of summer means more opportunities at California's desert National Parks like Joshua Tree and Mojave (though you might want to wait a few more weeks for Death Valley). But these colder weather months mean limited options at Channel Islands National Park, just off the coast of Ventura and Santa Barbara. more ›

Winters can get pretty hot in the Coachella Valley, so you can guess how excruciating Joshua Tree National Park is in the summer. Visitation actually gets so low, officials close a number of campgrounds. However, as we head into cooler temperatures, park Superintendent Curt Sauer announced that campgrounds would reopen today. more ›

After burning through 7,425 acres, the Big Meadow Fire in Yosemite National Park has been 100 percent contained. The blaze intentionally began as a 90-fire controlled burn on Wednesday, August 26th, but officials lost control. All roads into Yosemite National Park, including the Big Oak Flat Road and portions of the Tioga Road, are now open with no restrictions. These roads allows visitors to enter Yosemite Valley via Highway 120. However, some pull-outs may be closed due to proximity to hot spots. A handful of campgrounds and trails remain closed, but it's good to see this fire out. more ›

For those planning a trip to Yosemite National Park this weekend, about a five-hour drive from L.A., they don't have to worry about the Meadow Fire ruining too many of their plans, officials say. The park will remain open, save for some off-limit areas and roads due to the 7,240-acre blaze. more ›

As the Station Fire consumes most resources and attention, here's a look at the three other major fires burning in the greater Los Angeles region. Morris Fire It began early Monday evening last week in the Angeles National Forest north of Asuza and Glendora, but has stayed out of harms way for the most part, save for a mandatory evacuation at Camp Williams. As of tonight, the conflagration is 95 percent contained after burning through 2,260 acres. Full containment is expected tomorrow by 6 p.m. more ›

Further up north, two fires are affecting some of the most beautiful parts of California. The Meadow Fire has been burning in Yosemite National Park since Wednesday and the Gloria Fire, burning since Thursday near Soledad, is threatening parts of Pinnacles National Monument. more ›

That's just not cool. Congress may have just passed a law allowing guns into national parks that takes effect in February, but hunting animals before and after the law is not legal and is just plain bastardly. Over the past several years, multiple trophy-sized deer have been poached within Yosemite National Park boundaries. As authorities began to investigate, officials "uncovered a complex, concerted effort by these individuals to illegally hunt within the park and kill trophy size bucks," according to a statement from the park. more ›

After a wildfire swept through a portion of Joshua Tree National Park last May, officials announced today that the Lost Horse Mine Trail has been reopened. "While the Lost Horse Mine Trail is being re-opened, park visitors are urged to remain on the trail while hiking through the area," a statement read. "The pace of germination and post-fire re-growth [of fragile desert plants] has been slowed somewhat due to the lack of summer rainfall and generally dry conditions across the park." Speaking of dry conditions, swarms of bees in search of moisture have caused the closure of the Jumbo Rocks Campground until further notice. Bees have been actively moisture in trash cans, bathrooms and off human skin. more ›

The Los Angeles region could get another National Recreation Area congressional designation under a study that is proposing three different concepts for the San Gabriel watershed and mountains. Congress directed the National Parks Service to study and evaluate resources in a large area from the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys down to the Orange County border. No, it doesn't mean we'd be within minutes of a new National Park in the traditional sense--Yosemite, Joshua Tree--but it could mean better managed cultural sites or new trails and protected open spaces. more ›

On a recent journey to Channel Islands National Park, just off the coast of Ventura and Santa Barbara, it was a stormy day limiting the accessibility of some sea caves for safety reasons. Of course, we had to go back and pray it was a calm sunny day and this weekend proved to be as such in the caves surrounding Scorpion Anchorage on Santa Cruz Island. more ›

A visit to Channel Islands National Park means an hour or longer boat ride across the Santa Barbara Channel. Your travel takes you over the National Marine Sanctuary where without a doubt--unless the weather is treacherous--you're bound to see some amazing ocean wonders. In two recent trips, we've seen hundreds of dolphins, seals, birds, a whale, a sun fish and last weekend, something very unusual, a feeding frenzy. more ›

The Los Angeles region has many secrets and Channel Islands National Park is one of them. The group of islands off the coast of Ventura and Santa Barbara are easily seen from the crowded beaches of Malibu, but most of those beach goers have never been on the other side. And while it is one of the closest National Parks to the millions who live here, it is also one of the less accessible ones. Boats don't run as consistent as the ferry's to Catalina Island and the sometimes the costs (around $50 roundtrip and up, depending on which island you visit) stop many. more ›

The brush fire that began Sunday afternoon and burned around 450 acres in Joshua Tree National Park was fully contained yesterday morning, although some firefighters remained on the scene to check for hotspots. “Exotic grasses and weeds change the desert’s natural ecology and its normal fire frequency. Because of this, Joshua Tree National Park has a full suppression approach to wildfires," said Park Superintendent, Curt Sauer. "Given that no firefighter or park visitor was hurt in the process, that’s about as good of an outcome as we can expect.” The following areas remain closed to public use to allow for the remaining fire operations: the Lost Horse Mine Road and trailhead, the Oyster Bar parking area, and the Hall of Horrors parking area. All other park areas and facilities are open for normal visitor use. more ›

As of 7 p.m. last night, the Lost Horse Fire in Joshua Tree National Park was 80% contained with full containment expected by 8 a.m. this morning. At 8:15 a.m., rangers at the Visitor Center could not confirm the current status of the blaze to LAist. more ›

A fire that began yesterday afternoon inside Joshua Tree National Park continues to burn today, but is expected to be knocked down by tonight. The blaze began around 4 p.m. near the Lost Horse Mine in the hills between the park’s Geology Tour Road and the Keys View Road. By 11 p.m., 150 acres had burned and had only been contained by 5%. As a precaution, 12 hikers near the Lost Horse Trail were airlifted to safety. They were never trapped, but the fire left them with a much longer, more dangerous route to leave the park, according to ranger Pam Tripp. Although the fire is burning through Joshua trees, pinyon pines, junipers and desert scrub vegetation, another concern is the endangered desert tortoise and historic Lost Horse Mind itself, which was discovered in 1893 and is currently the park's best preserved stamp miss used back then to process 9,000 pounds of gold ore. *UPDATE*: As of 10 a.m., the fire was 50% contained and expected to be at 100% by 8 a.m., Tuesday morning. more ›

By the 1960s, America's bird and national symbol could not be found on any of the eight Channel Islands where it had made home before the arrival of humans. Twenty years before, the practice of pouring DDT into the ocean off Palos Verdes Peninsula, mostly at the hands of the Montrose Chemical Corporation, became a 30 year practice resulting in those chemicals going up the marine food chain into Bald Eagles, whose main diet consist of fish. No, it didn't kill the bald eagles, but it was to their eggs--too thin and fragile due to the chemical intrusion, they were easily crushed before the chicks would hatch. Eventually, with no birth cycle, Bald Eagles were gone. more ›