The Brief

Two years ago, 11-year-old Soma joined a long legacy of Venice Beach surfers.

He’s progressed from riding on his stomach to standing upright and has set his sights on a bigger goal— getting barreled.

“If it comes — a giant wave — I wanna surf not on top, but… in the wave,” Soma said.

On a recent Saturday, Soma, who has autism, was one of 20 kids in the lineup as part of the PlayLA Adaptive Para Surf Clinic.

The program is part of Los Angeles Recreation and Parks’ effort to expand opportunities for youths with disabilities.

“We've seen the benefits of kids who've been told, ‘You can't do this,'” said Kelly Caldwell,  principal recreation supervisor for the Play LA program. “Giving them a place to play, it just, it changes their world.”

Soma’s mom Fumi Suzuki signed him up, in part because her husband read that children with autism are at higher risk of drowning than their peers. Suzuki said she’s seen her son become more confident and she’s bonded with the other parents standing on the shore.

“I [feel] really grateful for this community,” Fumi Suzuki said. “It's like a family.”

How adaptive surf came to LA

After Los Angeles agreed nearly a decade ago to host the 2028 Olympics, organizers committed $160 million to local youth sports. LA28 has contributed $60 million to PlayLA since 2018. The International Olympic Committee also chipped in, according to Recreation and Parks.

Los Angeles Recreation and Parks staff use a beach wheelchair to help Penny Pedersen move from the beach to her surfboard.

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Greta Pederson, left, and sister Penny Pedersen, right, catch a wave at Venice Beach.

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The money helps subsidize programs for low-income families, and pays for staffing and equipment for new sports, including table tennis, fencing and archery.

The funding has also helped expand the city’s programs for youths with disabilities. Adaptive youth sports include swimming, volleyball, skateboarding, blind soccer and track and field.

Three years ago, the city partnered with the Challenged Athletes Foundation to host the first surf clinics for youths with disabilities.

“The goal of this program is to make sure that everyone has access,” said Adaptive Sports Facility Director Erika Luna Diaz. “We want to make sure that there [are] no limitations.”

Each participant in the PlayLA Adaptive Para Surf Clinic is paired with at least one instructor. The kids rotate in and out of the surf over the four-hour duration of each session.

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Native Hawaiians brought surfing to California in the late 19th century, but the sport has not always been accessible to all.

Segregation limited access to beaches and pools for communities of color. Early surfing competitions marginalized women and territorial locals harassed and intimidated newcomers.

While the sport has become more inclusive, there are still challenges, including polluted beaches and a lack of accessible beach parking.

Bringing stoke and safety to all

The first goal, explained instructor Evan MacCarthy, is that the surfers are safe. Participants learn to never turn their back on the ocean and protect their head in the surf.

“A very close second goal is stoke,” MacCarthy said.

Surf instructor Alexander Lewin lets go of the board as Henry Pedersen catches a wave.

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The city pays for all the required equipment, including surfboards, wetsuits to insulate participants against the cold and brightly colored rashguards that help identify the kids in the water. Families are not required to disclose their child’s disability, but if they choose to do so, it can help the program plan for their individual needs. For example, there’s a wheelchair with puffy inflated tires to move kids with limited mobility from their personal chair to their boards.

While the program is free to families, between staff and equipment, it costs the city about $291 for each child to participate.

The ratio of instructors to students in the city’s surf program for youths without disabilities is 1 to 5, but in the para surf clinic, there’s at least one instructor assigned to every participant. Additional staff, called “water watchers,” help monitor the kids in the surf.

“Everybody has their own specific needs and wants,” said instructor Alexander Lewin. “I think here it's our job to kind of match up that need and want with an instructor who can fulfill that.”

“I love bringing stoke to the place, so that's my job here,” Lewin added.

A day at the beach 

The PlayLA Adaptive Para Surf Clinic sets up at the end of Venice Beach's access mat, a mesh net that provides a firmer surface for wheelchairs and other mobility aids.

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The Rec and Parks crew arrives at 6:30 a.m. to set up tents, breakfast and lay down plastic track to help wheelchair users reach the shore.

The approximately 25 members include surf instructors and a dedicated lifeguard.

Families arrive a couple hours later. After the youths sign in, they wriggle into wetsuits with the help of a staff member.

Alex, 10, doesn’t like the feel of the neoprene against his skin, so instead he wears the rashguard over his swimtrunks.

Alex, like others with autism, can become overwhelmed with certain sensations, sounds and visuals. For example, the whistling and yelling common in other youth sports programs.

“It's like an alarm that goes off in his head and he can't think logically and he's looking at you, but he can't hear and process the instructions,” said his mom, Artemis D. LAist agreed not the publish the family's last name to protect their privacy.

Here she doesn’t have to explain why her son needs an alternative — it’s freely offered.

“That's the kind of thing that I'm so thankful for,” she said.

A PlayLA staff member fits Anna with a wetsuit for the first time.

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Next, the kids pair off with a surf instructor and at least one other person who keeps an eye on the participants in the water.

For first-timers, like 9-year-old Anna, the lessons start on the sand.

Instructor Sophie Holdorff shows her how to lay on the board on her belly, and windmill her arms with cupped hands to paddle through the water.

Surf instructor Sophie Holdorff teaches Anna the basics of riding a surf board. "I do this work to make sure that people know how to be safe and comfortable and confident in the ocean," Holdorff said. "All of that builds stoke and empowerment and courage."

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Her mom, Kristine, saw the clinic posted online several months ago.

“ I couldn't believe my eyes,” Kristine said. “I always thought surfing is for, you know, special people, athletes.”

LAist agreed not to use Kristine and Anna’s last time to protect their privacy. Kristine said her daughter struggles with developmental challenges and post traumatic stress disorder.

“Things like [surfing] are gonna bring her joy,” Kristine said. “Maybe bring her back to normalcy and hopefully help her feel better and catch up with her peers emotionally and physically.”

Anna catches her first wave within half an hour of arriving at the beach.

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Less than 10 minutes later, Anna walks into the water holding Sophie’s hand.

“It's nerve wracking for me, but I'm getting used to it,” Kristine said.

Kristine watched as the instructors encouraged Anna to widen her stance on the board.

“Anna is actually following directions, which is something that she normally has a problem with,” Kristine said. “I see that sometimes she is getting sidetracked, but they bring her back to where she needs to be.”

Anna stands up for the first time. Holdorff, left, later helps her widen her stance and open up her hips to better balance on the board.

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When Anna returns to the shore, her instructor Holdorff shows her how to dig for sandcrabs as the water recedes from the sand.

Anna’s eyes scan the ground for the v-shaped indents in the sand.

“I love them,” Anna gasped as she holds up the squirming, gray crustacean. “Can I take them home?”

Anna’s preoccupation with the surf and the sandcrabs also gave Kristine, and her mother, a rare moment of calm.

“For her to do one thing for such a long period of time without getting distracted and running — it's running away mostly — it's awesome,” Kristine said.

Anna, right, also learns how to find sand crabs (Emerita Analoga) beneath v-shaped marks in the sand. Her first reaction? "So cute."

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Physical and social benefits of ‘surf therapy’

Research shows that youths with disabilities who participate in surf programs can improve their balance, coordination, strength and endurance.

But there are also social benefits, said University of Rhode Island education professor Emily Clapham. She’s studied the outcomes of youths with disabilities who participate in surf programs for the last 16 years.

Surfing as a group creates the camaraderie of team sports without the competition.

“There's no winner, there's no loser,” Clapham said. ”Everybody's participating and trying the best they can. Everybody has a different goal in mind and surfing really enables that to happen.”

Penny, left in the red wetsuit, Greta, and Henry Pedersen, right, catch a wave together. Los Angeles Recreation and Parks hosted eight para surf clinics between June and September 2025.

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For example, at Venice Beach, one child works on overcoming his fear of the water while another gets tips on their stance.

“You really want the child or individual to be able to do as much as they can independently,” Clapham said. “Because that's really where that empowerment comes from.”

Clapham said there’s a child in her program who enjoys sitting on the board backwards to watch the wave break behind him.

“Who are we to say that's not the correct way to surf?” Clapham said. ”It's really a beautiful thing to see all the different variations.”

Clapham has noticed the rhythmic motion of the waves and white noise of the waves soothes children with autism who can get overwhelmed by sensations, sounds and sights.

“It really helps them to calm down and to be able to bring your body down to a relaxed state,” Clapham said. “Now your brain is open, you can learn because you're not in a state of survival mode.”

Though there’s no count of surfing programs for people with disabilities nationwide, Clapham said she’s seen an increase in recent years and there’s now an international organization dedicated to surf therapy research and professional development.

Austen Ramirez demonstrates another way to ride the waves.

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"These kids are, are so much more, their ability is so much more than, than what I think society assumes," said surf instructor Evan MacCarthy, right.

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Meeting kids where they’re at

The vast majority of the participants smile nonstop while in the water, but there are a few meltdowns throughout the morning.

On his first wave, Alex jumps off his surfboard in shallow water and tweaks his knee.

His mom, Artemis D., the clinic staff and a lifeguard don’t see signs of a more serious injury, but Alex refuses to get back in the water.

The instructors tell Alex he can come back when he’s ready.

“They don't stress him out,” Artemis said. “They don't make him feel more overwhelmed than the world already feels.”

Alex, 10, shows off a sand crab he caught while taking a break from surfing.

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Alex flips over several of the sand crabs to check for the masses of orange eggs that some females carry.

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She said in other recreation programs and at school her son’s behavior can be misunderstood as defiance rather than overwhelm.

“He gets in trouble a lot,” Artemis said. “Sometimes he doesn't even know what he's doing wrong. If someone would take the time to explain, maybe he would learn.”

Students with disabilities are often disciplined for defiant, disruptive or disorderly behavior at higher rates than their peers. An analysis from the Hechinger Report found in California the rate of suspensions for these infractions is twice as high for students with disabilities than those without.

“We finally found an activity he could do and not get kicked out of or yelled at, or feel different,” Artemis said of the surfing program.

“We just want these kids to have the absolute best time of their lives today,” said instructor Alexander Lewin. “It ranges different for each kid. Some kids, it's literally just get in the wave and ride it on your stomach and some of these kids, they are fully into popping up and almost going sideways on a wave. It's just all the levels in between.”

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Alex tells his mom he wants to go home, but is distracted when a French bulldog, his favorite for their squishy faces, walks by and lets him scratch his head.

He hunts for sand crabs, rolls around in the sand and talks to his friend Soma, who attended his birthday the week before. They met through the surf clinic. Another friendly French bulldog walks by.

Artemis said she isn’t worried about judgment from the other families.

“The kids don't stop and stare because it's like, ‘OK, well I know what he's feeling because that happens to me sometimes,’” she said.

Less than an hour before the program ends for the day, Alex gets back in the water to test out a tandem surfboard.

“It was good to see him not give up today,” said his instructor, Patrick Caldwell. “I think that it was a moment of growth for him.”

Take a line of string lights, add one clear Solo cup. Then add another, until 50 Solo cups later you are left with a sparkling, shimmering sphere of festive light.

Neighbors in a quiet, suburban neighborhood in Fullerton call them sparkle balls. Hundreds of these sparkling creations hang from trees, attracting thousands of visitors from across Southern California during the month of December.

In its 22nd year, the tradition has expanded to over 160 homes across 10 blocks.

Sparkle balls shimmer at night.

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Marie Murillo joined in the fun 10 years ago. She said the tradition is an “exciting time” when the neighbors come out to put on a festive experience for visitors.

“I love watching the kids walk around and being like, ‘Ah, look at the lights,’” she said, stringing lights around her tree. “I can hear it from my living room. And it's the best thing ever. I love it. Best time of the year for us.”

Marie Murillo says the sparkle ball tradition is an “exciting time” when the neighbors come out to put on a festive experience for visitors. Here she is decorating her front yard.

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The installation goes live on December 1.

The tradition grows

Shortly after Robert Pillon moved into his Yale Avenue home in 2004, his neighbor invited him over for smores and to discuss a tradition: four homes on the block hung these sparkle balls from the trees in their front yard. The neighbor wanted to know if Pillon would join in the tradition.

Robert Pillon has been making sparkle balls since 2004.

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He jumped on board. That year, over Monday night football, the four men would come together to make sparkle balls for 22 homes.

“ Our wives teased us and called it our mancraft in the beginning because it was like five guys getting together in the garage, drinking beers and making balls,” Pillon said.

The balls are perfect spheres, with circles of Solo cups welded together and with fairy lights inserted at the bottom of the cup.

 ”You insert the lights all the way through the sphere and close it up, and then you tie a string to it and we hang them from the trees,” Pillon said.

The cords are not visible at night.

“At night it just looks like they're orbs floating in the middle of the air,” he said.

A neighborhood effort

As the tradition has expanded, so have the logistics. Each block is assigned a leader to manage the making and installation of these sparkle balls.

The neighbors rent boom lifts to install the sparkle balls from trees road by road, with around 100 volunteers working over 10 days to install the balls.

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This year, Pillon created a limited liability company to acquire liability insurance and safety harnesses for the installation process. The neighbors rent boom lifts to install the sparkle balls from trees road by road, with around 100 volunteers working over 10 days to install the balls. Each home contributes $55 which covers the rental costs and fuel to power the boom lift.

Pillon said having the lights up all through December isn’t very expensive.

“Probably somewhere between $30 to $50 an extra for that month that they're up,” he said. Other neighbors have switched to LED lights to keep the costs down.

At the end of the month, neighbors store the sparkle balls in their garage. Some keep them in large plastic crates, others hang them in their garage. The lights last for a long time and the balls themselves are quite sturdy.

Come the week of Thanksgiving, they pull them out of the garage ready to be installed.

Sparkle balls led to a tight knit community 

 ”There are some houses that when the new homeowners come, they still have the balls that previous owners left them,” said Sardis Rodriguez. When she moved into the neighborhood in 2019, the previous owners took their sparkle balls. So one of the first things Rodriguez did when she moved in was make three sparkle balls.

Robert Pillon and Sardis Rodriguez

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When the COVID-19 pandemic hit soon after she moved in, the email lists for the sparkle ball community came in handy. Rodriguez said they used the email list to organize neighborhood happy hours.

“Everyone would go outside their houses, stay socially distanced, but say hi to everyone,” she said. “We really got to know each other during that time a little bit more.”

Summer may be long over, but what if I told you that camping in the wintertime in California can be just as magical as in the warmer months — or even more so?

And you don’t even have to embark upon camping in snow, like you might be envisioning. While that’s certainly available if you want it, there are also a wealth of incredible campsites right here in the Bay Area — or close at hand — where the weather isn’t even all that cold in winter.

From firsthand experience, I can tell you that it doesn’t take much to convert your normal summer setup to a winter one — and it’s also much easier to get reservations to hard-to-get spots during the winter months.

“It can be a lot of fun as long as you come prepared,” said Lillie Oravetz, a state park interpreter II at Calaveras Big Trees State Park in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties. “You’re gonna get cold, but it’s really beautiful.”

Read on for tips from the experts, or jump straight to five great winter camping spots to start planning your winter excursion now. And remember: If you read this and the idea of pitching your tent in the colder months still doesn’t appeal, you can always go glamping instead.

Expert tips on planning a successful winter camping trip

Tip: For warmer winter climates, head to the coast — but still check the weather forecast

Therese Cools, park aide for Sonoma Coast State Park, said the Sonoma Coast can get some of its best weather in the winter, with blue skies overhead and less wind than usual.

But be aware: That area does get heavy rains starting in January, so don’t forget to check the weather forecast ahead of time.

“If it’s raining heavily, it’s not a great place” for camping, Cools said, “But when there’s not a storm coming through, it’s beautiful.”

November is also crabbing season on the coast, so if you’d like a fresh catch, come this month. Or for a front seat for California’s famed King Tides, plan your trip for January, she said.

Wintertime isn’t the best for water sports, so unless you’re an expert, you may want to leave your surfboard at home and plan to stay out of the ocean altogether. But you should bring your binoculars, as there’s a wealth of seabirds and other wildlife to explore on the Sonoma Coast, many of which spend the winter on the coast in large flocks.

Tip: Unless you’re ready for snow, avoid the mountains

If you’re planning on heading to higher ground, know it’s likely to snow. In Calaveras, which is 4,600 feet above sea level, “it’s pretty unpredictable when we will get snow,” Oravetz said — “but we can guarantee at some point there’ll be snow.”

And conditions can change rapidly at high elevations, so don’t just check the weather once a few weeks out, Oravetz warned. Double check the forecast regularly, “a couple of days in advance” for a more accurate forecast, she cautioned.

Don’t forget: No matter where you’re going, but especially if you are planning to go up high in elevation, be sure to check nighttime temperatures ahead of time and be prepared for below-freezing nights.

Tip: Make a plan — and a plan B

Rachel Borick, operations manager at private campground Costanoa on the San Mateo County coast, said her number one piece of advice for winter camping is: “Be prepared and always have a backup plan.”

On the coast, that might mean preparing for heavy rains in the winter. In the mountains, you’ll need to prepare for snow and below-freezing conditions as well.

But even “a rainy day spent in a tent with the right supplies can be more memorable than a perfectly sunny day on the trails,” she said. “Having an open mind and leaning in to what Mother Nature provides is vital.”

Know where you’re going and what you’re planning to do, but make sure you have other options in case your trailhead is no longer accessible — or if winter weather makes travel downright unsafe. Take note of towns with services like gas stations and hotels near your camping destination, just in case you need to bail on your plans outright and hunker down.

Don’t forget that many campgrounds and wilderness areas have no cellphone service — so in winter, it’s especially important to know your exit routes and bailout points ahead of time.

Tip: Bring layers

No matter where you’re going, remember to bring waterproof and windproof gear.

Calaveras’ Oravetz went one step further and advised campers to come prepared for almost any weather. “Sometimes it might snow, but then be pretty warm the next day, and we don’t want people to overheat,” she cautioned

Brian Low is the general manager at Club Urban Diversion, a Bay Area-based social club that organizes all sorts of outdoor trips, including winter camping. Low said his winter packing list varies by location, but “no matter what the forecast is showing, you’re always going to want to pack some sort of rain gear,” he said. And don’t forget insulating layers to go underneath for warmth, too, urged Low.

Layers are the most efficient way to pack for winter camping “because it’s easy to either layer up to get warmer, or easy to take off layers to adjust your body heat to make sure that you’re not getting too warm or too cold,” he said.

Costanoa Lodge & Camp offers year-round hot showers, hot meals and even a sauna.

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Tip: Pack smart, and bring backup gear

Calaveras’ Oravetz said starting in November, anyone traveling up to the higher elevations should bring chains for their car, “just in case.” That goes for extra fuel in your car, too.

“You could come up for a couple of days here or go further up the mountain, and then a snowstorm comes in,” she said.

If you’re parking on the side of the road and not at a campsite, be aware of potential avalanche areas and snowplow routes. Low warned — you don’t want to return to your car only to find it buried.

Low said some auto shops like Les Schwab even allow you to buy chains and return them at the end of the season for a full refund if you never end up using them. You can check chain controls online and learn how to properly install chains on Caltrans’s website, and read more about preparing to drive in wintry conditions with our KQED guide.

Bring or plan to store extra water, Oravetz said, since the pipes at some campgrounds, like Calaveras’, can freeze, so the only available water is at a central location. And remember that even in the winter, you need to store your food safely away from bears in bear canisters or food lockers provided at each campsite.

The upside? There shouldn’t be too many bugs in the winter, so you can leave your DEET at home. But remember that the sun sets early in the winter, so make sure to bring ample light and something to do during the night hours, like a deck of cards or a book to read.

Staying warm at night is important, Low said — and one way to stay toasty that might surprise you is to get up and out of your tent as soon as you realize you have to pee.

That’s because your body is sending energy to your bladder that could otherwise be used to keep you warm, he said.

“It’s a lot better to just actually bite the bullet, get out of your tent, put on your shoes and just go pee,” he said. “At the end of the day, you’ll be a lot happier because you’ll sleep better, you’ll be warmer.”

Just remember that even in winter, you have to properly dispose of any and all waste — that includes any trash, food waste and especially poop — as anything buried in snow is headed for a waterway come spring. 

In general, if you have any questions — or are at all worried about winter camping — you can always call ahead to the campground or wilderness area for advice on that particular spot.

“Winters, especially snow camping, can be very intimidating for people just because of the temperatures,” Low said. “But with the right gear list and the right techniques, then you can really have an amazing time.”

Your winter and snow camping gear checklist

As an expert in winter camping, Low recommends bringing these items for your next cold-weather or snow trip:

A zero-degree sleeping bag, or warmer

Remember: the ratings on sleeping bags tell you the temperature at which it will keep you alive, not comfortable: “Generally speaking, you want a zero-degree bag for anywhere that it’s going to be below 30 degrees,” Low said. “It’s better to have a bag that is a little too warm and not warm enough.”

If you’re still worried about warmth, a sleeping bag liner can add five or 10 degrees of warmth to the bag you might already have.

Synthetic or wool clothing to hike and sleep in

Forget cotton, Low said, because once you sweat in it, or it gets wet, cotton takes a really long time to dry out. If you’re backpacking or going for a long hike, abide by the saying “be bold, start cold” by peeling off layers before they get drenched in sweat.

And if you’ve just gotten back from a hike and are overly warm, take that opportunity to remove any sweaty items and change into your warmest clothes, including a beanie and gloves — to best retain your body heat all evening long.

Sunglasses 

So you can avoid snow blindness when it’s sunny out.

A first aid kit 

… and knowledge of not only what’s in it, but how to use it.

A bear canister 

For food storage, if one is required, where you’re camping.

A liquid fuel stove 

Low recommends this type of stove over a more typical backpacking gas fuel stove because the fuel canister will maintain its pressure and perform better at cold temperatures.

In addition to cooking, you can use your stove to melt snow for drinking water, but remember to find a clean, undisturbed patch of snow — and to be extra safe, you can always boil the water before drinking it.

Microspikes, crampons or snowshoes

For traction underfoot, depending on your activity. Low said he loves using microspikes for walking around camp in slippery conditions because they keep you on your feet while not being as clunky as snowshoes.

Lots of food

Eating a good amount of calories will keep you warm, and cooking up a hot meal of fresh — not dehydrated — food can make your evening that much more enjoyable, Low said.

A doubled-up sleeping pad

Low said that one of his guiding colleagues — who’s summited Denali, the highest mountain in North America — swears by putting an inflatable pad underneath a foam pad for the warmest night’s sleep. (Don’t forget to check the “R value” of any pad you bring — that will tell you its warmth).

Low even recommends inflating your pad with a small pump instead of blowing it up by mouth, to keep out condensation, which can freeze inside your pad.

A small shovel

If the snow is deep where you’re camping, bring something with which you can dig out a seating area, kitchen and even a trash bag-lined toilet to use, as recommended by Low.

Any durable tent 

Any model will do, Low said — even a three-season tent, so long as heavy snow isn’t in the forecast. When to consider a four-season tent instead: If you know you’ll be out in a heavy storm with the risk of high winds, or snowfall that could pile up and break your tent poles.

A Nalgene-style water bottle 

Before going to bed, a bottle like this can be filled up with boiling water, screwed nice and tight and placed inside your sleeping bag to act as a heater. Just remember to wrap it in a sock, so you don’t get burned by accident.

Hand and toe warmers

Typically used by skiers, these are perfect for placing inside clothes or a sleeping bag for warmth.

Plastic bags

Use these to keep your socks dry in your boots, if they’re not as waterproof as they need to be.

Gaiters

To keep snow out of low-cut shoes.

5 beautiful wintertime camping spots to try this year

Sonoma Coast State Park

Both Bodega Dunes and Wright’s Beach at Sonoma Coast State Park are open all winter long to campers and RVers, although they don’t have hookups. Campsites start at $45 per night and reservations can be made on ReserveCalifornia. Both campgrounds allow campfires all year round.

Park aid Cools said while Wright’s Beach fills up more quickly, Bodega Dunes tends to have more availability on winter weekends — and weekday reservations are easy to get in the winter.

“During the winter, the Sonoma Coast can be really nice with blue skies — and it tends to be less windy,” she said.

Yosemite National Park

Itching to experience Yosemite without the craziness of summer crowds? Winter might be your best bet.

“I love to go to Yosemite in the wintertime,” Low said. “It is so beautiful, and you can get a piece of Yosemite all to yourself without a person in sight.”

Tioga Road and the road to Glacier Point — and much of the upper areas of the park — close during the early months of winter. But if you want to soak in the snow-dusted granite walls from Yosemite Valley, you can make a reservation (typically $35 per night) or try your luck at first-come, first-served campgrounds in the park.

Or, take Low’s suggestion and get a wilderness permit to backpack into Dewey Point or along any route off Glacier Point Road once the first five miles of road to Badger Pass Ski Area are plowed (check the park website or call 209-372-0200 for status updates) and the rest is groomed for cross-country skiing.

Just remember: You must camp at least one mile away from any plowed road. 

“How often do you get to go to a place that’s as busy as Yosemite and camp in a spot where there’s not another soul around for as far as you can see?” Low said. “Waking up to see Half Dome or to see El Cap and watching the sun rise on the dawn wall while having a cup of coffee or tea is spectacular.”

Calaveras Big Trees State Park

Located on Highway 4 in the Sierra Nevada range, Calaveras Big Trees State Park — known for its massive sequoia trees — is open all year round. That said, some camp spots and parts of the park close to cars after the first significant snowfall or by Dec. 1, Oravetz said. This includes Parkway Road, which closes off access to the Stanislaus River and two groves of big trees, plus a couple of picnic areas and some camping. But those areas are still accessible to snowshoers and cross-country skiers, she said — so your sense of adventure could be rewarded by having these beautiful areas devoid of summer crowds.

Oravetz recommends the North Grove Trail for visitors looking to wander among the big trees on snowshoes or cross-country skis.

“The snow is beautiful against the giant sequoias,” she said.

But be warned, the trail is popular with visitors and locals alike, and can get quite busy between Christmas and the New Year.

That area is not open to general snowplay, so Oravetz recommends heading to Parkway Road instead to sled, build snowmen or start a snowball fight.

Reservations for family campsites are $35 and can be made on ReserveCalifornia.com.

San Mateo’s Memorial Park

Among the redwoods of Memorial Park in San Mateo County, the Azalea Flat campground stays open all year long while other nearby camping areas close for the winter. RVs, trailers and campfires are allowed, and buying wood to burn at the park is recommended to avoid spreading bugs from park to park, said Carla Schoof, spokesperson for San Mateo County Parks Department.

Schoof said while the park gets crowded in summer, it’s not so full in the winter, which can make it feel extra peaceful.

“It’s relatively easy to get to, but you really do feel like you’re far away,” she said. “You are deep in the Santa Cruz Mountain Range, surrounded by redwoods.”

Plus, the nearby towns of Loma Mar and Pescadero offer opportunities to get supplies and explore — which may be extra necessary in the winter, when Memorial Park’s camp store is closed, she said.

At over a century old, the park is “a special place to a lot of people … who’ve been going camping there since they were pretty small,” Schoof said.

Park rangers are happy to answer questions about park conditions and camping. They can be reached at 650-879-0238, Schoof said, and reservations can also be made online and are $32 per night in the off-season.

Costanoa Lodge & Camp

If you’d like a more bougie experience (and who could blame you?), the Costanoa private campgrounds on the San Mateo County coast are known for their “failproof camping,” Borick, the camping and glamping resort’s operations manager, said.

But still, prepare for anything: “You could end up with a full storm, huddled with your campmates, hot cocoa in hand, with a story to tell — or out on a muddy trail with the spectacular view of a clear winter’s day, she said.

“Having a beach all to yourself, or the top of a viewpoint with the silence surrounding you, can be truly worth the invigoration of a winter camping trip,” Borick said.

And the winter season brings abundant bird migrations and elephant seal pupping at nearby Año Nuevo State Park that can even be heard from the property, Borick said.

In any case, the private campground has year-round hot showers, hot meals and even a sauna. And if you get tired of braving the elements, you can always upgrade to a glamping tent, cabin or a room in the lodge.

The sleigh business is slumping — at least for house calls.

Mitch Allen, founder of HireSanta.com, said demand for home visits from the big man has dropped about 20% to 25% in Southern California, according to booking data, as fewer people are inviting Santa to their holiday events.

Allen said over the last few years economic uncertainty and rising consumer debt have families rethinking whether they really need St. Nick to make a living room cameo.

“People are still celebrating Christmas, still getting together with their family and friends,” Allen said. “But instead of having a big blowout event where you bring Santa and Mrs. Claus… now we’re just bringing families together.”

Mall visits remain popular

Don’t feel too bad for old Kris Kringle. Demand for Santas at the mall is still up, Allen said.

There are lots of options across Southern California. Here are a few we rounded up with free access:

• Santa Monica Place’s Center Plaza, Nov. 14-24. Free visits with Santa. 
• Ovation shopping center in Hollywood, starting Nov. 29. Free photos with Santa. Details online.
• Anaheim Hills Festival mall, Dec. 13. Free event entry to their Holiday Spectacular. Includes Santa visits, crafts and face painting. 

Allen said corporate demand is also steady — or even increased — as businesses book Santas for various events. No sideline Santas here; our boy’s stacking those corporate checks.

How it works

Allen’s company has connected people with pro Santas since 2012 and has a database of about 5,000 Santas nationwide. When it comes to Santa selection, Allen said the company has a simple formula: “You gotta have a real beard, a real belly, and be real jolly.”

His company handles suits, boots and belts, but the twinkle in the eye comes straight from the Santas — and Allen said it’s mandatory.

SoCal still loves them some Santa, even with the dip in home visits. Allen said if you’re thinking about booking a visit, schedule soon as time is running short.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump vowed on Thanksgiving to "permanently pause migration" from poorer nations in a blistering late-night, anti-immigrant screed posted to social media.

The extended rant came in the wake of the Wednesday shooting of two National Guard members who were deployed to patrol Washington, D.C. under Trump's orders, one of whom died shortly before the president spoke to U.S. troops by video on Thursday evening.

A 29-year-old Afghan national who worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan War is facing charges for the shooting. The suspect emigrated as part of a program to resettle those who has helped American troops after U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. "Other than that, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, except those that hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for — You won't be here for long!"

Trump's threat to stop immigration would be a serious blow to a nation that has long defined itself as welcoming immigrants.

Elected on a promise to crack down on illegal migration, Trump's raids and deportations have disrupted communities across the U.S. as construction sites and schools have been targets. The prospect of more deportations could be economically dangerous as America's foreign-born workers account for nearly 31 million jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The president said on Truth Social that "most" foreign-born U.S. residents "are on welfare, from failed nations, or from prisons, mental institutions, gangs, or drug cartels" as he blamed them for crime across the country that is predominantly committed by U.S. citizens.

The perception that immigration breeds crime "continues to falter under the weight of the evidence," according to a review of academic literature last year in the Annual Review of Criminology.

"With few exceptions, studies conducted at both the aggregate and individual levels demonstrate that high concentrations of immigrants are not associated with increased levels of crime and delinquency across neighborhoods and cities in the United States," it said.

A study by economists initially released in 2023 found immigrants are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than people born in the U.S. Immigrants have been imprisoned at lower rates for 150 years, the study found, adding to past research undermining Trump's claims.

But Trump seemed to have little interest in a policy debate in his unusually lengthy social media post, which the White House, on its own rapid response social media account, called "one of the most important messages ever released by President Trump."

Trump claimed immigrants from Somalia are "completely taking over the once great State of Minnesota" as he used a dated slur for intellectually disabled people to demean that state's governor, Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee last year, calling him "seriously retarded."

Trump has ramped up his rhetoric since the shooting. On Wednesday night, Trump called for the reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who had entered under the Biden administration.

On Thursday, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, said the agency would take additional steps to screen people from 19 "high-risk" countries "to the maximum degree possible."

Edlow didn't name the countries. But in June, the administration banned travel to the U.S. by citizens of 12 countries and restricted access from seven others, citing national security concerns.
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