The Brief

Floyd Howard Jr. calls it his comfort zone — a canopy-covered courtyard in the heart of Skid Row where he can charge his phone, smoke a cigarette and catch up with friends.

It's also the centerpiece of what Los Angeles County administrators say is the nation's first community-designed homeless services campus.

The Skid Row Care Campus opened in May on a 36,000-square-foot site in downtown Los Angeles. It’s the first county program to formally incorporate input from people living in Skid Row, according to officials, including so-called “harm-reduction” programs that focus on keeping drug users safe and alive.

“It was imperative that the plan be designed by the community to repair the harm done by decades of plans that did not involve people who live in Skid Row,” said Molly Rysman with L.A. County’s Department of Health Services.

The care campus is funded with nearly $26 million a year in local, state, federal and private dollars over the next two years. About 2,000 people visit the new campus each day, according to Homeless Healthcare L.A., the main nonprofit staffing the campus.

Although it's only been open a few months, the center appears popular with unhoused Angelenos who desperately need a place to rest. Last month, one woman visited the campus for her first shower in months, she said, after receiving a buprenorphine injection to help her stop using fentanyl.

But some nearby business owners complain of more drug activity on the street since the facility opened.

Howard, a longtime Skid Row resident, said he visits the campus often to pick up the testing strips he uses to check his crystal methamphetamine supply for fentanyl.

Sometimes, he drops by for art classes or acupuncture treatment.

“It’s like a safe haven,” he said.

Centering the community

The site, at 422 S. Crocker St., provides a range of services, including showers, laundry, medical care and housing referrals. Booths line the south side of the plaza, where a rotating cast of representatives from the county’s three health departments provide pop-up services to connect people with addiction treatment or case management.

The primary clientele are the more than 1,800 unsheltered people living on the neighborhood’s streets who — despite the large concentration of homeless programs in the area — have access to few public restrooms and public gathering spaces.

The campus is the result of an initiative called the Skid Row Action Plan, a $280 million effort to expand services and housing funded by L.A. County, the city of L.A. and the state.

L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis launched the initiative in 2022 to address historic racism and disinvestment in the neighborhood, where the majority of the unhoused population is Black.

“Engaging the community was not just important; it was essential,” said Solis, whose district includes Skid Row. “Their voices must guide the path forward. Real transformation can only be led by those who live this reality every day.”

A committee of 10 current and former Skid Row residents collaborated with government agencies in 2023 to come up with recommendations for the plan in 2023. That group, known as the Skid Row Action Plan Resident Advisory Committee, recommended the new campus.

They said they wanted a fun community space where they could connect with services and a place where drug users can pick up harm reduction supplies, such as clean needles or pipes, overdose reversal medication and drug testing strips.

As a member of the advisory committee, Skid Row activist General Dogon said he pushed for the campus entrance to be staffed by “community ambassadors,” rather than private security guards.

“Uniforms don't go good with homeless people,” said Dogon, an organizer with the L.A. Community Action Network. “We want everyday faces to be at the door, not some G.I. Joe in a uniform.”

General Dogon observes an encampment sweep along a block of Skid Row.

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Jules Hotz

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CalMatters

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L.A. County officials said input from members of the unhoused community is sometimes ignored, and they are not properly compensated for their efforts. So authorities said they wanted to take a different approach at the care campus.

After the Skid Row Action plan started taking shape, the county hired an additional eight unhoused or formerly unhoused people to serve on resident councils for the Skid Row Care Campus. Each is paid a $10,000 consulting stipend and tasked with surveying other community members about what’s working and what isn’t. They also provide training and technical assistance for the campus’ programs.

“I like the fact that it's focused from the ground up and not the top down,” said Dwight Wilson, a member of a resident council. “It wants to  incorporate the actual feeling of the people in the community that need the resources.”

Even the name, “Skid Row Care Campus,” came from the community. It was suggested by Henriëtte Brouwers, associate director of the L.A. Poverty Department, a nonprofit arts organization and theater group that’s been in Skid Row since 1985.

“ People often talk about Skid Row like it's a bad place; they don’t care to find out why it’s here,” Brouwers said. “But people recover when they build relationships, and you build relationships when you care about somebody.

“I think if we want to end homelessness, we need to actually care.”

An estimated 3,593 homeless people live in Skid Row, including those in homeless shelters, according to the region’s latest count. While the overall unhoused population in the neighborhood has declined by 27% since 2022, the remaining population faces greater health risks, according to survey data.

About 41% of the people in Skid Row’s unhoused population have a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or post traumatic stress disorder. Roughly 31% deal with substance use disorder, and 26% claim a physical disability.

To meet some of those needs at the Skid Row Care Campus, the nonprofit health agency John Wesley Community Health Institute runs an on-site clinic and a 48-bed board-and-care facility, which provides permanent housing to people who need help with basic activities like dressing or eating. It’s moving in residents this week, according to county officials.

In several months, Skid Row’s first-ever methadone clinic will open here.

Case workers from the county’s three health departments, LAHSA and other departments rotate through booths within the main courtyard of the Skid Row Care campus.

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Aaron Schrank

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People can check in at the medical wing, which includes a clinic, a harm reduction dispensary and dozens of respite beds. The first methadone clinic in Skid Row is expected to open there this year.

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Aaron Schrank

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Harm reduction 

Many programs at the facility focus on harm reduction, a public health approach that recognizes addiction is a health condition and that some people aren’t going to immediately quit using drugs.

Harm reduction interventions typically focus on minimizing the negative health effects of drug use.

Public health officials and addiction experts say there is ample evidence these approaches not only save lives, but can also help people get into treatment or sobriety, connect them with other services or get them off the street.

But harm reduction remains controversial. Some view these approaches as enabling illegal behavior.

Last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order encouraging the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to give priority for housing grants to local agencies that enforce laws against open illicit drug use.

Trump’s order directs his attorney general to ensure that federal substance use disorder grants do not fund harm reduction programs. It also directs HUD to require people with substance use disorders or serious mental illness to seek treatment before they participate in federal housing and homelessness assistance programs.

Days before the executive order, a Trump-appointed HUD administrator told L.A. County officials at a meeting that he believed the region wasn’t doing enough enforcement and was critical of providing housing subsidies to people who use drugs, according to local officials who were there. L.A. County officials said it’s too early to tell what the actual effects of the new order will be.

Drug overdose is the leading cause of death for unhoused Angelenos, according to the county Public Health Department. Skid Row is home to the largest homeless population in L.A. and the highest rates of drug overdose mortality.

There are no designated safe-consumption sites — where people are allowed to use drugs under supervision — in California, although some exist in other parts of the country. A few years ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a state bill that would have allowed them.

On the street outside the Skid Row Care Campus, there are many signs that people are using illicit drugs. But they can’t use them inside the facility. The staff won’t allow it.

Last month, when one woman hit her meth pipe while lounging on the patio, a staff member tapped her on the shoulder and asked her to put it away. She complied.

The Skid Row Care Campus’ main harm reduction provider is Homeless Healthcare L.A., best known for its overdose response teams who roll through Skid Row in Jeeps to pass out supplies like clean smoking kits and naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug.

“Harm reduction was created by people who use drugs,” said the nonprofit’s Aurora Morales. “And everything that we do reflects what they need.”

On a recent afternoon, Floyd Howard Jr. folded squares of clean tin foil to be packed into kits for fentanyl smokers, as part of a campus work program.

“People that smoke fentanyl, they use the foil to put their drug on and smoke it,” Howard said. “So it's safer to get this from them than to just use some off the ground or something that's not clean.”

Howard added that he’s seen supplies like these save countless lives, including his own.

“If it wasn't for these people, a lot of people would be dead,” he said. “I have a whole lot of people that I met downtown here that passed from overdose.”

An unhoused couple who go by “Porkchop” and “Angel” prepare to visit the Skid Row Care Campus to take their first showers in months. Both had recently taken long-acting injectable doses of buprenorphine to quit using fentanyl, after years of daily use.

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Aaron Schrank

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Building community

The care campus sits beside the Umeya Apartments, a 175-unit supportive housing complex managed by the nonprofit Little Tokyo Service Center. Representatives say tenants will start moving in this month.

Most of the site’s neighbors are also homeless services providers. But some business owners complain of increased loitering and drug use outside the campus gates.

“ A lot of people don't want to come here anymore just because the street is so bad and they're scared,” said one representative from a nearby business, who requested anonymity to avoid retaliation. “ They should be helping people get off drugs instead of helping them do drugs.”

Morales of Homeless Healthcare L.A. said she’s working on partnerships with local businesses, including sending work program participants to clean up debris in alleyways.

Many unhoused Skid Row residents say they’re frequently denied service and restroom access at local businesses. Some go days without a proper meal and weeks or even months without a shower.

That’s why the care campus is a refuge.

“ They cater to everybody, and they're not biased about anything,” said Lisa Parizo, a formerly unhoused Skid Row resident who visits the space daily. “If you come in with a dirty shirt, dirty pants, they don't care. They're not gonna give you any less attention.”

It’s too early to tell how the care campus may transform this section of Skid Row.

Months after opening, most people living on Skid Row’s streets still haven’t heard of the campus, said resident councilmember Dwight Wilson, whose responsibilities include evangelizing for the site.

“I haven't run into too many people that have actually been there,” said Wilson. “I'm usually letting them know for the first time.”

Wilson has been living in transitional housing in Skid Row for the past year, since getting out of prison. He saw a listing for this opportunity a few months ago and applied.

He said he’s learned a lot about his neighborhood during the last few months on the job.

“When I was sent down here, I was really upset,” Wilson said. “But actually being down here has been a very humbling experience for me. What I learned is that it is actually a community.”

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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Courtesy Robert Pillon

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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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Yusra Farzan

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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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Courtesy Allison Castellano

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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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Yusra Farzan

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LAist

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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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Courtesy of Costanoa Lodge & Camp)

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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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