With the winter rain and cold right now, camping might be the last thing on your mind, but many state and national parks open up their camping reservations either three months or six months in advance. That means if you want to camp in July, then many reservations are opening right now.
How easy is it to reserve a spot? In an effort to make campsites more accessible, the state Legislature passed a law to prevent no shows. The cancellation law which was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October 2023, only applies to California state parks. If you cancel up to seven days before your booking you'll lose your reservation fee and the cost of your first night — and you’ll also be charged a cancellation fee on top of that. If you don’t show up by the day after your reservation is supposed to start, then the rangers can cancel the rest of your stay.
Read on . . . for tips on how to reserve and a list of some of Northern California's best spots to go camping.
With the winter rain and cold right now, camping might be the last thing on your mind.
But if you want to head into the outdoors this summer, then it might actually be time to make your campsite reservations.
That’s because many state and national parks open up their camping reservations either three months or six months in advance. And six months means that if you want to camp in July, then many reservations are opening right now.
Keep reading for everything you need to know about making camping reservations for the summer, what the new laws are on canceling your California campsite, and where to find beautiful alternatives to some of the most popular sites — so your forward planning in the depths of winter can finally pay off when the sun is shining.
First, the new(ish) California law about campsite cancellations
In an effort to make campsites more accessible, the state Legislature passed a law to prevent no shows. No one’s happy when all the campsite reservations are all taken — and then some campers don’t even show up.
The cancellation law, which was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October 2023, only applies to California state parks. It requires that you cancel up to seven days before your booking or lose your reservation fee and the cost of your first night — and you’ll also be charged a cancellation fee on top of that. If you don’t show up by the day after your reservation is supposed to start, then the rangers can cancel the rest of your stay. (No more people booking out a whole week at a popular site, just to show up on Friday.)
And if you no-show more than three times in a year? Then you could be banned from making any more reservations. But be sure to check the rules on your specific reservation, because some campgrounds have additional policies about cancellations.
How to make camping reservations in winter for the summer
The process to make camping reservations in California depends on where the campgrounds are located, and what agency operates the campsite. That means there’s a different reservation system and timeline for national parks, state parks and regional parks.
Of note: Private campgrounds, those that operate individually or are available on sites like Hipcamp, typically have more availability — but even they book out in advance for popular dates such as holiday weekends.
Here’s when and how to make reservations at the different locations.
Reservations open: GGNRA and Point Reyes open up three months in advance at 7 a.m.; the Presidio and many other national parks open campsites six months in advance at 7 a.m.
Reservations open: State parks open up six months in advance at 8 a.m. You are also permitted to modify a reservation a limited number of times, which means you are able to make a reservation and then potentially modify it to include a date which was unavailable at the time of initial booking.
There’s also a new trial lottery drawing that opens up eight months ahead of time for the coveted cabins on the coast at Steep Ravine. That means if you want to enter the Steep Ravine lottery for any night in September, enter the lottery this month for the drawing that will be held on Feb. 1. (Mark your calendar now.)
While dispersed camping — i.e., camping anywhere, not necessarily at a campground — is available for free in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and in many cases on Forest Service land, specific permits may be required for thru-camping or in wilderness areas. You can find Forest Service campgrounds in the national forests around Tahoe, the Mendocino National Forest and the areas outside Big Sur.
Camping tents at a campground in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, California.
Reservations open: Family campsites open up 12 weeks in advance, but group and backpack sites open in blocks with the second half of the year opening up on May 1.
Reservations open: Six months in advance for UVAS, Coyote Lake and Joseph Grant.
Do I have to make a camping reservation?
Absolutely not. If you’re more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants camper, many parks have first-come, first-serve campsites (like those sites on Mt. Tam) or hold back same-day reservations that open up in the morning for later that day, like a handful in Pt. Reyes Seashore. Dispersed camping is also available across Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and lots of Forest Service land around Tahoe.
And, of course, you can always keep an eye out for cancellations — even set an alert on the reservation site to let you know if something opens up. (On ReserveCalifornia just click the “Notify Me!” button when you search for a camping spot.)
But, some campgrounds nonetheless require reservations. And if you’re counting on finding a first-come, first-serve site at the most popular campgrounds, then you might have to get there by Thursday evening or early Friday morning ahead of busy weekends. That means if you want a guaranteed camping spot, without the stress, especially during the summer months, then you definitely should consider planning in advance and making those reservations now.
Campers at the Upper Pines Campground are surrounded by trees and granite monoliths in Yosemite National Park, California, on June 13, 2023.
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Tracy Barbutes
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for The Washington Post via Getty Images
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Where are the best spots to go camping?
Some of the most popular campsites can seem almost impossible to book. (I just keep throwing my hat in that new lottery for the Steep Ravine cabins!)
And while it might be tempting to blame bots for snapping up all the best spots, the answer might have more to do with the countless other would-be campers who want the same site as you do. In 2023, California State Parks information officer Jorge Moreno said an analysis of reservation IPs and time stamps showed that bots aren’t actually the problem they used to be, especially after a captcha and verification step was added to their Reserve California third-party online reservation system in 2019. Additionally, any account caught using bots or reselling reservations now earns a ban.
Unfortunately, the fact that so many campsites are already full the second they open up for reservations is because “demand is greater than inventory,” Moreno said. For some of the most popular spots, there might be 100 people logging on for one of eight spots. “It’s really like a lottery,” he said.
Here’s a rundown of some of the most sought-after sites within a few hours’ drive of the Bay Area — and some lesser-known alternatives as well, for your possible Plan B.
Kirby Cove
With its view of the Golden Gate Bridge from the coast in the Marin Headlands, Kirby Cove reservations are released three months in advance at 7 a.m.
Alternative: Try the day-of campsite reservations that open at 7 a.m. each morning in the Point Reyes National Seashore, or farther north the Navarro Beach Campground (first-come, first-served) where the river hits the ocean along the Mendocino coast.
Big Sur
There are many public and private campgrounds along the Big Sur coast and in the national wilderness — with the two campsites at the waterfront Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and the camping at Pfeiffer State Park filling up when they open six months in advance. The Kirk Creek campground in the Los Padres National Forest experiences the same demand. There’s even luxury camping at Ventana.
Alternative: The upside is, even if you can’t find a campsite at one of the state parks, you should be able to backpack in the national forest. Or, check out the tree-level glamping.
Camping along the Big Sur/Pacific Coast of California. Kirk Creek Campground, Los Padres National Forest, California.
There are literally hundreds of campsites around Lake Tahoe, but some of the most popular can be heavily impacted — like Emerald Bay State Park or the Fallen Leaf campground (both of which open six months in advance).
Alternative: This is when dispersed camping comes in handy. Much of the Tahoe National Forest is open for free to camping outside of designated campgrounds. Or, for lakefront camping in the Sierra south of Tahoe try the Pinecrest campground on Pinecrest Lake.
Fiona Ng
is LAist's deputy managing editor and leads a team of reporters who explore food, culture, history, events and more.
Published January 4, 2026 8:17 AM
Mount Baldy, photographed here in 2019, has been the site of more than 230 rescues and eight fatalities since 2017.
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Robyn Beck
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AFP via Getty Images
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Topline:
Two of the three hikers found dead last week at Mt. Baldy have been identified.
The backstory: Their bodies were discovered when a search-and-rescue crew was dispatched to search for another missing hiker, who was reported to have fallen 500 feet near Devil’s Backbone Trail.
What's next: Trails on and around Mt. Baldy are still closed after the discovery of the three bodies.
Two of the three hikers found dead last week at Mt. Baldy have been identified.
They are Juan Sarat Lopez, 37, and Bayron Pedro Ramos Garcia, 36, according to authorities on Saturday. Both men are Guatemalan nationals living in Los Angeles.
Investigators believe the two fell from the Devil’s Backbone Trail the same day they were found.
Their bodies were discovered when a search-and-rescue crew was dispatched to search for another missing hiker, who was reported to have fallen 500 feet near Devil’s Backbone Trail.
That person was identified later as Marcus Alexander Muench Casanova, 19, of Seal Beach.
Trails still closed
Hiking trails on and around Mount Baldy have been closed by authorities after the deceased hikers were found, until 11:59 p.m. Jan. 7.
“Our primary responsibility is the preservation of life,” Sheriff Shannon Dicus said in a social media message sent on New Year's Eve. “Closing these trails is a necessary step to mitigate ongoing risks. We urge the community to respect these boundaries.”
The following trails will be closed:
Forest System Trail No. 7W12 - Mount Baldy Trail
Forest System Trail No. 7W02 - Mount Baldy Bowl Trail
Forest System Trail No. 7W05 - Devil’s Backbone Trail
Forest System Trail No. 7W06 - Three T’s Trail
Forest System Trail No. 7W07 - Icehouse Canyon Trail
"We're going to have our very large U.S. oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country," Trump said during a press conference Saturday.
The capture of Maduro and Trump's comments comes at a time when even a country like Venezuela — with one of the biggest oil resources in the world — isn't a sure bet for attracting major oil companies.
Many oil companies have been bruised by their past experiences operating in the country. The global oil market is currently facing an oversupply. Oil prices are below $60 a barrel, and long-term projections for oil demand are unclear as the world shifts to more electric vehicles.
Trump promises to "run the country" and make way for U.S. oil companies in Venezuela. However, there's a long history of U.S. interventions in Latin America and the Middle East not going well, oil experts tell NPR.
Here's what you need to know about Venezuela's oil.
Venezuela has huge oil reserves, but now produces a fraction of what it used to
Venezuela was once one of the biggest global oil producers and was one of the main founders of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), a group of some of the world's biggest oil producers, whose decisions help determine global oil prices. Venezuela has the largest proven reserves of oil in the world, according to OPEC.
But while the country was producing more than 3 million barrels a day a few decades ago, today Venezuela produces only about a million barrels a day, or roughly 1% of global oil output. The U.S. produces about 13 million barrels a day.
Much of Venezuela's oil went to refineries in the U.S. Now much of it goes to China.
Not all crude oil is the same — some oil is physically lighter and easier for refineries to process. Venezuela's oil is heavy and dense, and requires special refineries. Burning any type of oil contributes to climate change, but Venezuela's oil is "among the dirtiest oils in the world to produce when it comes to global warming," says Paasha Mahdavi, associate professor of political science at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
The El Palito refinery rises above Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025.
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Matias Delacroix
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AP Photo
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Venezuela owes some U.S. oil companies billions
U.S. oil companies like Chevron began drilling in Venezuela about one hundred years ago and played a key role in developing the country's oil sector.
But around 2004 to 2007, then-President Hugo Chávez "basically forcefully renegotiated contracts" with international oil companies, says Francisco Monaldi, director of the Latin America Energy Program at the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University.
ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips left the country in 2007 and then took the Venezuelan government to international arbitration courts. The courts ordered Venezuela to pay ConocoPhillips over $10 billion and ExxonMobil over $1 billion. Venezuela has only paid a fraction of those sums to ExxonMobil and to ConocoPhillips.
Chevron, however, stayed in Venezuela — although " they didn't like it," says Gerald Kepes, president of Competitive Energy Strategies, an energy consultancy in Washington, D.C.
Chevron today produces about a quarter of Venezuela's oil.
In response to the news of Maduro's capture, Chevron spokesperson Bill Turenne said in an email, "Chevron remains focused on the safety and wellbeing of our employees, as well as the integrity of our assets. We continue to operate in full compliance with all relevant laws and regulations."
Trump has said that Venezuela has "stolen" U.S. investment in the country's energy sector.
Will U.S. oil companies return?
Venezuela is what the oil industry calls a "brownfield" — meaning it's well established, and oil companies have a fairly good idea of what they will find when they drill. For companies like ConocoPhillips, returning to Venezuela could be an opportunity to recoup some of the billions owed to them by the government, Monaldi says.
In an email, ConocoPhillips spokesperson Dennis Nuss wrote, "ConocoPhillips is monitoring developments in Venezuela and their potential implications for global energy supply and stability. It would be premature to speculate on any future business activities or investments."
ExxonMobil did not respond to a request for comment.
Still, this isn't the best time to add to the global oil supply, Monaldi says. There's currently a worldwide glut of oil. Also, because Venezuela's oil is particularly bad for the climate, that makes it less attractive for European oil companies with climate goals, Monaldi says.
Aerial view of a ship at the Demerara river in Georgetown, Guyana on August 29, 2025.
Guyana's oil is lighter than Venezuela's, less polluting, and has lower taxes than Venezuela, Monaldi says. There's also no national oil company in Guyana, as there is in Venezuela.
"All that makes for Guyana to be one of the most attractive oil places in the world," Monaldi says.
While ExxonMobil is no longer in Venezuela, it is a major player in Guyana.
But Mahdavi says the Trump administration's plans to jumpstart the industry will be difficult. He notes that it took nearly two decades to revitalize Iraq's oil industry after the U.S. invasion, though corruption and mismanagement remain pervasive.
And ultimately, notes Kepes, if it's unclear who is in charge in Venezuela, oil companies will have concerns about the long-term viability of their contracts. "No one's going to start investing on the ground in a place where there's no legal contract and viable permission to operate or if there's concerns about political stability and violence," he says.
Copyright 2026 NPR
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Former Pali-Post editor Bill Bruns stands in front of the old "Pacific Palisades Post" building on Via de la Paz. The building held the newsroom as well as the paper's printing press.
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Bill Bruns
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Bill Bruns
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Topline:
The Palisadian-Post, a community newspaper dedicated to the Pacific Palisades, published its final edition on Christmas Day.
Whynow? After January’s fires subscriptions basically fell to zero and what advertisers the paper did have all but disappeared, according to owner Alan Smolinisky.
Who read it? At its height, the paper reached over 6,000 subscribers and was solely focused on stories local to the Palisades. Reporters would cover local community meetings, sports events and businesses.
Read on ... for nearly 100 years of memories of the Pali-Post.
The Palisadian-Post, the community paper that’s been covering the Pacific Palisades for nearly 100 years, printed its final issue on Christmas Day.
After January’s fires, subscriptions basically fell to zero, as did advertisers, according to a memo announcing the paper's closure from owner Alan Smolinisky.
But its end brings with it nearly a century of memories.
The Post remembered
The seaside community of Pacific Palisades was founded by members of the Methodist church in 1922. Six years later, the first issue of what would become the Pali-Post was published to document town life.
“ A little 12-point, 12-page tabloid, they called the Palisadian” saidBill Bruns, a former editor of the Palisadian-Post from 1993 to 2013, and member of the Pacific Palisades Historical Society. Before he was editor, Bruns was a loyal reader of the paper.
In 1934, the paper was purchased by Clifford Clearwater, one of the first settlers of the Palisades. Bruns said Clearwater had been an ambulance driver in World War I, and was the Palisades's original postal carrier where he would deliver mail by horseback.
He wasn’t trained as a journalist, but his life experiences gave him the confidence to keep publishing the paper, serving as its photographer and editor until his death in 1956.
“He had a friend who had a little plane and he would take Cliff up and Cliff would shoot these great aerial pictures of the town growing, hanging out of this little plane,” Bruns said.
Over the years, Clearwater took about 3,000 aerial photos of the community as it developed and grew. All of those pictures survived the Palisades Fire and are stored at the Santa Monica Library for the public to see.
In 1950, a rival paper — the Pacific Palisades Post — came on the scene and by the end of the next decade, the two papers would merge to become the Pali-Post that most people think of today.
Bill Bruns (back right) poses for a picture with the rest of the "Palisadian-Post" staff in 2013.
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Bill Bruns
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A 'heyday' for community news
The paper changed hands again in 1981 and a little over a decade later, Bruns began as editor.
With an average of about 30 pages to fill every week, he said what readers appreciated most was the focus on local news. Reporters went in person to cover stories and were often seen at local meetings, sports events and businesses.
“So they knew that they were getting firsthand coverage of what was happening in the town,” Bruns said.
Readers like Sue Kohl who lived in the Palisades for 32 years, respected the breadth of its coverage.
The Post covered school sports her children participated in. She said it featured plenty of advertisements from neighborhood businesses, including her own real estate agency. She especially liked the small town bulletin feel of the paper.
“They talked about local issues. They talked about local residents, whether they were famous or not famous,” Kohl said.
One of her favorite sections to read was the “Two Cents” column, stray thoughts and opinions from Palisadians. She also appreciated the in-depth obituaries.
Bruns said the obit section was always appreciated by the families since the paper didn’t charge for them.
“ Because we didn't charge, people would write nice obituaries because they weren't worried about the cost and they would give us a picture and we ran those,” Bruns said.
The old "Pacific-Palisades Post" newsroom from Bruns' time as editor. After 2013, it was converted into a real estate office by the new owner, which was subsequently lost to the fire.
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Patricia Williams/Patricia Williams
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Bill Bruns
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The paper was known for its responsiveness to the community. The staff took pitches from readers, Bruns said, and put the spotlight on Palisadians themselves.
There was a “golden couples” column for anybody married for 50 years or more; a “young Palisadians” column for enterprising youngsters and a “people on the move” column for the movers and shakers.
The paper also announced the first birth in the community each year.
“It was kind of a cool thing to be the first baby in the Palisades. They gave them prizes like baby gifts and things. Very local, community driven, small town emphasis,” Kohl said.
More than a paper
That small town emphasis remained a constant.Gabriella Bock was a reporter at the Pali-Post from 2016 to 2018. She said it her first real newsroom experience.
Gabriella Bock's old desk at the Pali-Post office on Alma Real.
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Gabriella Bock
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Gabriella Bock
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“ We were a small, tight-knit news team of myself, a sports reporter and one other staff reporter,” Bock said. “So I was able to be taken under their wing and learn a lot in a short period of time.”
Gabirella Bock's former media pass from 2017.
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Gabriella Bock
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Gabriella Bock
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But the paper was more than just a place to work. When Bock got married, her fellow reporters wrote a marriage announcement in the paper. When she was pregnant, they threw her a baby shower.
When she heard about the paper closing its doors, she said it was heartbreaking. To Bock it’s not about being nostalgic or sentimental about a former workplace. She sees the giant hole the disappearance of another local newsroom can leave people with.
“It's how people learn what's happening on their block, in their schools, in their city, and when that disappears, people oftentimes will lose a reason to stay engaged at all,” said Bock.
Gabriella Bock works the line at the Gracias Senor food truck for a Pali-Post story. The food truck often parked outside of the Ralph's grocery store on Alma Real.
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Gabriella Bock
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Gabriella Bock
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Bruns echoes Bock’s sentiment. He saw the paper as a unifier of the community in his two-decade tenure.
“It just made people feel more like they really liked their town, and the Palisades Post was a crucial element in that whole spirit of community,” Bruns said.
After Bill Bruns (left) retired in 2013 he received a commendation from former LA City Councilman Mike Bonin (right) for his years of service in local journalism.
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Bills Bruns
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Bill Bruns
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Kohl, whose home is more than halfway rebuilt, hopes that the spirit will return one day.
Last time she drove through her old neighborhood of The Alphabet Streets she saw several homes in the process of coming back up.
“I have faith that we will all come back, and I hope that the newspaper finds that as well,” said Kohl.
Sue Kohl and her dog Maisie stand in the construction site of her home being rebuilt in the Pacific Palisades.
Fiona Ng
is LAist's deputy managing editor and leads a team of reporters who explore food, culture, history, events and more.
Published January 3, 2026 11:18 AM
President Donald Trump listens to a reporter's question in the Oval Office of the White House, on Friday.
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Alex Brandon
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AP
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Topline:
California lawmakers have issued their responses on the U.S. military operation in Venezuela.
The backstory: In a news conference this morning, President Donald Trump said the U.S. is going to "run" that country until a proper transition is in place.
President Donald Trump launched a military strike against Venezuela overnight, resulting in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
In a news conference this morning, Trump said the U.S. is going to "run" that country, until a proper transition is in place.
California lawmakers are reacting to the attacks.
"Nicolás Maduro was a thug and an illegitimate leader of Venezuela, terrorizing and oppressing its people for far too long and forcing many to leave the country. But starting a war to remove Maduro doesn’t just continue Donald Trump’s trampling of the Constitution, it further erodes America’s standing on the world stage and risks our adversaries mirroring this brazen illegal escalation," says Sen. Adam Schiff, a democrat.
Nicolás Maduro was a thug and an illegitimate leader of Venezuela, terrorizing and oppressing its people for far too long and forcing many to leave the country. But starting a war to remove Maduro doesn’t just continue Donald Trump’s trampling of the Constitution, it further…
Republican Congressman Darrell Issa, who represents areas including Murrieta and the Temecula Valley, says President Trump, "has taken strong action to protect America’s homeland from neighboring threats of narcoterrorism and the scourge of deadly narcotics. The Trump administration has my full support."
Our elite military have again performed brilliantly with total effectiveness, and minimum loss of life. They are the best-trained, best-equipped, and bravest in the world.
Once again, @realDonaldTrump has taken strong action to protect America’s homeland from neighboring threats…
California Governor Gavin Newsom did not directly response to the attacks. He zeroed in on a comment Trump made about the L.A. fires during the news conference.
"Unless Trump is finally delivering the federal aid survivors need to rebuild after the horrific fires — nearly a year after California first requested it — he should keep Los Angeles out of his mouth," Newsom's office says on social.
Unless Trump is finally delivering the federal aid survivors need to rebuild after the horrific fires — nearly a year after California first requested it — he should keep Los Angeles out of his mouth. https://t.co/DolwqB3NnJ
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) January 3, 2026
