Of the 401 national parks, 26 of them are located in California. In 2012, over 35 million people visited those parks. From Monday through Friday, April 22 to 26, every national park will have free admission. For more information about National Park Week, including a calendar of events, visit the National Park Service website at http://www.nationalparks.org/national-park-week. If you’re not able to easily visit a national . . . more »

For the last few weeks I have been preparing for my first backpacking trip. I'll be hiking 20 miles in Big Sur. I have borrowed most of the gear that I will need, since this is only my first time, and I’m not sure when the next time will be. The one thing that I did decide to invest in is a good pair of . . . more »

If, for you, January weather lends itself more to sitting and reading than tackling the great outdoors, here are my favorite hiking stories to tide you over until warmer weather. Having on many occasions bitten off more than I can chew when it comes to physcial endeavors, I appreciate Bill Bryson's every man approach to hiking the Appalachian Trail. Hike 2,100 miles? And why not? . . . more »