TRAILBLAZING Two and a half years ago, my brother hatched a scheme to visit every one of the U.S. National Parks. We’re not talking about drive-through visits—this plan involves camping in the parks whenever feasible and truly experiencing what each one has to offer. We started in California. Farthest south is Joshua Tree National Park, […]
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Mayhem Canines teaches dogs to ditch the pavement and hike San Luis Obispo County’s great outdoors
TRAILBLAZING Think your furry companions can handle something a little more hardcore than a walk around the park? Alissa Loftus of Mayhem Canine has your answer. “Hiking is much more efficient, much more stimulating for the dog,” she said. “They’re not just being marched around the pavement. They get to run and jump, get dirty, […]
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Central Coast State Parks Association is celebrating its 50th anniversary
TRAILBLAZING Working for the Central Coast State Parks Association (CCSPA) brought Executive Director Sierra Emrick closer to the bluffs, tidepools, and 7-mile shoreline she already had ocean-deep feelings for since childhood. “I grew up in Los Osos, and Montaña de Oro was my ‘heart park.’ The park I just loved, and—I felt—raised me and taught […]
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California Trails Survey gathers public input to guide future recreational access in the state
TRAILBLAZING Most people don’t view their daily dog-walking route or preferred trail for running as valuable input that could directly impact the future of outdoor spaces. But the California Trails Survey, spearheaded by the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) and California Department of Parks and Recreation, is calling for experiences like that from trail users […]
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Los Padres ForestWatch’s new fundraiser combines the great outdoors and wine
OUTDOOR KITCHEN Six friends braved a very muddy Baron Ranch Trail in January with a goal in mind: to end up at LaFond Winery and Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills for a glass of wine. The hike was difficult and wet, so not everyone was able to finish, but it was fun and beautiful […]
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Food builds connection at Tomorro Farm
OUTDOOR KITCHEN Most of us encounter food at the very end of its journey. It’s stacked neatly in grocery stores, polished and predictable, with a price tag. A red pepper, for instance, may look perfect, but you don’t know who grew it or what the land it came from looked like. A nagging curiosity about […]
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California Sauna Club brings a heated trailer and cold plunging to San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay
FEATURE I despise cold, overcast days, but peeping out at gray San Luis Obispo farmland through the half-moon window of California Sauna Club’s heated barrel trailer softened the gloom. The experience, tucked behind Froom Ranch Way marketplace, is from the minds and hands of couple Darren and Arielle Leva. The former Bay Area residents opened […]
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Federal agencies manage wild horses on public land across the West, including in SLO County
FEATURE For four years, Colette Kaluza’s driven across California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, and other states, traversing paved highways and barreling down dirt roads, picking her way across rugged terrain to find hard-to-reach places with the help of her trusty GPS app. After damaging a vehicle along the way, she purchased a Jeep Grand Cherokee with […]
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Local nonprofit boosts environmental education for underserved high school students
FEATURE Folks at the Morro Coast Audubon Society like to say that protecting birds means protecting the entire ecosystem. Torrey Gage-Tomlinson, the organization’s program director, believes it wholeheartedly. The concept was a continuation of his early memories traveling across Latin America to go bird watching with his parents. “It was a really unique childhood, and […]
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Scouting America remains a great way to connect youth with the outdoors
FEATURE While attending Teach Elementary in San Luis Obispo, David Forrest remembers being recruited into Scouting. The local scoutmaster came to the school and “pulled all the boys out of both fifth or sixth grade classes, and said, ‘You guys want to go camping?’ And, we were like, ‘Yeah.’” Soon young Forrest was walking into […]
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These products can take the stress away from bathroom breaks in the wild
GEAR HUB Answering nature’s call is a little more complicated when you have a uterus. Popping a squat in the woods isn’t for everybody, so here are some products that could be a lifesaver when you’re out on the trails. Kula Cloth Leave behind the excessive toilet paper rolls when you go camping and grab […]
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What’s the right backpack for a long walk?
GEAR HUB I’m getting ready to take a very long walk. In October, I fly to Madrid. From Madrid, I will board a train. That train will unceremoniously take me to Astorga, where I will carry my life on my back for 250 or so miles through the Spanish countryside, through towns, and finally sink […]