California

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Exploration & Survival

California Regulators Have Hit a Guiding Company with Hefty Fines for the Tahoe Avalanche

The California workplace safety agency alleges Blackbird Mountain Guides failed to properly train employees and evaluate avalanche hazards before a February slide killed nine people in the backcountry.

Suzie DundasAugust 24, 2026

Environment

The High-Stakes Plan That Could Reshape California—and the Country

The state is racing to protect more land, expand clean energy, and prove economic growth and conservation can coexist. The outcome could shape climate policy far beyond California.

Gloria LiuAugust 4, 2026

Exploration & Survival

LISTEN: What It’s Like to Crew the Badwater 135

The latest Long Read on the Outside Podcast takes listeners behind the scenes at the Badwater 135, the iconic race from Death Valley to the trailhead at Mount Whitney.

Frederick DreierJuly 29, 2026

Hiking

Hike, Paint, Sleep: What It’s Like to Be an Artist on the Pacific Crest Trail

A California landscape artist is thru-hiking the iconic trail with his art supplies in his backpack. Every day, he stops and paints another picture of an iconic vista, breathtaking wildflower, or scenic forest.

Frederick DreierJuly 14, 2026

Water Sports

100 People Have Been Rescued Along the California Coast in the Last Week. Here’s How to Stay Safe.

A massive summer surf anomaly shattered records from L.A. to San Francisco. A veteran water rescue chief wants you to know this before setting foot on the sand.

Owen ClarkeJune 18, 2026

Travel

Adventure Everywhere in San Diego, California

With the right perspective, and the right vehicle, you can find Adventure Everywhere

Graham AverillJune 25, 2026

Water Sports

A Historic Swell Just Battered SoCal. Here’s What It Was Like to Photograph the Waves.

Meet Dingo, a 60-year-old surf photographer who shoots Newport Beach’s most famous break. He recently captured a massive summer swell, and the riders who shredded it.

Frederick DreierJune 11, 2026

Culture

How a New Generation Is Redefining Who the Outdoors Belongs To

From surf clubs to land trusts, leaders are broadening culture and protecting land to ensure nature is truly accessible for the next century and beyond.

Gloria LiuMay 27, 2026

Hiking

A Hiker Fell and Died on a Los Angeles-Area Trail. Rescuers Want Visitors to Follow These Rules.

The falling death of a 66-year-old man on the Mount Wilson Trail prompted a warning from authorities. But experts say the route—which includes precipitous ledges and a fixed rope—is safe.

Owen ClarkeMay 5, 2026

Environment

Lightning Struck El Capitan. An Engagement Photographer Got the Shot.

Most people may have headed for the car. Instead, California photographer Erica Houck waited out the storm. Outside spoke with the photographer on how leaning into unpredictable wilderness conditions led to the unforgettable proposal photo.

Owen ClarkeApril 17, 2026

Exploration & Survival

A Backcountry Plane Crash Prompts a Massive Search and Rescue Mission in California

Rescuers used an Apple Crash Detection alert to find a fatal plane crash site in Northern California, leading to a several-week closure of a large wilderness area.

Owen ClarkeMarch 25, 2026

Exploration & Survival

She Vanished Into the Forest—Three Days Later, a Cry for Help Saved Her Life.

Rescuers found a 71-year-old hiker alive after a three-day search in the northern California wilderness. A chance encounter with a local guide company, Skunk Train, saved her life.

Madison DapcevichMarch 23, 2026

Exploration & Survival

He Disappeared on a Run 28 Years Ago. What Happened to Jon Aujay?

'The Valley of Shadows,' a new eight-part podcast, examines the 1998 disappearance of former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy John Aujay, who vanished during a training run in the Devil’s Punchbowl—an unsolved mystery that endures to this day.

Madison DapcevichMarch 21, 2026

Environment

The High-Stakes Battle Over Drilling Near California's Most Iconic Parks

The Bureau of Land Management is pursuing a plan to allow drilling and fracking on public land across California, including those neighboring prominent national parks and monuments.

Madison DapcevichMarch 20, 2026

Climbing

A Climber Fell 700 Feet Down California’s “Beginner Big Mountain”

Rescue crews in Siskiyou County, California rescued two budding alpinists, age 19 and 20, after they had an emergency on the legendary volcano

Frederick DreierMarch 10, 2026

Environment

Who Beheaded Big Sur’s Famous Bloom?

Officials say someone chopped the blooms in Big Sur’s beloved Calla Lily Valley. Rangers are still searching for a motive, but some suspect the removal could be tied to overtourism.

Owen ClarkeMarch 4, 2026

Snow Sports

Heli-Skiing in California Seemed Like a Pipe Dream. Then These Two Guys Showed Up.

Two ski industry mavericks believe they’ve discovered the secret of operating a heli-skiing business in the Golden State, where red tape, finicky snowfall, and plenty of danger have torpedoed past operations

Brent RoseFebruary 28, 2026

Snow Sports

Watch the Heart-Stopping Moment Two Skiers Dig Out a Third Buried in Snow

While plowing through waist-deep powder in California, two skiers came across a third buried below the surface. Their quick thinking likely saved the man’s life.

Madison DapcevichFebruary 26, 2026

Environment

After Being Fired Over a Flag in Yosemite, One Ranger Is Now Taking On the Federal Government

In Yosemite, displaying flags on El Cap is a time-honored tradition dating back decades. The former National Park Service ranger, who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, is the first person to get fired from the park for the act.

Madison DapcevichFebruary 23, 2026

Snow Sports

Shouldn’t They Be Hibernating? Why Are Three Bears Running Across a California Ski Resort?

A new clip shows three bears—what look to be a sow and two cubs—running across a powdery groomer. Skiers strapped to boards and skis stopped uphill and across from the trio, taking in the unusual sight.

Madison DapcevichFebruary 19, 2026