Start here
Check the manager before the rule
Use this first when you are not sure who sets the rule for the place you want to visit.
Check the manager
Outdoors
Outdoors, before you head out.
Coast, redwoods, Sierra roads, deserts, beaches, parks, rivers, wildlife, smoke, snow, and local rules. The right answer changes by place and by day.
Start here
Check the manager, then check the condition.
A single day outside can cross a state park, a beach access point, a national forest road, a wildlife area, a city trail, and private land. The safest first move is to identify who manages the exact place today, then check that manager's current page.
Common first stops
Pick the guide closest to your day.
Start here
Check the manager before the rule
Use this first when you are not sure who sets the rule for the place you want to visit.
Check the managerSafety hub
Outdoor weather and hazard checks
A last-check guide for weather, smoke, fire, heat, surf, rivers, snow, roads, earthquakes, and the live sources to trust before you leave.
Check weather hazardsCornerstone guide
State park passes and reservations
Start here for day-use fees, annual passes, camping reservations, and the up-to-six-month booking window.
See park passesCornerstone guide
Camping and public lands
How to check the manager, reservation, fire, food, pet, water, road, and closure rules before you camp.
Plan campingField guide
Beaches and coastal access
Find public access, check water quality, and look at surf or rip-current warnings before a beach day.
Find beach accessField guide
Trails, hiking, and biking
How to check the trail manager, pets, bikes, e-bikes, permits, closures, weather, water, and road access.
Plan a trail dayCornerstone guide
Fishing licenses and rules
Start with the exact water and fish, then check the license, report card, current rule, and safe-eating advice.
Check fishing rulesSafety guide
Wildfire defensible space around the home
Start here before clearing plants, moving firewood, changing mulch, or checking whether a home is in a wildfire hazard zone.
Check defensible spaceGuide library
Outdoor guide library
The cards below are grouped around common trip lanes: water, land, wildlife, big scenery, and safety. Every guide keeps the yearly or day-by-day details on the official source.
Before you go
The checks that save the day: who manages the place, what pass or license applies, and whether anything is closed today.
Cornerstone guide
State park passes and reservations
Start here for day-use fees, annual passes, camping reservations, and the up-to-six-month booking window.
See park passesFirst stop
City and county parks
How to check local park pages for reservations, dogs, sports fields, picnic sites, parking, hours, closures, and special-event rules.
Check local parksHunting, fishing, and field rules
Licenses, seasons, current regulations, and the CDFW pages to check before a trip.
Cornerstone guide
Fishing licenses and rules
Start with the exact water and fish, then check the license, report card, current rule, and safe-eating advice.
Check fishing rulesCornerstone guide
Hunting licenses and field rules
Start with hunter education, licenses, tags, current rules, land access, and nonlead ammunition.
Check hunting rulesCoast, beaches, boating, and water
Beach access, coastal permits, tide pools, marine protected areas, water quality, boating safety, surf, paddling, and the live conditions that matter.
Field guide
Beaches and coastal access
Find public access, check water quality, and look at surf or rip-current warnings before a beach day.
Find beach accessRules signpost
Coastal development permits
A simple first pass before you build, grade, or change use in the coastal zone.
Check coastal permitsField guide
Tide pools and marine protected areas
How to enjoy tide pools, low tides, shellfish warnings, and marine protected areas without guessing what you can touch, take, or eat.
Check tide poolsField guide
Boating, paddling, and water safety
The first checks for motors, life jackets, local launch rules, weather, and water conditions.
Check water safetyParks, camping, trails, and riding
State parks, local parks, national parks, forests, BLM land, campgrounds, dogs, trail rules, and OHV riding.
Cornerstone guide
Camping and public lands
How to check the manager, reservation, fire, food, pet, water, road, and closure rules before you camp.
Plan campingField guide
Trails, hiking, and biking
How to check the trail manager, pets, bikes, e-bikes, permits, closures, weather, water, and road access.
Plan a trail dayField guide
Dogs and pets outdoors
How to check dog rules for beaches, state parks, national parks, forests, campgrounds, trails, wildlife areas, heat, ticks, and posted signs.
Bring a dogRules signpost
OHV and off-road riding
How to check stickers, permits, legal riding areas, maps, spark arresters, fire rules, and closures.
Check OHV rulesRedwoods, deserts, mountains, wildlife, and night sky
The places people dream about, plus the simple rules that keep them open and healthy.
Field guide
Wildlife, birding, and viewing
How to watch wildlife without crowding it, feeding it, or missing site rules, passes, closures, drones, and marine-life distance rules.
Watch wildlife safelyWhere-to-go guide
Redwoods, deserts, mountains, and big parks
A practical first stop for redwoods, Sierra parks, desert roads, islands, volcanoes, and the official pages that control roads, permits, weather, and access.
Explore big parksWhere-to-go guide
Stargazing and night sky
How to plan a night-sky trip without guessing about gates, parking, clouds, smoke, roads, moonlight, or whether you can legally be there after dark.
Plan stargazingWeather, wildfire, smoke, snow, and hazards
The safety layer that touches every outdoor day: fire restrictions, smoke, heat, snow, roads, water, and fast-changing hazards.
Safety guide
Fire restrictions and campfires
How to check campfire permits, forest and BLM fire restrictions, local bans, stoves, charcoal, fireworks, target shooting, and red-flag weather.
Check fire rulesSafety guide
Wildfire defensible space around the home
Start here before clearing plants, moving firewood, changing mulch, or checking whether a home is in a wildfire hazard zone.
Check defensible spaceSafety hub
Outdoor weather and hazard checks
A last-check guide for weather, smoke, fire, heat, surf, rivers, snow, roads, earthquakes, and the live sources to trust before you leave.
Check weather hazardsSafety guide
Snow, chains, and winter roads
How to check chain controls, SNO-PARK permits, mountain road closures, winter weather, avalanche warnings, and safe snow-play spots before you drive.
Plan snow roadsShared basics
Six official links.
These do not replace the park or trail page. They are the big official sources that keep most outdoor plans tied to the current rule.
Fishing and hunting rules
Current CDFW regulations.
State park passes
Day-use and annual pass details.
Coastal access
Public access tools and basics.
Weather warnings
Forecasts, alerts, surf, heat, snow, and storms.
Road conditions
Closures, chains, traffic, and mountain roads.
Campfire permits
Permit source and fire-rule reminder.
Source promise
We summarize the path. The agency, park, land manager, local office, or official order still controls the current official answer. If a guide and an official source disagree, trust the official source and tell us so we can fix it.