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 managerOutdoors
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
The last check before you leave: weather, smoke, heat, water, and roads, from the live sources that actually know.
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
Every campsite answers to a land manager. Find yours first, and the fire, pet, and reservation rules stop being surprises.
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
Trails feel open until a rule says otherwise. Check the manager page for pets, bikes, permits, and closures before you go.
Plan a trail dayCornerstone guide
Fishing licenses and rules
Start with the exact water and the exact fish. The license, the current rules, and the safe-eating advice all follow from there.
Check fishing rulesSafety guide
Wildfire defensible space around the home
Start here before yard work near the home. It also explains the wildfire hazard map.
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
The park across the street has its own rulebook. Find the official page for the exact park before you plan the day.
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 the exact fish. The license, the current rules, and the safe-eating advice all follow from there.
Check fishing rulesCornerstone guide
Hunting licenses and field rules
Start with hunter education and the license. Then check 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
Tide pools are a look-first world. Learn the low-tide timing and the protected-area rules before you touch or take anything.
Check tide poolsField guide
Boating, paddling, and water safety
Before the boat or board touches the water, run the short list: registration, the Boater Card, life jackets, and 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
Every campsite answers to a land manager. Find yours first, and the fire, pet, and reservation rules stop being surprises.
Plan campingSafety guide
Bears, food storage, and camp safety
What counts as bear food, when to use a locker or canister, why car rules vary, and what to do when a black bear appears.
Read this guideField guide
Trails, hiking, and biking
Trails feel open until a rule says otherwise. Check the manager page for pets, bikes, permits, and closures before you go.
Plan a trail dayField guide
Dogs and pets outdoors
California is dog-friendly in patches. Check the exact beach, park, or trail before you load the leash.
Bring a dogField guide
OHV and off-road riding
Riding legal is a short checklist: the vehicle papers, the rider rules, the legal riding map, and the fire rules of the day.
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
Wildlife watching works best at a respectful distance. Learn the site rules and the space animals need before you go.
Watch wildlife safelyWhere-to-go guide
Redwoods, deserts, mountains, and big parks
The big famous places run on reservations, roads, and weather. This is the first stop before redwoods, deserts, or high country.
Explore big parksWhere-to-go guide
Stargazing and night sky
Dark sky is easy to find and easy to get wrong. Check the gates, the moon, and 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
A campfire is legal until it is not. Check the permit, the current restrictions, and the weather before you strike anything.
Check fire rulesSafety guide
Wildfire defensible space around the home
Start here before yard work near the home. It also explains the wildfire hazard map.
Check defensible spaceSafety hub
Outdoor weather and hazard checks
The last check before you leave: weather, smoke, heat, water, and roads, from the live sources that actually know.
Check weather hazardsSafety guide
Snow, chains, and winter roads
Mountain driving changes with the sky. Check chain controls and road conditions before you leave, not on the shoulder.
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.