California mountain towns are surrounded by public land. Their recreation-based economies are part of an industry worth $640 billion nationwide, more than oil and gas, agriculture, vehicle ...

Michelle Beutler cleared 67 trees off a U.S. Forest Service road in two days. It was the spring of 2023, after a record-breaking winter in the Stanislaus National Forest in California’s Sierra Nevada.

Visitors can head into these mountains alone. But everything we read recommended hiring a guide for a much deeper experience ...