 Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area
During the low tide of the king tide Saturday, December, 4, a beginner surfer looks at the small waves.
Photo from Brian Baer, Communications and Marketing Division
 Near Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area
State Park Interpreter Callista Turner was definitely on Santa's nice list this year. While walking over to Gorman Elementary School to drop off flyers for kids' activities at Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area, Callista ran into Santa and took a quick photo. Kids' crafts will be held December 18-19 at the north entrance visitor center on Gold Hill Road at the park unit.
Photo from Callista Turner, Great Basin District
 Benicia Capitol State Historic Park
Getting the park ready for the holiday season. Top left: The front door of the Fischer-Hanlon House located next door to the Capitol building. Top middle: The Christmas tree inside the Fischer-Hanlon House parlor decorated with handmade crocheted snowflakes. Because it is a Victorian-era home, we try to keep the decorations true to the period. Top right: The Christmas tree inside the first floor senate room of the Capitol building. This tree is decorated with hand-blown glass ornaments and icicles. Bottom: Each year we are assisted by the Benicia Fire Department to place the light at the top of the Capitol building. Firefighter Ethan Krause is on the extended ladder, finishing the lights around the pediment.
Photos from Julio Ortiz, Bay Area District
 Trione-Annadel State Park
Bay Area District partnered with CAL FIRE to burn piles in Trione-Annadel State Park this week. The work is part of a fire prevention grant-funded access road clearance and fuel reduction project in an area of the park burned in the 2017 Nuns Fire.
Photo from Cyndy Shafer, Bay Area District
 Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area
Forestry Aide Timothy Hart (left), Skilled Laborer Clint Stallings (middle) and Forestry Aide Emanual “Manny” Sandoval (right) perform tread maintenance to Doe’s Run Trail in the Black Bear resource management area. Resource management areas, or RMAs, are trails-only riding areas in Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA). Maintenance like this makes for a more enjoyable experience for the rider, helps prevents off-trail riding and reduces erosion and runoff. Their dedication and a hard work blends conservation with providing off-highway vehicle enthusiast fun and challenging trails system at Carnegie SVRA. Not pictured is Park Maintenance Worker I Brian Bynum, who is also a dedicated member of the Carnegie Trails Crew.
Photo from Keith Griggs, Diablo Range District
 Año Nuevo State Park
Docent Fay Levinson (left) receiving her Poppy Award from Interpreter Susan Blake. During her 36 years and over 6,500 hours of volunteer service, Fay has shown unwavering dedication and made countless contributions to Año Nuevo State Park. She has been an integral and invaluable docent, serving in a wide variety of positions in school group programs, Equal Access programs, guided walks, the Park Store, outreach programs and more. Her kindness, passion and helpfulness have enriched the lives of thousands of visitors and staff. Fay is an outstanding ambassador for California State parks, demonstrating the true spirit of volunteerism. California State Parks extends its heartfelt gratitude to Fay.
Photo from Emma Levy, Santa Cruz District
 Crystal Cove State Park
Catching the sunset in beautiful Orange County.
Photo from Ryan Gates, Orange Coast District
 Lake Perris State Recreation Area
It was a chilly 40 degrees as the sun rose over Lake Perris on Monday, December 6.
Photo from Joshua Bakke, Inland Empire District
 California State Capitol
The festive west steps of the California State Capitol with the California State Seal.
Photo from Megan Stanley, Capital District
 California State Capitol
A view that hasn't been seen in a while. This is the beautiful interior dome of the California State Capitol. There has been a lot of movement out of the building with the Annex construction soon to occur.
Photo from Megan Stanley, Capital District
 Sonoma State Historic Park
The Toscano Kitchen atop a red carpet of freshly fallen leaves.
Photo from Derek Shelly, Bay Area District
 William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park
The homestead is newly decorated for the winter holidays, thanks to staff and volunteers.
Photo from Heather Lee, Northern Buttes District
 William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park
The interior of the homestead is also festively decorated, thanks to staff and volunteers.
Photo from Heather Lee, Northern Buttes District
 Lake Perris State Recreation Area
A gorgeous sunset at Lake Perris captured last week.
Photo from Matt Anderson, Southern Service Center
 Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park
Sunset over the Malakoff hydraulic diggings on Wednesday, December 1.
Photo from Caleb Longest, Sierra District
 Carlsbad State Beach
During an unusually foggy morning, I was watching the pelicans when the sun broke through the clouds.
Photo from April Nurse, San Diego Coast District
 Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
Bull elk enjoying Gold Bluff Beach on a foggy morning near Fern Canyon.
Photo from Mark Morrissette, North Coast Redwoods District
 Leo Carrillo State Park
It's that time of the year again when families come together, celebrate, enjoy one another's company and most importantly ... EAT! Naturally we've all got food on the brain, so while this might look like a pile of delicious spaghetti, it is quite the opposite. Spotted here in the tide pools of Leo Carrillo is a great big pile of sea hare eggs. Sea hares can lay up to 80 million eggs at a time, which hatch in about 10-12 days. If you look close enough, you'll see two wet, squishy sea hares on either side of the "spaghetti"!
Photo from Ilsa Below, Angeles District
 MacKerricher State Park
This photo was taken during an extremely beautiful low tide on Friday, December 3. The tidal pools are always a main attraction! There are multiple species of anemone along our coastline and are warmly welcomed by incoming campers and adventure seekers at this park. This past week we had some massive negative tides allowing us to go deep into the tide-pooling area and see some incredible creatures subsisting and hugging the coast of this beautiful park. This is the giant green sea anemone, a common species at this park and one of those beautiful floral-mimicking invertebrates that never ceases to amaze onlookers. The one pictured above was about 50% out of the water, showing off its tentacles near its oral disk. These tentacles are not harmful to humans, but rather create a tacky and sticky sensation lethal to its prey. The prey of a sea anemone can be quite surprising when seeing this cute and seemingly dancing underwater animal. It will consume animals such as crabs, sea urchins and fish if they stumble into its tentacles.
Photo from Dustin Medler, Sonoma-Mendocino Coast District
 Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
A chaparral yucca (Hesperoyucca whipplei).
Photo from Michele Hernandez, Colorado Desert District
 Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
Pine tree seedling growing in the rocks.
Photo from Michele Hernandez, Colorado Desert District
 Russian Gulch State Park
The bridge at Russian Gulch State Park beach.
Photo from Ashley Brooks, Sonoma-Mendocino Coast District
 MacKerricher State Park
Top left: Sun shining through the trees in West Pine Campground. Top right: Frost on the plants (in the mint family) early in the morning. Bottom right: Sunset at Ten Mile Beach. Bottom left: Sun shining through the trees over the whale skeleton.
Photos from Ashley Brooks, Sonoma-Mendocino Coast District
 Portola Redwoods State Park
After all the wet weather in Portola, the slime molds have been moving and growing all over.
Photo from Lucas Dickey, Santa Cruz District
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