Take the long way home.
Browse outdoor places and related local stories around Merced County, from nearby trails and open spaces to day trips toward Yosemite and Mariposa.
Outdoor places and related editorial stories appear together here; use Latest Stories for the complete story archive and site-wide search for both content and listings.
Showing 97–108 of 108 matching results.
Outdoor places and related stories
Related story · Yosemite & Mariposa
Yosemite hiking tips: 4 advanced day hikesWhile Yosemite National Park is one of the most beautiful places on earth, it is also very busy with lots of visitors.…
Related story · Outdoors
Rainbow Pool – A Great Swimming Hole on the South Fork of the Tuolumnephoto by adam blauert A cool place to cool off If you’re looking for a place to cool off in the water, many areas will be more dangerous than usual.…
Related story · Yosemite & Mariposa
Tuolumne Meadows – The Other YosemitePHOTO BY ADAM BLAUERT Far fewer visitors Yosemite Valley is one of the most magnificent places on earth. It can also be one of the busiest during the summer months.…
Related story · Outdoors
Modesto Reservoir Regional ParkModesto Reservoir Regional Park Popular with residents of Modesto and Turlock, this park is surprisingly close to Merced and offers a lot of recreational opportunities and facilities.…
Outdoor place · Outdoors
McConnell State Recreation AreaPHOTO BY ADAM BLAUERT McConnell State Recreation Area Like the other Merced River Parks, McConnell has a lot of shade. It’s also a bit more developed than Hatfield and further from the highway.…
Related story · Local History
"Only What you can Carry"bring only what you can carry [/caption] The orders came down in 1942, striking fear into the hearts of Japanese-Americans of Merced County and Northern California.…
Related story · Personal Essays
Ten Years in Californiaphoto by steve newvine The picture here is of a miniature snowman I made one afternoon. A coworker had returned to Merced from the higher elevations in Mariposa with his pick-up truck box filled with snow.…
Related story · Community
Working CarsIt caught my eye in the parking lot of a local strip mall. There, in what I can say with the use of a cliché’, in all its ‘gleaming beauty’ it sat in the morning Merced County sun. It was a 1972 Mercury Montego.…
Outdoor place · Outdoors
The Atwater Historical Society was formed in 1972 in response to the challenge of keeping the Bloss Home for the community.Bloss Home The Atwater Historical Society was formed in 1972 in response to the challenge of keeping the Bloss Home for the community. The house was willed to the City of Atwater by George Bloss, Jr.…
Related story · Personal Essays
Crime VictimI became a crime victim this week. While in the Bay Area for a business meeting, my car was broken into while in the parking lot of a well-established business in a low crime community.…
Related story · Yosemite & Mariposa
Yosemite National Park. Very busy...parking is a challenge...safety is an issue...but it sure is beautiful!There was a letter to the editor in the Merced Sun Star recently from a visitor to Yosemite National Park. This letter pointed out a negative experience the writer had during a visit in early August.…
Related story · Yosemite & Mariposa
Spring time in Yosemite National Park"Yosemite Valley, to me, is always a sunrise, a glitter of green and golden wonder in a vast edifice of stone and space." -Ansel Adams The waterfalls are a great and wonderful attraction in the Yosemite Valley.…