THE GOVERNMENT NEWS DESKPERMANENT NPS STORY ARCHIVE
Organized by publication date and destination. Each story retains its permanent State & Nation address and official NPS source.
Channel Islands National Park will reopen Water Canyon Campground and designated backcountry beach camping areas in the northwest and southwest quadrants of Santa Rosa Island beginning October 14. The southeast quadrant will remain closed to backcountry camping and no permits will be issued for the remainder of the 2026 recreation season. The burn area will remain closed to visitors.
Official NPS source
Initial assessments indicate that 60% to 80% of Santa Rosa Island's iconic Torrey pines may perish as a result of the largest wildfire in Channel Islands National Park history.
Official NPS source
Beginning Aug. 27, Channel Islands National Park will open the new Prisoners Harbor Campground on Santa Cruz Island, introducing overnight visitors to a new way to experience the park's largest island.
Official NPS source
As the United States commemorates its 250th anniversary, partners in one of the nation's most successful wildlife restoration efforts are celebrating another productive nesting season for America's national bird—the bald eagle.
Official NPS source
Channel Islands National Park will reopen Santa Rosa Island for day use beginning July 1, following preliminary assessments of post-fire conditions on the island.
Official NPS source
Santa Rosa Island, part of Channel Islands National Park, will remain closed to visitors until at least June 30 following the Santa Rosa Island Fire, a human-caused wildfire that burned less than 40 percent of the island.
Official NPS sourceA new National Park Service report shows that 263 thousand visitors to Channel Islands National Park in 2024 spent $17.7 million in communities near the park. That spending had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $24.9 million.
Official NPS source