Recreation

View of Topanga Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains.

California's Top-Rated Park for Hikers Is Inside the City of LA

According to AllTrails, a popular fitness and travel mobile app, Topanga State Park has many highly-rated trails, most of which are of moderate difficulty and vary in length from three to seven miles.

April 2, 2024 - The Travel

Green grass soccer field with Los Angeles skyline in background.

Using Data and Partnerships to Build Sports Facilities

Data and partnerships have supported the recent development and improvement of sports facilities in underserved communities in Los Angeles County.

November 6, 2023 - Parks & Rec Business

Rainbow over red rocks and river in Utah's Labyrinth Canyon.

BLM Releases New Plan for Moab Area

The plan limits motorized recreation to protect natural and cultural resources.

October 6, 2023 - High Country News

View of dirt trail between shrubs with downtown Los Angeles skyline in background.

Advancing Park Equity Through Needs Assessments

City Parks Alliance, in partnership with Prevention Institute, recently hosted a webinar about park equity and collaboration, focusing on the Los Angeles Countywide Parks Needs Assessment.

October 4, 2023 - City Parks Alliance

View of wooded mountains with sunset in background in the Smoky Mountains.

Diverse Perspectives of America Outdoors

Best-selling writer, podcaster and comedian Baratunde Thurston travels the country to better understand and explain people's complex relationship with the outdoors in a series on PBS.

October 3, 2023 - PBS

View of Echo Park Lake at night with artesian fountain and illuminated swan paddle boats and Los Angeles skyline in background

Recreational Programming Helps Communities to Thrive

Los Angeles County's popular and award-winning Parks After Dark program offers multiple important benefits, as documented in a recent UCLA study.

August 23, 2023 - UCLA Newsroom

Signpost with signs for archery, jousting, privies, etc at Renaissance faire

The Geekiest Cities in America

Which cities have the most comic book shops, D&D meetups, and LARPing groups?

July 14, 2023 - Lawn Love

Stormwater Infrastructure

50 Years Later: Anacostia River to Welcome Swimmers

The Washington, D.C. region has accomplished a major environmental victory, cleaning up the Anacostia River enough for humans to swim in for the first time in five decades.

June 28, 2023 - WJLA

Sillhouettes of tall alm trees in Los Angeles against dark sunset colors

Summer Fun at Los Angeles County Parks

L.A. County's popular and award-winning Parks After Dark program returns for the summer, providing opportunities for residents to come together in safe and welcoming spaces where they can access quality programming and a variety of services.

June 26, 2023 - KTLA5

Safe Places to Play mini-pitch at Luis Muñoz Marin School in Newark, New Jersey

Improving Communities Through Soccer

LEGO has partnered with the U.S. Soccer Foundation to create a new safe place for kids to play soccer and gain life skills in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

June 26, 2023 - KOB4

Small white one-story building with Maggie Hathaway Golf Course sign with American flag on flagpole and green lawn

Expanding Access to Golf in South Los Angeles

L.A. County’s Maggie Hathaway Golf Course getting up to $15 Million from U.S. Open Community Legacy Project to expand access to the sport in South L.A.

June 8, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

Aerial view of pickleball court with players illuminated for nighttime play

Addressing the Noise Impacts of Pickleball

Pickleball may be America's fastest growing sport, but it is not universally loved because of the noise it causes. Learn one expert's ideas for mitigating the noise impacts.

June 7, 2023 - The Hustle

Four people playing pickleball on outdoor court

Can Pickleball Save Dying Malls?

The popular sport is getting backlash for taking over parks and other facilities. Now, the industry is partnering with mall developers to transform old department stores into pickleball courts.

May 29, 2023 - ABC 7 NY

Concrete walking and biking trail winding through trees and bushes

Data-Driven Effort to Re-envision Conservation and Prioritize Vulnerable Communities

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has approved the 2022 Parks Needs Assessment Plus (PNA+), which focuses on environmental conservation and restoration, regional recreation, and rural recreation.

December 28, 2022 - National Recreation and Park Association Open Space Blog

The Yards Park, in Washington, D.C.

Want to Swim in the Potomac? Army Corps to Study the Possibility

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could soon study how to legalize swimming in the rivers around the nation’s capital—a scenario that would have seemed impossible in the not-too-distant past.

December 27, 2022 - DCist

Coronavirus Social Distancing

New Density Control Measure to Close Some New York Streets to Cars

To encourage recreational walking while practicing social distancing in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19, Gov. Andrew Cuomo asked the New York City mayor and city council speaker to devise a pilot project to provide for open streets.

March 26, 2020 - CNBC

MLK Drive Philadelphia

MLK Jr. Drive in Philadelphia Closed to Motor Vehicles During Pandemic

The closure will give cyclists and pedestrians a safe roadway to use while maintaining social distancing.

March 25, 2020 - Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia

The Yards Park, in Washington, D.C.

Coming Soon to D.C.: Rivers Clean Enough for Swimming

A tremendous open space and recreation addition could be on the horizon for residents of Washington, D.C., but there's still work to do in cleaning the Potomac and Anacostia rivers.

August 30, 2018 - Greater Greater Washington

Monument Review: Recreation a Larger Economic Benefit Than Ranching and Timber Combined

Why is the Department of Interior considering a reduction of the size of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument?

July 5, 2018 - Oregon Public Broadcasting

In New Jersey, Beach Parking Located Right on the Sand

This summer, the seashore town of Wildwood is charging a fee for people with the right cars to park in a very convenient location.

June 11, 2018 - The New York Times

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