Lower Park Caper Acres A much-beloved playground with swings, slides and a soft, spongy central area full of things for kids to climb on. Open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. 500 S. Park Drive.
Cedar Grove Cedar Grove Picnic Area and Meadow offers easily accessible picnic tables and barbecues along with a green place to relax near the creek and access to the World of Trees Independence Trail. 7:30 a.m.-an hour after sunset. 1890 E. Eighth St.
Chico Creek Nature Center The family-friendly Chico Creek Nature Center features a nonreleasable living animal collection—the Janeece Webb Living Animal Museum—as well as the Howard S. Tucker Exhibit Hall and Kristie’s Nature Lab. There’s also creek access and picnic tables. 1978 E. Eighth St., 891-4671, www.bidwellpark.org
One-Mile Recreation Area Soaking up the sun, swimming in the creek-filled Sycamore Pool or picnicking beneath the towering valley oaks and white-barked sycamores is what One-Mile is all about. With its barbecues, horseshoe pits and playing fields, this iconic part of the park is located just a few blocks from downtown and is easily accessible by automobile through entrances on Fourth Street or Vallombrosa Way.
Lower Bidwell Park trails Foot, bicycle and equestrian paths run the length of Chico’s Lower Bidwell Park through stately oak groves and near the riparian zone of Big Chico Creek, where creekside trails offer beautiful views of the water and seclusion amid the trees. Take South Park Drive or Peterson Memorial Way to any turnoff. tinyurl.com/bidwellparkmaps
are held in the arena, which is open to the public Tuesday-Thursday. Accessible from Wildwood Avenue. 521-5352, www.chicoequestrian association.org
Five-Mile Recreation Area At the foot of Upper Bidwell Park, Five-Mile is a kicking-off point for forays deep into the canyon and a great destination on its own. Picnic tables, barbecues and ample space make it a popular spot for group gatherings. Accessible from Centennial Avenue.
Hooker Oak Recreation Area Home to the beautiful baseball facility Doryland Field, several softball fields, a children’s playground and the Sherwood Forest Kids’ Disc Golf Course (which is often full of adults). Take Vallombrosa Avenue east, turn left on Manzanita— Hooker Oak will be on your right.
Horseshoe Lake A perfect place to walk the dog (complete with a designated off-leash area) or do some fishing, Horseshoe Lake also serves as a jumping-off point for the park’s miles of rugged trails. Visit nearby Chico Community Observatory for nightly constellation tours. www.chicoobservatory.com
North Rim Trail Skirting the north edge of Big Chico Creek canyon, the North Rim offers one of the area’s most popular
trails. The “B” Trail, which descends from the North Rim, offers rugged and scenic mountain biking and hiking. Take Wildwood Avenue off Manzanita Avenue, and then go 1.5 miles to the parking lot.
Peregrine Point Disc Golf Course Chico’s 18-hole disc golf course is a challenge for avid disc golfers and offers breathtaking views of Big Chico Creek Canyon. The course is about 4 miles past Bruce Road on Highway 32, with an entrance on the left.
Annie Bidwell Trail This less-traveled trail is one of the more rugged in Upper Bidwell Park. It runs from the old police pistol range, above Bidwell Park Golf Course and along the south side of the canyon (splitting off to more difficult Guardians and South Rim trails higher up). For a day hike, take Annie Bidwell Trail to the lesspopulated south side of Bear Hole and return on Upper Park Road or the creekside Yahi Trail. The trailhead is beyond Five-Mile, where Centennial Drive dead-ends at Chico Canyon Road.
Upper Park Road Wildwood Avenue in Chico turns into a rocky, rutted dirt road 2 miles into Upper Park, where it becomes Upper Park Road. It’s usually passPARKS continued on page 24
Peregrine Point Disc Golf Course
UPPer Park Chico Equestrian Association Arena Horse lovers and their equine friends are welcome on many trails in Bidwell Park. Equestrian events Fall 2016/Winter 2017 Discover chico 23