Upper Bidwell Park — Attraction in Chico

I've grown up in the area. Most of my life has been spent here. I have an absolute love, respect, & admiration for upper park beyond words. I've learned here, I've taught here, I've been amazed by nature here, I've also been hurt, mad, sad, disappointed, blessed, lucky, unlucky, impatient, in no hurry at all, poisioned by flora but never bitten by the fauna, and seen thing like I've never seen before nor will I after. Here, in Upper Park, is the only place to see most of. I began coming here s a young man to learn, to explore and experience things like good swimming hole on a hot day, a beautiful fish at the end of your fishing rod, and still do as an adult. I will continue to grow alongside friends and family, to eat for the energy to live, not for the fuel needed to eat even more, I've swam and fished in the creek, traverse the hills, climed cliffs, scaled mountains and explored inside caves, I've witness the rhythmic ebb and flow of the seasons and thier colors & temperatures, from open grasslands up the canyonlands into the highlands, and every possible variation in between, there is abundant year round local wlidlife coming & going, eating and drinking, doing whatever they want, whenever they want, however they would like. As they've done for tens of thousands years, the animals and fish migrating through to far away places & back when the season and conditions are just right, I've been, I've seen, I've lived and experienced life here. This special place heals our bodies, strengthens our minds, and replenishes our spirits. This is where we were meant to exist. It's more than a city park. For me, it's magical, Upper Park has a very special uniqueness and comfort. For me it's always been more than...

Awesome place to hike. The creek is nice to cool off in. Mountain biking is good if you're into slow, rocky, technical climbs and downhills. Some hike-a-bike sections mixed in. Start at wildwood Park and climb north rim to B trail, about 4miles. B trail is a fun 1.5mi section of mixed technical rocky downhill switchbacks with touch of fast, flowy single track. Take a left on fence road when B trail ends and follow it till it dead ends. Cross the creek and follow the trail up and out(keep right) until you hit Annie Bidwell trail. Take that back to South rim/legacy trail. Head out of the trees, follow the rock wall that runs along the creek to centennial drive and eventually it runs into 5mile recreation area. Cross the bridge at 5mile and back up to wildwood trails and back to the parking lot. Nice loop. Pretty challenging. Go early to...

Not too shabby. Of the two parks in Chico, Upper and Lower, this is the park that is transient free. With mini marts and liquor stores at a couple mile hiking distance away, the transients are a non factor here. Which is something to behold if you've spent any time at all in Lower Park. The only draw back of upper park is the impossible to miss Power Lines that fill your view when hiking past horseshoe lake. At least for the first mile or so. Once you clear these power lines you can expect nothing short of wondrous scenery. Dogs are allowed off the leash on the non-river side of the main road, but if you're willing to risk a ticket from the park rangers who patrol the main road, you can let your dog enjoy some hydration al natural. But truly, upper park in spring, when it's green and the river is flowing with a thunder, is truly the best...