One of my favorite places to go in Chico is Bidwell Park. We have family living in Chico and the park is in walking distance. I like to take warly morning walks through the park, getting my steps in. There are often many joggers, walkers, bikers and kids playing and families picnicing. Bidwell is the heart of Chico, spanning over 3,600 acres. Through the different seasons, the leaves change and provide a really beautiful park to explore. It's an older park, which you can see in the details - the outdoor swimming pool, bridges and layout. It was established in 1905, but has a long history of incorporating new areas to the park. I highly recommend checking out Bidwell Park, it's a natural treasure. read more

Bidwell Park - Parks Near Me - Chico, California

We stopped by Lower Bidwell Park on Tuesday because we had a couple of hours before a scheduled activity. What a gem of a park. Beautiful trees shading an asphalt-paved walking/biking path. We really wanted to do loop walk, but never actually found that trail. I would want to give 4.5 if you could give half points, because more signage is needed to direct people toward the nature center and specific trails. That said, this park is such a great feature in Chico! read more

Bidwell Park - Walking path - Parks Near Me - Chico, California

This is a really cute Park in a nice neighborhood that has a playground and a cement path where you can walk around and around all day. It's very useful and I love to see a lot of people be utilizing it. The park is clean and maintained and every time I have visited there have been a lot of people walking or playing with their dogs and children playing and riding bicycles. This is a great spot for a picnic or a walk or just to sit in the shade and relax. It also has one of those tiny free libraries in case you want to grab a book and just read for a while. They have two picnic tables, one on each side of the park and a water bottle refilling station. Even though it's a small park, I came here many times when I was in the area I would love to give it five stars but there is no restroom here and I saw lots and lots of people not picking up after their dogs. So walking in the beautiful green grassy area can be kind of a mind field. . Oh and they also have a couple of disc golf stations but I don't play and I never saw anyone using them just in case that helps. read more

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Amazing park... probably the best off-leash park I've been to. Hint: GO EARLY, it gets crowded. Also, go all the way to the end (last parking lot). Best trails! Wide-open and safe. Wonderful place! read more

Bidwell Park is hands down one of my favorite places in Chico. It's truly a gem--sprawling, peaceful, and full of hidden treasures. Whether you're looking for a quiet place to walk, a rugged trail to hike, or a shady spot to picnic, Bidwell has it all. read more

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Definitely a Hike to remember & continue going to! This was around 10AM and foggy but it was definitely still very enjoyable and chilly. read more

Bidwell Park - The beginning of the trail - Parks Near Me - Chico, California

I stumbled upon this park just driving around outside of Chico. I found it calm soothing relaxed clean and everybody here was helpful and giving me tips on where to hike and we're not to go to. I wish I could be here forever! read more

Bidwell Park - Trees - Parks Near Me - Chico, California

This is a beautiful, spacious park perfect for walking dogs. There's also an adjacent library. A group of homeless people were polite, complimenting my cute dog. There's a river running through this park and, with all the trees and pokeberries surrounding it, looks like a forest. This park has a public pool and swimming is free as long as there's a lifeguard on-duty. read more

Recently took my grandson to ride through Bidwell Park, never been before. If you are into raw nature this park is for you. To me, it needs a little more TLC as the grasses, and shrubs are over grown (raw). Trees are gorgeous however, gives me a "Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil" vibe. Now as for bike riding the path, which is really a road with children is not advised because you will be riding with cars and no lanes. My grandson had a blast but I was too focused on mosquitos and cars hitting my grandson. read more

What a lovely park in Chico. Ended up running out of town so I only managed to walk a small portion of the park but next time I'm in town, I hope to seeker of it! Great to have a shaded and paved place to walk. read more

A great walk, beautiful scenery, next to the water. Easy access and parking. Not sure about weekend parking.

The writer of Alice in Wonderland supposedly made up the story while watching a neighbor girl play in her back yard garden. It must have been a magical wonderland for any adult or child to imagine such a fanciful story. Now to Bidwell Park. I can only say that this place is as awe inspiring for both child and adult. This is the best park Ive ever been to in my entire life. I dare you to rival the children's play area. There are some of the most wonderful play structures that have ever been. My son still talks about the Crooked House. Its a large house that's well, crooked. There is a small kiddy slide and larger big kid slide. My 2 year old loved the big kid slide. I didn't love the pushy big kids who almost trampled him but he didn't seem to mind. There's underground tunnels, sand areas, a castle to pretend a dragon is attacking you. Surrounding the children's park is some great open spaces were I saw Larpers. Yes, Larpers. If you don't know what a Larper is, Google it. While I make fun of Larping, I can see the draw. The park seems medieval, enchanted out of a Disney Movie whimsical. Its worth the 4 hour drive from the Bay Area just to come here. read more

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I absolutely LOVE the bike riding/horse riding/running/walking paths at Bidwell Park. Its the most perfect place or for a couple of reasons: 1) TONS of trees literally zillions 2) In those tons of trees, tons of singing birds 3) Singing birds ROCK and make the park super natury (prounounced: nature-ie. Ya like that?? I CAN make up words!) 4) The creek running through the park is beautiful and also makes the most natury sounds. LOVE!! 5) You can ride/walk all friggin day and not explore the same path. The paths go for miles and miles and miles. ANOTHER LOVE!! 6) There are picnic tables all over place and yet most of them are slightly hidden so who ever is picnicking has a bit of privacy. I mean, not like your going to be picnicking in the nude but still! A teensy weensy bit of privacy is always a perk :) 7) There's a huge swimming area that people can take advantage of in the hot summer months however.... it IS downstream so I personally would never get in the water in that area. Since kids don't mind swimming in pee, I'm sure they'd have a ball frolicking in the water :) There you have it peeps! Bidwell park is super amazing because its so super natury. Ok, I'll shut up with the home made words now. Bottom line, take your bike or your running shoes and go enjoy it! read more

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This park was breathtaking. Tall trees, green grass, slight wind. Perfect place to jog and do things with friends. Definitely makes you feel like you lived somewhere else and not in California because of the environment. Everyone here is friendly and it makes you feel like you're not an out-of-towner (if you didn't live here) My friend took me here briefly just to check it out so I wasn't able to see most of the park. Would love to come back though! read more

Bidwell Park - Parks Near Me - Chico, California

Bidwell Park is what childhood dreams are made of. I grew up playing in this huge park in the 80s and into my adulthood. Of course in the 80s we didn't have a severe drought and could dive into Big Chico Creek at a spot called the Five Mile. Sycamore Pool (or the One Mile, as us locals call it) is a dammed off swimming hole fed by the creek. It it packed when the weather turns warm and is a wonderful spot to people watch. There are bike trails and walking trails galore as well as a couple children's parks- Hooker Oak and Caper Acres. I recommend the latter park if you are visiting Chico for the first time and want to impress your 5 year old. It's a fairytale themed park surrounded by Oak trees. So if you happen to be in the area in Spring, Summer, or Autumn...pack a picnic lunch and explore. read more

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A short review for now, just so I can add it to my Chico must do list. A spectacular way to get a feel for Northern California vegetation and geology. It has its own beauty every season of the year. Per Duane H it is the second largest urban park in the nation! Drive through or spend a week, each is good. read more

Sweeeet park for kids, hikers, and bikers. This park is huge, and there are many places to enter, or park. It is certainly a piece of property worth exploring. I hear the bike/hiking path is several miles, and takes you though some beautiful areas. I wish I had my bike to truly explore the park. We enjoyed lunch under the canopy of trees in an area made for children - Caper Acres. My kids LOVED the many forts and slides that our area had. It's a large area made with several attractions for the kids. Good news for parents, one way in, and one way out, so you will feel a little less stressed as your kids enjoy all the activities. When in Chico, with our without kids, this park is a cool place to check out. read more

Bidwell Park - picture opportunity - Parks Near Me - Chico, California

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The perfect park, really. Mountain biking, swimming, hiking. Acres and acres large. I love coming here as often as possible! read more

One Mile Recreation area is a great feature of Bidwell Park. Very unique... where else can you wade into a pool fed by a creek? Definitely adds to the local flavor. read more

Bidwell Park - One Mile Recreation Area - Parks Near Me - Chico, California

We love this place and after we discovered Sycamore Pool in 2011, we came back again this year to explore more of the park. Sycamore Pools is huge and the size twice or more of Olympic swimming pools. It used natural water from the river and not chlorinated. The pool water is very cold on any day and the only way to have fun is to jump and endure 1-2 minutes of chill. The bottom part of the pool is not very clean and recommended that you wear water shoes and it is very slippery with algae. We bike twice at this park. On the first day, we bike in the evening before it get dark with flash light and it was amazing. We started from the Sycamore Pool (1 mile park area) and remember it is on way traffic for bike. Before we reached Nature Center, there is a bridge and we turn back to the 1 mile park. Total route is 4 miles. On the 2nd day, we took longer route which is 8 miles loop. We stop at the Bidwell Nature park to see live Snakes, Bird and John the Tortoise. This park is great and we will be back again in Autumn if does not rain and not too cold or maybe next year in Spring. read more

Bidwell Park - Night cycling at the park - Parks Near Me - Chico, California

Living in Chico is truly a beautiful experience partially because of Bidwell Park. If you are new to Chico, don't miss out on visiting One Mile, Bear Hole, and Monkey Face. One Mile gets its name because it is a one mile walk from campus. There is an outdoor swimming pool (which I have never swam in because it looks dirty af but people do and love it so you do you), a grassy area to lounge/hammock, many small trails to hike, and a beautiful creek. This is truly a Chico gem. Farther away, in Upper Bidwell, Bear Hole is a water hole with a spot to jump in and places to sit around and tan. It's very ROCKY so bring a blanket/towel to sit on. It's also a bit of a walk from the main parking lot because the gate is often closed so keep that in mind. Also in Upper Bidwell, Monkey Face is the perfect spot to watch a good sunset or sunrise in Chico. It's a very short hike from the parking lot up to a large rock that people climb on, take photos from, and look at the view. Pro tip: Going here after some rain makes the whole place green (which is rare)! If you are feeling adventurous, there are further hikes you can do in Upper Bidwell if you just simply keep walking. Some have waterfalls, rocky landscapes, water holes, etc. A fun place to explore. read more

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Great coffee, great service and the food is yummy too. I'm so glad they offer dairy free options.

Such a beautiful park. But there is starting to be a lot of homeless people and it's hard to enjoy the park when there are people tweaking out read more

Beautiful in all seasons! Locals have "Clean up the park days". Unfortunately many homeless people have taken up residency in the park. Don't drink the water! Best to walk in pairs. read more

This is such a beautiful park. It's nice to watch the ducks on the pond, climb monkey face, or just walk the trails on the lower level. The scenery is gorgeous. There are porta potties located at the base of monkey face in parking lot E, but they are just that, porta potties. Don't expect anything clean. This area is really nice to see at sunrise. I went on a Thursday morning and there were only a few cars parked in the lot. There are probably about 30 or so parking spots available. read more

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A great place to exercise, enjoy and admire nature, and refuel your soul. Awesome place.

Love Bidwell park and all that it has to offer, so many different hiking trails to explore on.

I love bidwell Park. If you want to hike - it's perfect if you want to picnic - it's perfect if you want to swim - it's perfect if you want to jog - it's perfect If you want to take your dog for a walk - it's perfect If you want to jump off large rocks into deep water - it's perfect If you want to ride a bike - it's perfect If you want to be a risk taker - it's perfect If you want to just tan - it's perfect ANY outdoor activity is possible here. My mom actually got married at Bidwell Park a long time ago. So hey! If you wanna get married - It's perfect haha. If you are visiting Chico - check it out If you are a local to Chico - You better have been here If you go to school in Chico - I'm sure you know about it. Come here, hike, take a walk, take a swim, ride a bike and get active. This is the place to do it. read more

I can't believe so few people have yelped Bidwell Park. Bidwell Park was given to the town by its founders. It is the fourth largest municipal park in America. It includes swimming holes, horse trails, biking and jogging paths, a fitness route with exercise stations, and my personal favorite, the nature center. There are playgrounds, as well as the One Mile and Five Mile swimming areas. After many years of working with the feral cat population, songbirds can be heard in the lower park again. Upper park covers an entire ridge and canyon area, and you can hike for days. In both upper and lower park, flora and fauna abound, including poison oak, raccoons and the occasional snake, so watch out. However, I lived within two blocks my whole childhood and never had any mishaps, so don't be overly concerned, just stay on the trails. Fun Fact: There is no alcohol allowed in Bidwell Park, because the founders of the town were prohibitionists. If you have kids, take them to the Chico Creek nature center, to meet local animals that are now permanent residents due to injuries. There used to be a deer pen there too, but the deer have moved on. Another Fun Fact: The Adventures of Robin Hood, starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland, was filmed in Bidwell Park, as were some of the outdoor scenes in Gone with the Wind. Bidwell Park is the crown jewel of the town, the very best it has to offer. read more

I've been hiking here 3 times now. I love it, I'm addicted! We hiked what they call 'monkey face', although I think it looks more like a frog so I'm calling it 'frog face'. So the hike up frog face was really nice. Challenging enough but not overwhelming. Definitely had me breathing heavy. Bring your hiking boots because I saw others wearing running shoes and cross trainers, which is no bueno. It's a good way to ruin 100 dollar New Balances. Anyhow the hike was nice, then we walked the ridge a little further, then came down a steep trail to the base of the park. It was about a 1 1/2 hour hike all around. By the time we got back we were ready to picnic it up! The have tables and trash cans so it's comfortable for folks to sit and dog watch, people watch and munch down on some snacks. There are also some port-o-potty type restrooms so if you have to go you can. I didn't go inside. Our first trip to Bidwell we stopped at a place called 'bear hole' and saw fresh water river otters. SO CUTE! That was the highlight of my entire time here in Chico so far. Yay River Otters!!!! Oh, and be careful of mountain lions (apparently). It was in the news they show up in upper Bidwell park. Enjoy!! read more

Bidwell is my favorite place in Chico. Honestly, it is one of the reasons I decided to go to school here. There are two parts, upper and lower park. Lower park has a paved loop and a "swimming pool" made out of the dammed creek... kinda gross but kids seem to love it. Upper park is great if you want to hike or go mountian biking. If you drive up the road a while past where it stops being paved there are some REALLY COOL swimming holes. If you adventure past the most popular bear hole, you'll filter out all the drunk bros rock jumping and tossing beers to eachother (PS for the record you're not supposed to have alcohol so watch out for park rangers). Salmon Hole is my personal fav, but there are lots up the road. I love finding a place to lay a blanket out and soak in some sun while I'm doing my homework. Or ride my bike for hours. Or walk around with my friends. Or go skinny dipping in the summer after the bars let out. Or watch jugglers and tightrope walkers on sunny afternoons. Or go on my morning run. Or __________________. I can't even name all the fun stuff you can do here. It is an great place to either bask in Chico or forget that you are stuck in Chico, whatever your mood may be. I feel really thankful to live a few blocks from this park! read more

Very good area to keep a healthy body and mind during the day! You can hang out by the pool, or go doing anykind of sport all around the park... it's very nice. Also, it's among the 25 biggest city park inside the USA. I usually run the 10K track and go streching and relax by the pool. The water is usually very fresh which helps a lot after 1hr running under 100°F. On the other side, the upper park is more like a great outdoor adventure where you can hike and go cliff jumping into the river @the bear hole. There are a lot of tracks to ride by bike (cross-country or downhill)... I like it, that's it read more

THE MOST AMAZING PARK EVER. Upper and lower park have their pro's and cons though. If you want to go swimming durring the day in lower park and you are not totting 12 children with you I wouldn't advise One Mile. Maybe walk up the creek where you can have a more relaxing dip. For upper park avoid Bear Hole unless you want to end up in the middle of a frat boy/sorostitute meat market. There is also a high probability of watching some drunk 18 year old moron smash his head on the rocks trying to take a high jump off a cliff into the water. Bring a camera. Other than that bidwell is breath taking. The wild life, the photography possibilities, the fun is endless. One mile is also usually good on hot summer nights especially durring meteor showers. Nothing like floating down the pool watching the show :) If you go at night though which is really frowned upon please be quiet for the neighbors sake and NEVER leave belongings on the side of the pool. they WILL be stolen. read more

This was enough to make my husband want to move to Chico. Free swimming pool...made out of a river? Miles and miles of walking and biking and swimming to be had? This is amazing. read more

Simply amazing... I used to come through Bidwell Park on my bike. I could spend hours just drifting around on my wheels, the soft spring, summer, or fall breeze... NorCal has this electricity... this energy. Maybe it's the fact that I'm a Southern california girl, but my mind has a hard time adjusting to the fact that Nor Cal has seasons? Bidwell park is definitely a place to experience those changes... ...leaves changing color, the bidwell park pool... A few of my friends and I took a swim at the Bidwell Park Pool in the middle of the night. Probably one of my top 10 life experiences. It helps that one of the guys said I reminded him of Phoebe Cates in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Then again, he was drunk, but still. If you're in Chico, you have to make some time for summer night swimming. read more

It's hard to believe that such a treasure is right in the backyard of Chico residents. We are so lucky! read more

What a gem! Who'd have ever thought that a little town in Chico would have such a big park like Bidwell? I read about it online & put it on the "to visit" list for our Chico weekend trip & it was totally worth it! I only wish we were able to take the hike to the natural pools. Next time for sure! The park seemed like such a natural hang out for families, students, everyone! We came on a Saturday & there were joggers, dog walkers, and picnics galore. I'm so jealous that we don't have something similar in Davis! read more

Hands down, best part of Chico. You just have to go here one time to want to move here, seriously. It's beautiful.. One Mile offers a great pool and park close to town and 5 Mile is a nice place to go for a jog or a nice, casual bike ride. My favorite part is Upper Park, where there's a golf course, observation point, gun club, and plenty of bike and hiking trails. On the left, you can hike your dog off leash, which is nice; but be careful I have seen rattle snakes up there. On the right, is where all of the swimming holes are. Being from the Bay Area, I have never seen anything like the swimming holes at Bidwell Park. There are just sheer rock walls, where you can see where the boulders in the water have fallen. There's fish and drunk college students jumping into the water. I enjoy Salmon and Browns holes the best, they're the least crowded and fun to hike to. read more

Pound for pound the best city park I have ever seen. Its huge, there is wildlife and the volunteer program they have is stellar. They work with the local American Indian Nations to help reintroduce the Native flora and fauna and to remove invasive plants. There's a little something for everyone. You can swim, hike, bike, run, ride horses, play on playgrounds, picnic, you name it! Can't wait till it warms up again! read more

Bidwell Park is the BEST part of Chico. Great for running, walking, bicycling, or a picnic! When I moved to Chico I started running here and now I run the entire loop of the park. Great terrain for athletes of all levels. If you're lucky you might see a deer in bushes. read more