Up Hwy 32 is Butte Creek n Deer Creek. There's huge 20lb. salmon to see this time of year. ( no fishing, federally protected) . A thrill to stand on the embankment n watch them romp. Further up is Deer Creek, lower section allows fishing, artificial lure barbless hook. Can take 2, but plz. release. That's the area Dear Creek Falls and Potato Patch campground that section is 31 miles . Beautiful, clear water, big size native fish. read more

Butte Creek Watershed Conservancy - Gucci in the water. - Chico, California

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Today I drove up to a parking lot on the outskirts of chico and parked my car at a place called "Butte Creek Watershed Lookout." I parked my car and decided to hike out onto the cliffs of what people had told me was a small canyon, but appeared to be a pretty big canyon. As I walked on the rocks it was extremely hot but i was enjoying the heat. I found a small piece of shade in a crevasse of the cliffs and I sat down and pulled out my black book and decided to start drawing the canyon. I made a very abstract drawing and was surprisingly pleased with how it came out. The canyon was a beautiful place to sit above and watch as the hawks flew high and the vultures scavenged for food. My binoculars came in hand (even though I prefer to use them backwards for a fisheye effect) as I was able to get a close look and the beautiful birds flying around me. It was a very nice place to take a breathe and let go of my thoughts for a little while. The view of the canyon was like nothing I had ever seen before. If you are into nature, which everyone should be, I highly recommend taking a trip to this lookout. It is a great place for someone to sit and eat food, read a book, gaze at nature, meditate, or simply just watch the sunset and appreciate the beauty around us. If I had to rate this place on a scale of 1 to 24 I would not hesitate to give it a 22. I plan on returning to the same spot on the cliff at least once a week in order to get away from the stressful everyday tasks. I hope you get the chance to do the same. Sincerely, Travis Nealon read more