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Outdoors & Recreation 

Horse Back Rider

Kayakers on Butte Creek

Butte County is a playground for outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds. A few highlights:

Bidwell Park

The third largest municipal recreation area in the nation offers 35 miles of trails for hiking, bicycling, skating, horseback riding, and jogging. Swimming holes, picnic areas, baseball diamonds, a golf course, and playgrounds dot the eleven-mile park. Big Chico Creek runs the length of the park, winding its way through spectacular bluffs and later through the valley floor, where towering broad-leafed trees provide shade during hot summers.

Feather Falls

The drive along the Olive Highway, near Oroville, will take you to the sixth largest waterfall in the nation, which reaches a magnificent 640 feet. View breathtaking scenery from the uphill hiking trail.

Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park

With 185 acres, this State Park in Chico offers scenic hiking, boating, inner tubing, rafting, kayaking, and fishing. The park includes Big Chico Creek riparian area, Irvine Finch river access area, Pine Creek day use area, and Indian Fishery day-use area.

Lake Oroville

Houseboats, patio boats, power boats, sail boats, and water-skiing enthusiasts all enjoy this 15,500 surface lake with its 167-mile shoreline. The recreation facilities are operated by the State Department of Parks and Recreation. Two marinas serve vacationers’ needs, from fishing boats to 16-sleeper houseboats, to floating campsites.

Fishing

Fishing opportunities are so numerous in the county that it would be impossible to list them all. In addition to the salmon, trout, catfish, and shad to be found in the Feather and Sacramento rivers, Lake Oroville is one of the best bass fishing locations in the state.

Hunting

Whether you’re hunting deer, bear, game birds, or waterfowl, Butte County is a well-known destination. Popular spots for deer are near Feather Falls and Inskip. The major game birds in this area are quail, doves, turkeys, pheasants, pigeons, and migratory waterfowl.

...and More!

Butte County is also an easy drive to Lake Tahoe and Shasta where sports enthusiasts enjoy snow skiing, snow boarding, and water skiing. Other outdoor activities in the area include road biking, mountain biking, and golfing.