Swimming Holes in Bidwell Park

Sycamore Pool

Locat­ed just a mile upstream from Down­town Chico, Sycamore Pool at One Mile Recre­ation Area is the most acces­si­ble swim­ming des­ti­na­tion on Big Chico Creek.

The expan­sive 1920s-era con­crete basin is a ​“liv­ing pool” filled by the con­tin­u­ous­ly flow­ing waters of the creek. Sur­round­ed by Low­er Bid­well Park’s idyl­lic tree canopy and grassy fields, it ensures that no mat­ter how hot it gets in Chico, the ever-flow­ing creek will cool you off.

• Ameni­ties: Pic­nic areas, horse­shoe pits, restrooms, and a snack shop.
• Near­by Attrac­tions: Caper Acres play­ground is just a 10-minute walk away, and the Chico Creek Nature Cen­ter is less than 10 min­utes away by car.
• Life­guards: Gen­er­al­ly on duty dai­ly between Memo­r­i­al Day and Labor Day (except Thurs­days, when the pool is drained for cleaning).
  • Note: Staffing is sub­ject to change; please check the cur­rent year’s staffed hours before visiting.

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Five Mile Recre­ation Area

Five Mile Recre­ation Area in Mid­dle Bid­well Park is the tran­si­tion­al area between the urban atmos­phere of Low­er Park and the more rugged Upper Park. This is where Big Chico Creek exits the Sierra/​Cascade Foothills and enters the Sacra­men­to Valley.

Because the water here is wider, shal­low­er, and calmer than upstream, it’s a favorite for fam­i­lies with younger children.

• Ameni­ties: Restrooms and pic­nic areas
• The Vibe: Pic­turesque pedes­tri­an bridges and mature ripar­i­an wood­lands pro­vide plen­ty of shade.
• Near­by Attrac­tions: Just less than a 10-minute walk to Hook­er Oak Park, which fea­tures two play­grounds and ball fields.

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Alli­ga­tor Hole

The first des­ig­nat­ed spot in Upper Park, Alli­ga­tor Hole is a tame and pleas­ant stop (espe­cial­ly in the sum­mer when Big Chico Creek’s flow relax­es) along the pedes­tri­an-only Yahi Trail. Its shal­low waters and prox­im­i­ty to park­ing make it a great des­ti­na­tion for young hikers.

• Park­ing: Locat­ed only 0.75 miles from Park­ing Lot E at Horse­shoe Lake.
• Pro Tip: It fea­tures a small grav­el beach with great views of the begin­ning of South Rim, mak­ing it a per­fect spot to cool-off one last time after a hike.

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Day Camp

Named for a for­mer camp on the site, this is one of the eas­i­est swim­ming holes to access in Upper Park. A sun­ny sand and peb­ble beach is just steps away from Park­ing Lot H, and the Yahi Trail pass­es right by it.

• Park­ing: Park at Lot H for most con­ve­nient access, or Lot E to enjoy a hike in.
• Ameni­ties: A restroom is avail­able at Park­ing Lot H.
• Access: It’s rough­ly a mile from Horse­shoe Lake via the Yahi Trail or a quick trip on bike via Upper Park Road.

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Bear Hole and Diver­sion Dam

Bear Hole is where the land­scape trans­forms into a jum­ble of shiny black vol­canic basalt, offi­cial­ly known as the Love­joy For­ma­tion. Bear Hole is one of the most icon­ic fea­tures of the park, fea­tur­ing deep, sparkling pools con­nect­ed by rush­ing chutes of water and strik­ing Love­joy Basalt.

One vis­it, and you’ll see for your­self why Bear Hole is one of the most talked about fea­tures of Bid­well Park.

• Park­ing: If Upper Park Road is open past Horse­shoe Lake (Tues­day through Sat­ur­day with good weath­er), you can park at Lot K or L. Oth­er­wise, most peo­ple park at Lot E and hike in.
• The Hike: From Alli­ga­tor Hole, Bear Hole is about a mile upstream along the Yahi Trail. It’s also pret­ty easy to find your way to Bear Hole from Upper Park’s Mid­dle Trail or Low­er Trail.
• The Expe­ri­ence: The smooth basalt rocks act as a nat­ur­al play­ground and a per­fect place to catch some sun.
• Safe­ty Warn­ing: Just upstream is the old Diver­sion Dam where addi­tion­al pools can be found. Cur­rents here can be decep­tive­ly strong, espe­cial­ly in win­ter and spring. Always scout the water before jump­ing in.

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Salmon Hole

For those will­ing to trek deep­er into the canyon, Salmon Hole offers a sense of seclud­ed wild­ness that the low­er pools can’t match. While the final approach is steep­er and more rugged than oth­er spots on the creek, the effort is reward­ed with one of the largest and most scenic nat­ur­al pools in the park.

Beyond the main swim­ming area, you’ll find sev­er­al side-pools tucked into the rocks — per­fect for find­ing a lit­tle extra soli­tude among the oaks and steep cliffs.

• Park­ing: Park at Lot L for a half-mile hike along the Yahi Trail. If Upper Park Road is closed (Sun­days and Mon­days), park at Lot E and get ready for a 2.5‑mile trek.
• The Reward: One of the largest nat­ur­al pools on the creek, sur­round­ed by oak groves and steep cliffs. You’ll often see rock climbers on the steep rock walls nearby.

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Brown’s Hole

As the most remote des­ig­nat­ed swim­ming hole in Bid­well Park, Brown’s Hole offers a true wilder­ness escape for those will­ing to put in the effort to get there.

The loca­tion fea­tures two long, slen­der pools framed by thick stands of oak and lush ripar­i­an green­ery. Just above the pools, a small water­fall spills into a qui­et swim­ming area with a nice grav­el beach, mak­ing this an ide­al spot for those seek­ing max­i­mum soli­tude and a break from the crowds.

• Park­ing: Brown’s Hole is a lit­tle under two miles from the Diver­sion Dam (Lot L) along the Yahi Trail, and 3.5 miles from Horse­shoe Lake (Lot E) along Upper Park Road. A spur trail is avail­able from the old park­ing area (Lot S).
• The Vibe: Soli­tude and thick stands of ripar­i­an plants. It’s the best spot for those look­ing to escape the crowds.

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Direc­tions

• From Sacramento/​Redding: Take High­way 99 to Chico.
• To Sycamore Pool (One Mile): Exit west on Hwy 32, turn right on Cypress Ave, and enter the park at the five-way intersection.
• To Five Mile: Exit east on Hwy 32, turn left on Bruce Rd, and right on Cen­ten­ni­al Ave.
• To Upper Park: Exit east on East Ave from Hwy 99 to reach Upper Park Road.