6 Fun Ways to Experience Spring Outdoors in Butte County

In Chico, Upper Bid­well Park is the heart of the hik­ing scene. For a scenic, low­er-impact walk, the Yahi Trail fol­lows the flow of Big Chico Creek. If you’re look­ing for a chal­lenge, the Annie Bid­well and South Rim trails offer rugged ter­rain and expan­sive canyon views.

Park­ing Lot E near Horse­shoe Lake is a great start­ing point. You’ll find plen­ty of trail­heads near­by, includ­ing the one for North Rim Trail, and more soli­tude and plen­ty of wild­flow­ers the far­ther along the trails you travel.

In Oroville, the Brad Free­man Trail pro­vides an epic loop for those want­i­ng to explore the city and the scenic banks of the Feath­er Riv­er. For a lake­side expe­ri­ence, the trails sur­round­ing Lake Oroville offer var­i­ous lev­els of dif­fi­cul­ty. While some stretch­es mean­der through dense oak wood­lands, oth­ers open up to reveal stun­ning views of the water.

If you’re look­ing for a tast­ing or a brew­ery tour, Butte Coun­ty will spoil you for choice. While the icon­ic Sier­ra Neva­da Brew­ing Co. is always a must-vis­it, it’s well worth explor­ing beyond this nation­al heavy hit­ter to expe­ri­ence the full range of the region’s local offerings.

Wine

In Oroville, Live Vine Vine­yard & Win­ery over­looks the Ther­mal­i­to After­bay and offers per­son­al­ized walks of their vine­yard and micro-win­ery by appointment.

A short dri­ve away, tucked into the Oroville foothills, the pic­turesque grounds of Long Creek Win­ery & Ranch and Grey Fox Vine­yards serve up local wines in set­tings that are per­fect for a relax­ing after­noon of tastings. 

Fur­ther into the foothills, the Ban­gor Wine & Spir­its Region offer more tast­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties, while the Durham Wine Dis­trict keeps you clos­er to Chico.

Beer

For those that pre­fer a pint, Chico micro­brew­eries like Par­adise Brew Werks and Ram­ble West Brew­ing offer a rotat­ing cal­en­dar of events to pair with their house­made pours and oth­er local labels.

And if you’re look­ing for a wider range of tast­ing options, tap­rooms and lager hous­es like The Com­mons and The Lost Dutch­man Tap­room fea­ture dozens of draft and bot­tled options along with out­door seat­ing, per­fect for a spring evening out.

As the trails dry out and the days grow longer, cycling comes to life in Butte Coun­ty. Upper Bid­well Park remains the epi­cen­ter for moun­tain bik­ing, offer­ing every­thing from rocky tech­ni­cal descents to smooth dirt paths.

For road cyclists, the orchard-lined thor­ough­fares of Durham pro­vide flat, scenic miles. If you’re look­ing for an intense climb, head up Cen­ter­ville Road toward Mag­a­lia as the last of the win­ter snow melts away.

And for fun, tech­ni­cal trails, Col­by Moun­tain fea­tures mod­ern sin­gle­track with jumps, drops, berms, and rock gardens.

Butte County’s patio din­ing scene is at its best dur­ing the mild spring months.

Chico

The best place to dine out­side in Butte Coun­ty is def­i­nite­ly Chico, if only for its range of patio din­ing options.

For a more sophis­ti­cat­ed option, head to Red Tav­ern on the Esplanade for a sophis­ti­cat­ed gar­den atmos­phere and live music. In the heart of the city, The Allies Pub offers a spa­cious patio for British-inspired dish­es, while Sol Mex­i­can Grill on the north side pro­vides a casu­al spot for a SoCal bur­ri­to and a Mex­i­can beer in the spring air.

Oroville

Out­side of Chico, the Union fea­tures an expan­sive out­door patio with Cal­i­for­nia-inspired cui­sine and week­end live music. The near­by Pro­vi­sions offers a cozy out­door area that backs up to the his­toric Min­ers Alley.

Spring is a prime win­dow for fish­ing as moun­tain streams are full and active.

Lake Oroville is a des­ti­na­tion for bass enthu­si­asts, while the West Branch of the Feath­er Riv­er and Butte Creek are excel­lent spots to tar­get trout. These stretch­es often pro­vide a sense of soli­tude and peace that is hard to find dur­ing the busier sum­mer months.

The North Table Moun­tain Eco­log­i­cal Reserve hosts the region’s most spec­tac­u­lar dis­play of spring wild­flow­ers. Each spring, the mesa explodes with deep oranges, vibrant vio­lets, and bright yel­lows that blan­ket the hillsides.

Because this bloom occurs before the sum­mer heat set­tles into the val­ley, it’s a great time for a long stroll across the basalt land­scape. To keep the reserve beau­ti­ful, remem­ber to stay on the trails, fol­low all post­ed rules, and prac­tice Leave No Trace principles.

Trav­el Tips: Park­ing is only per­mit­ted in the offi­cial grav­el lot on the west side of Chero­kee Road; be sure to have your land pass ready before you arrive.