Rain or Shine: The Best Things to Do When It’s Raining in Butte County

We know, it seems coun­ter­in­tu­itive, but rainy day explo­rations are tru­ly a great way to lean into the sea­son and see for your­self why out­door adven­tures are year-round in Butte Coun­ty. Just grab your water­proof gear and embrace the storms!

• North Table Moun­tain Eco­log­i­cal Reserve: The rainy sea­son breathes life into the spec­tac­u­lar, ephemer­al water­falls of the North Table Moun­tain Eco­log­i­cal Reserve in Oroville. The majes­tic Phan­tom Falls only flows in the rainy sea­son, and after sig­nif­i­cant rain­fall, you can find up to 14 flow­ing falls across the reserve, which is a breath­tak­ing sight that’s worth a lit­tle drizzle.
• Bid­well Park: The trails and canopy of Chico’s Bid­well Park become incred­i­bly lush and vibrant after a rain, offer­ing a serene and beau­ti­ful expe­ri­ence in Low­er Bid­well Park. And in Upper Bid­well Park, heavy rains can reveal nor­mal­ly dry water­falls flow­ing through the abun­dant Love­joy Basalt.
• Gray Lodge Wildlife Area: Birds love the rain, and the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area in Gri­d­ley becomes a bustling hub for migrat­ing water­fowl dur­ing win­ter. Rainy, over­cast days can offer fan­tas­tic bird-watch­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties as the wildlife is often more active and visible.

When out­door play isn’t an option, Butte Coun­ty offers plen­ty of high-ener­gy indoor fun for all ages.

• Solve a Mys­tery: Chal­lenge your fam­i­ly or friends to work togeth­er on fun puz­zles in a themed room at Chico Escape Rooms.
• Kid-Focused Indoor Play Spaces: When you real­ly need a space to run around, Chico is the place to be. Both Kid­dos Play Place and Ter­rain Park Adven­ture Cen­ter offer mul­ti-lev­el indoor play­grounds and climb­ing spaces for those times when the youngest mem­bers of your fam­i­ly need a space to get out all that rainy-day energy.
• Back in Time Arcade II: Step into a nos­tal­gic haven of clas­sic arcade games, Skee-Ball, and air hock­ey at Back in Time Arcade II in Gri­d­ley — per­fect for a retro fam­i­ly fun night.
• The Hatch­et Hang­out: Try your hand at axe throw­ing at The Hatch­et Hang­out in Chico. And with a mul­ti-sport sim­u­la­tor, over­sized Jen­ga, pool tables, air hock­ey, arcade bas­ket­ball, and more, it has a lit­tle bit of every­thing for the whole family.

When the weath­er turns, there’s noth­ing quite like sink­ing into a com­fort­able seat with a buck­et of pop­corn. Butte Coun­ty offers a range of cin­e­mat­ic expe­ri­ences to escape into anoth­er world.

• Lat­est Block­busters: Head to Cin­e­mark in Chico or Feath­er Riv­er Cinemas in Oroville for the newest releas­es and a tra­di­tion­al movie experience.
• Inde­pen­dent & Art­house Films: For a unique selec­tion of inde­pen­dent, for­eign, and doc­u­men­tary films, vis­it the Pageant The­atre in Down­town Chico.
• Throw­back Mati­nees: The his­toric Oroville State The­ater hosts week­ly $5 Sat­ur­day mat­inée movies, fea­tur­ing ani­mat­ed kids favorites and fam­i­ly-friend­ly clas­sics. (Check their sched­ule for upcom­ing showings).

Some­times a rainy day is the uni­verse’s way of telling you to slow down. Butte Coun­ty offers numer­ous options for indulging in a well-deserved self-care day.

If you’re look­ing for a relax­ing mas­sage, facial, or oth­er reju­ve­nat­ing treat­ments in Chico, Bub­ble Bar Spa and Renew Day Spa are just two local favorites, while head spas Crown Care Spa and Enchant­ed Beau­ty Lounge both offer ded­i­cat­ed scalp and hair treat­ments. And in Oroville, Whole Health Mas­sage and Peri­cardi­um Wellness offer relax­ing mas­sages and oth­er well­ness services.

But if you’re look­ing to find your inner calm and a lit­tle more of an active recharg­ing, join a local yoga class. The Oroville Yoga Center fea­tures ener­giz­ing class­es, relax­ing and restora­tive ses­sions, and even aer­i­al yoga. In Chico, Empow­er Hot Yoga invites you to enjoy heat­ed and unheat­ed yoga and barre class­es, while those look­ing for Pilates class­es can push them­selves at Chico’s The Pilates Barre and Gridley’s The Pilates Room at both reformer and mat classes.

Rainy days are made for lin­ger­ing over warm drinks, deli­cious food, and good com­pa­ny. Butte Coun­ty has an abun­dance of invit­ing spots per­fect for a cozy culi­nary tour.

• Cof­fee Shop Retreats: Bring a book, jour­nal, or some card games and set­tle into one of Butte Coun­ty’s excel­lent local cof­fee shops. Some of our favorites include:
  • Chico Chai­house: Known for its unique, com­fort­ing chai blends and invit­ing vibes.
  • Ten­der Lov­ing Cof­fee: A pop­u­lar spot near Down­town Chico with a relaxed, cozy vibe and an (almost entire­ly) veg­an menu.
  • Union Cof­fee Club: A com­mu­ni­ty favorite in Down­town Oroville. The bright, airy atmos­phere is per­fect for journaling.
  • Lofi Café: Offers a cozy atmos­phere and plen­ty of large tables, per­fect for a few hands of your favorite card game in Paradise.
• Craft Bev­er­age Warm-Up: Make it an adult-friend­ly out­ing by vis­it­ing one of the region’s acclaimed Chico brew­eries or cideries for a pint.
  • Sier­ra Neva­da Brew­ing Co.: Icon­ic brew­ery with a spa­cious taproom.
  • Par­adise Brew Werks: A local gem with a wel­com­ing atmosphere.
  • The Com­mons: A pop­u­lar spot for craft beers and community.
  • Beer Lobo: Offers a rotat­ing selec­tion of unique brews.
  • Lassen Tra­di­tion­al Cider: For those who pre­fer hard cider in a cozy setting.

Whether you choose to splash through the pud­dles out­side or curl up with a lat­te in a down­town café, a rainy day in Butte Coun­ty is an oppor­tu­ni­ty to slow down and dis­cov­er a dif­fer­ent side of the North State.

So, don’t wait for the clouds to part — grab your umbrel­la and find your new favorite rainy-day tra­di­tion today.