Spring Family Adventure in Butte County

Take a Bike Ride in Chico

Strap on the hel­mets and explore Chico the way the locals do: on two wheels. With miles of leisure­ly paths and chal­leng­ing trails wind­ing through Bid­well Park, it’s the per­fect way to gain a new per­spec­tive on the city.

Don’t have your own gear? Green­line Cycles offers half- and full-day rentals for the whole family.

Explore Under-the-Radar Wild­flower Spots

While the most pop­u­lar wild­flower spots get the head­lines, Butte Coun­ty is full of oth­er great options with blooms just as beautiful.

Head to Upper Bid­well Park to catch wild­flow­ers hug­ging the rugged cliffs of Big Chico Creek Canyon. For a water-side view with sub­tler blooms, explore the trails around Lake Oroville, or head to the high­er ele­va­tions of Par­adise Lake for late-spring wild­flower vari­eties that thrive in the cool­er moun­tain air.

Lunch at Farm­ers Brew­ing Restau­rant & Taproom

With an exten­sive menu and a mas­sive lay­out, Farm­ers Brew­ing Restau­rant & Tap­room is an easy choice for a fam­i­ly lunch.

The large out­door patio offers plen­ty of shade for those warmer spring after­noons and gives the kids room to move around, while the expan­sive indoor seat­ing pro­vides a reli­able back­up if a spring storm rolls through. It’s a com­fort­able, casu­al spot to refu­el before head­ing out for your after­noon drive.

Explore the Scenic Feath­er Riv­er Canyon

After lunch, hit the road for a dri­ve along High­way 70. This stretch of the Feath­er Riv­er Canyon is one of the most diverse land­scapes in California.

In the spring, the canyon walls come alive with cas­cad­ing water­falls and vibrant wild­flow­ers, offer­ing a cin­e­mat­ic back­drop for a fam­i­ly road trip.

Dine at The Union

End your first day in Down­town Oroville at Union. Spe­cial­iz­ing in sea­son­al Cal­i­for­nia-inspired fare, this local favorite fea­tures an expan­sive out­door patio that is per­fect for a spring­time evening.

With live music often play­ing in the back­ground and a menu that pleas­es both food­ies and picky eaters, it’s a great spot to unwind.

Break­fast at Jen­n’s Café

Start your morn­ing with a cozy, clas­sic Amer­i­can din­er expe­ri­ence at Jenn’s Café in Oroville. Slide into a booth and fuel up with gen­er­ous por­tions of short-stack pan­cakes, crispy hash browns, and local coffee.

Don’t for­get to check the chalk­board for their dai­ly break­fast specials!

Explore the Wild­flow­ers at Table Mountain

Spring is the only time to expe­ri­ence the North Table Moun­tain Eco­log­i­cal Reserve in its full glo­ry. Thou­sands of wild­flow­ers cre­ate a car­pet of col­or across the ancient vol­canic plateau for one of the most beau­ti­ful views in California.

Fam­i­lies with lit­tle ones don’t need to tack­le the hard­est parts of the trail to enjoy the scenery; the best wild­flower dis­plays are often just a short walk from the park­ing lot.

Just remem­ber that while the top of the plateau is rel­a­tive­ly flat, the ter­rain is famous­ly rocky and uneven, so stur­dy shoes are a must. And if you’re feel­ing adven­tur­ous, the trek down into Ravine Falls is extreme­ly steep and bet­ter suit­ed for old­er chil­dren and expe­ri­enced hikers.

Whether you take a short stroll or a deep canyon hike, the views will be unforgettable.

Pro Tip: Remem­ber to pur­chase a Lands Pass online for every fam­i­ly mem­ber 16 and old­er before you arrive, and always stay on the marked paths to pro­tect the wildflowers.

Lunch at Shakey’s

After work­ing up an appetite on the plateau, head to Shakey’s Piz­za Par­lor for a clas­sic fam­i­ly lunch.

Between the piz­za, fried chick­en, and Mojos, there’s some­thing for every­one. Plus, the ded­i­cat­ed game area gives the kids a place to burn off any left­over ener­gy while the adults relax.

Explore The Antique Tool Museum

For some­thing tru­ly unique, stop by the Antique Tool Muse­um. Home to over 12,000 of the ​“most impor­tant tools ever invent­ed,” it is the only muse­um of its kind in the world.

It’s an odd­ly fas­ci­nat­ing and fun stop that cap­tures the indus­tri­ous spir­it of the region.

Fam­i­ly-Style Din­ner at Tong Fong Low

No trip to Oroville is com­plete with­out a meal at Tong Fong Low. A local sta­ple since 1912, this spot is famous for its gen­er­ous fam­i­ly-style plates.

Shar­ing large plat­ters of chow mein, almond chick­en, and sweet and sour pork is a local rite of pas­sage — per­fect for hun­gry fam­i­lies who want to try a lit­tle bit of everything.

Enjoy Dessert at La Flor de Michoacán

End your adven­ture on a sweet note at La Flor de Michoacán. This fam­i­ly-owned Mex­i­can ice cream shop offers a daz­zling array of authen­tic ice creams, hand-craft­ed pale­tas (fruit bars), and over-the-top desserts that look as good as they taste.