Winter Family Adventure: Play Indoors and Adventure Outside in Butte County

Rainy Sea­son Hik­ing: Explore Phan­tom Falls

The start of the rainy sea­son brings one of the area’s most spec­tac­u­lar sights: Phan­tom Falls in the North Table Moun­tain Eco­log­i­cal Reserve in Oroville. This beau­ti­ful, ephemer­al water­fall only flows after sig­nif­i­cant rain, mak­ing its appear­ance a true win­ter treat.

The hike is best suit­ed for fam­i­lies with old­er, more adven­tur­ous chil­dren, and requires stur­dy shoes, a map, and GPS for nav­i­ga­tion to ensure a spec­tac­u­lar view.

Wit­ness the Pacif­ic Fly­way Migration

Butte Coun­ty is a prime stop along the Pacif­ic Fly­way, and win­ter brings thou­sands of migrat­ing birds to the region.

Head to the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area in Gri­d­ley, which fea­tures view­ing plat­forms and flat trails per­fect for families.

Anoth­er pop­u­lar spot is the Llano Seco Unit in Chico, offer­ing obser­va­tion plat­forms for incred­i­ble close-up views of the win­ter­ing flocks.

High-Ele­va­tion Fun: Chase Snow at Butte Meadows

If you tru­ly crave a white win­ter, Butte Mead­ows is just a short dri­ve away. This high-ele­va­tion area trans­forms into a win­ter won­der­land per­fect for a snow day.

Bun­dle up, grab your sleds, and pre­pare for pic­turesque views and plen­ty of space for sled­ding and snow play among the pine trees.

Down­town Chico Delight: Ice Skate Under the Stars

Embrace the chill with a favorite win­ter tra­di­tion. From mid-Novem­ber until ear­ly Jan­u­ary, the Chico Ice Rink in the Plaza puts you right in the mid­dle of Down­town Chico dur­ing its most fes­tive season.

It’s open dai­ly (weath­er per­mit­ting), mak­ing it great for a full day of skat­ing, shop­ping, and din­ing in ear­ly winter.

Child’s Play at Chico Chil­dren’s Museum

Locat­ed in the heart of Down­town, the Chico Children’s Muse­um is the per­fect spot for con­nec­tion and learn­ing through play.

Kids can explore the minia­ture artis­tic repli­ca of Chico and enjoy a vari­ety of engag­ing, inter­ac­tive exhibits, includ­ing a majes­tic tree house, zephyr wall, and an inclu­sive, mul­ti-sen­so­ry zone.

Climb the Walls at Ter­rain Park Climb­ing Center

Burn off win­ter ener­gy at Ter­rain Park Climb­ing Cen­ter. Adven­tur­ous kids and teens can test their skills on the clas­sic rock climb­ing walls, while younger fam­i­ly mem­bers will love the Adven­ture Cen­ter. This includes 12 Auto Belay lanes, a three-sto­ry play struc­ture, and a ded­i­cat­ed tod­dler area — mak­ing it the ide­al place to stay warm while hav­ing high-ener­gy fun.

Roller Skat­ing Fun at Cal Skate

If you’ve had your fill of the out­door chill, head inside for some old-school fun at Cal Skate. Beyond pub­lic skat­ing lessons and theme nights, they offer Tues­day ​“Cheap­skate” theme nights and Sat­ur­day Fam­i­ly Price Spe­cials, mak­ing it a great spot to bring the whole fam­i­ly for an active night in.

Arcade and Fam­i­ly Fun at Par­adise Playdium

Head up the ridge to the Par­adise Play­di­um, an all-ages indoor fam­i­ly fun cen­ter that pro­vides hours of high-ener­gy entertainment.

Fea­tur­ing a full arcade, axe throw­ing, and vir­tu­al real­i­ty games, it’s an ide­al warm spot to let the kids unwind while stay­ing com­plete­ly out of the win­ter chill.

No win­ter adven­ture is com­plete with­out some­thing deli­cious, and Butte Coun­ty fea­tures plen­ty of local eater­ies that will nour­ish and refu­el the whole family.

Fire­side & Heat­ed Patio Dining

For a tru­ly cozy expe­ri­ence, seek out one of Butte County’s restau­rants that offer fire­side din­ing or a com­fort­able heat­ed patio.

Extend­ing your meal into the evening with a warm drink next to a crack­ling fire or under a patio heater pro­vides the per­fect, relax­ing end to a full day of win­ter exploration.

Dis­cov­er some of our favorites in Chico, while in Oroville, Pro­vi­sions and Union offer cozy and heat­ed spaces for your next favorite meal.

Cocoa, Cof­fee & Cozy Cafés

Start your day with a stop at one of the area’s many local cof­fee shops, which offer steam­ing hot drinks and local­ly made pas­tries — the per­fect anti­dote to a chilly morning.

Lofi Café in Par­adise, Mugshots Cof­fee House in Oroville, and Upper Crust Bak­ery & Café in Chico are just a few of our favorite spots to bring the kids and fuel up for the day.

Piz­za & Brews Warm-Up

Find warmth at one of the region’s excel­lent local brew­eries or fam­i­ly-friend­ly piz­za spots, such as Farm Star Piz­za and Woodstock’s Piz­za. These venues offer casu­al, wel­com­ing envi­ron­ments where kids are hap­py and adults can relax with a warm meal after a long day of adven­ture or dur­ing a quick break before head­ing out for more explorations.