Lower Bidwell Park

Low­er Bid­well Park is the por­tion of Bid­well Park that is west of Man­zani­ta Avenue. It is per­haps most well known for mul­ti­tudes of pic­nic sites (many of which are dis­abled per­sons acces­si­ble), swim­ming, run­ning, and road bik­ing along flat pathways.

Bik­ing

Bik­ers can enjoy paved roads over flat ter­rain and easy, flat dirt trails through­out Low­er Park. Bike trails are two miles or less and rat­ed easy.

Hik­ing & Walking

A hike through Low­er Bid­well Park takes you through the mel­low half of Chico’s famed Bid­well Park, with flat and lev­el trails and a thick canopy of trees offer­ing ample shade. When­ev­er you vis­it, you’ll enjoy diverse views through­out the year: in the fall, the park is full of vibrant oranges, reds, and yel­lows of chang­ing foliage, while in the spring, it comes alive with sea­son­al wild­flow­ers. With a start at the ​“Decide or Ride” com­pass, locat­ed adja­cent to the One-Mile Recre­ation Area bike and pedes­tri­an bridge, you’ll have the free­dom to choose your own adven­ture through Low­er Park. The paved path cre­ates an acces­si­ble loop, while the unpaved trail will take you on an out-and-back journey. 

Pub­lic bath­rooms and water foun­tains are avail­able in cer­tain loca­tions (by Sycamore Pool, in the Chico Creek Nature Cen­ter, and just across Man­azi­ta Avenue). Park­ing is avail­able in con­ve­nient loca­tions, and cars are com­fort­ably few on path­ways that allow them.

Map of Low­er Park

Dis­cov­er Low­er Bid­well Park with this map. Get a free copy of the fold-out map, which includes the entire­ty of Bid­well Park, from the Chico Cham­ber of Commerce.