Dog-Friendly Places in Butte County

Bid­well Park is per­haps the most obvi­ous choice for explor­ers with fur­ry com­pan­ions! The sprawl­ing expanse of Bid­well offers end­less curiosi­ties for your pup to inves­ti­gate, whether you’re leisure­ly strolling through the shad­ed, grassy areas of Low­er Park near Sycamore Pool or putting your pup through her paces on some of the gen­tler trails near Horse­shoe Lake in Upper Park. If you choose the lat­ter, of course, be aware that life is a lit­tle more wild out here; watch out for rat­tlesnakes, insect nests, or thorned fau­na that dogs are so adept at stick­ing their noses into. And, at the end of a long walk, it’s hard to beat a dip in Big Chico Creek on your way back toward One Mile Recre­ation Area.

Any place that’s a good walk for humans is prob­a­bly a good walk for pooches, and the beau­ti­ful North Table Moun­tain Eco­log­i­cal Reserve is no dif­fer­ent. Open from dawn until dusk, the eco­log­i­cal reserve offers wildlife view­ing for you and fresh air and plen­ty of walk­ing for your dog. It’s often a pop­u­lar spot for dog-walk­ers, so chances are usu­al­ly pret­ty good that your pup will meet some new faces, too.

A great place to get your dog some out­door exer­cise as well as to social­ize, the DeGar­mo Dog Park offers own­ers a chance to let their pups off the leash to make friends and stretch their legs. A roomy sand-and-dirt play area is the main fea­ture here, so bring a ball to throw or some treats to prac­tice train­ing. Shy­er dogs may be con­tent to hang out with their own­ers, but there are pic­nic tables and lawn chairs for those dogs who pre­fer a lap to sit in over a lap to run around.

If your dog shares your love for the open water, he’ll be at home on Lake Oroville, espe­cial­ly if you bring him along for a patio boat trek out to a cove with a decent beach. It’s not uncom­mon to spot lake-goers bring­ing their dogs with them for their day trips on the water — just make sure bring some kind of flota­tion device if you plan on doing any­thing more than put­ter­ing around Oroville’s var­i­ous marinas.

Burg­ers, brews, and you best bud. What could be bet­ter? In a prime Down­town Chico loca­tion, Burg­ers & Brews is a great spot for you and your four-legged friend. You’ll love the hardy menu and exten­sive beer list, and they’ll love watch­ing all the com­ings and goings of the city…when not sneak­ing a fry or two.

A long-stand­ing sta­ple of the upper Ridge com­mu­ni­ty, Hill­top Café is a great breakfast/​brunch option for those set­ting out on a day of adven­ture and explo­ration of the area with their dogs. Out­door seat­ing means pups can par­take and get some fresh air, too — there’s not a fenced area, though, so bring your leash.

With a menu show­cas­ing cre­ative com­fort food (and treats for pups), an expan­sive out­door din­ing area, and pup-friend­ly pol­i­cy, Park­side Tap House—also known as ​“Bark­side” Tap House to their four-legged reg­u­lars — is a ter­rif­ic option for every mem­ber of the family.

With a remod­el that result­ed in a out­door patio, The Raw­bar Restau­rant & Sushi joined the ranks of dog-friend­ly eater­ies in Butte Coun­ty. You can still enjoy their fresh rolls and sashi­mi inside as always, but now, the whole (fur­ry) fam­i­ly can dine in style alfres­co, com­plete with views of the City Plaza.

Patio din­ing, a cool mar­gari­ta, and passers-by peo­ple-watch­ing makes for great enter­tain­ment — and, like every­thing, it’s bet­ter with your dog! Tres Hom­bres is cool with your well-behaved pooch on the patio, but obvi­ous­ly a leash is required. Sneak­ing table scraps is up to you.

No mat­ter if you’re seek­ing leisure and a bite, or explo­ration and wide-open spaces, there are ample options for dogs and their peo­ple all over Butte County.