Butte County

Antique collectors will be thrilled at the opportunities awaiting them in the town of Paradise. This tiny community has over a dozen excellent stores specializing in a huge variety of antiques, collectibles, glassware and fine jewelry. Collectors will be amazed at the low prices. According to store owners, out of town dealers regularly come to Paradise with trailers. They are buying for stores in major metropolitan areas, where prices will be marked up considerably. Being in a retirement community has real benefits for antique dealers. Heirlooms are sold by seniors to finance an active retirement lifestyle, and of course, estate sales provide an opportunity for local dealers to obtain an array of priceless antiques and collectibles. Visitors will find excellent overnight accommodations in Paradise.

Views of the Sacramento Valley and the coastal mountains are spectacular from Bald Rock. A quarter mile hike from the parking area will take you to the top of this formation which, according to Maidu Indian legend, is the location the monster, Uino, used to protect the middle fork of the Feather River. The area has many unique rock formations, as well as grinding holes used by Native Americans to grind acorns.

Spring and summer birdwatching along the Sacramento River is best done from a boat. As you float down the Sacramento, quietly dipping a paddle into the cool water, you can listen for and identify the calls of the many birds that live in the riparian areas along the river. You can stop at one of the islands that form midstream during the high water months of winter and early spring, and discover the many colorful birds that nest in these safe havens. Look for beaver, otter and ringtail cats; and watch for osprey fishing and flying off to nests in snags along the banks. Audubon Society members living in Chico will be happy to help you find the best places for birding. They can tell you where to put your boat in, and where to plan to go on foot to see the many bird species that can be found in the area.

Gold was first discovered along the Feather by John Bidwell several weeks after the famous discovery at Coloma. Prospectors are still finding gold today along the river. Visitors can learn how to gold pan every Saturday during the summer at the Lake Oroville Visitors' Center. Pans, a water trough, and instructors are provided free of charge, and everyone is guaranteed to find color in their pans. Those who catch "gold fever" can strike out on their own along the banks of Lake Oroville, or along the middle fork of the Feather River at Milsap Campground. River banks in other areas are either private property, or private mining claims closed to public panning.

There are 20 miles of walking and equestrian trails along the Feather River in the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area which are reserved solely for horseback riders. The Dan Beebe Trail starts near the City of Oroville and winds through the countryside along the beautiful Feather River. It gently ascends to a point where riders have breathtaking views of the foothills, Lake Oroville and the Dam. At one point, the Loafer Loop Trail joins the Beebe Trail. There are horse campsites along the Loafer Trail with water and feeding stations, a horse washing area and fully equipped restrooms. The trails provide excellent scenic riding opportunities year round. Spring wildflowers are breathtaking on Sycamore Hill. In the summer there are shaded trails with ready access to water for the horses. Fall foliage provides a perfect scenic backdrop for sunny afternoon autumn rides and winter riding is always possible in the low-elevation all-weather terrain.

The Ishi Wilderness located northeast of Chico is named after Ishi, the last survivor of the Yahi Yana Indians. Ishi walked into the town of Oro-ville, starving and lonely, in 1911. His people were hunted down and killed by white settlers crowding into the area searching for gold in the late 1800's. University of California anthropologist, Alfred Kroeber studied Ishi's life, language and customs until Ishi's death of tuberculosis in 1916. The Ishi Wilderness is the land inhabited by the Yahi Yana for over 3,000 years. The tribe is forever gone, but the rugged trails used to track game and gather vegetation, the fishing streams and lush meadows can still be appreciated. Back country hikers will share this rugged land with white-tailed deer, mountain lion and black bear. Golden eagles, red-tailed hawk, peregrine and prairie falcons can often be seen circling over the towering cliffs that are their home. Chinook salmon spawn in Deer and Mill Creeks. Trailheads are accessed from roads connecting with Highway 32 at Chico or Hwy 36 at Paynes Creek. Trail guides are available from the Lassen National Forest.

Discover the 41 mile Bradford B. Freeman Mountain Bike Trail around Lake Oroville. This trail offers widely different terrain, catering to a variety of skill levels. Take the flat 20 mile section around the Thermalito After Bay with exceptional scenery through the Oroville Wildlife Area. The steep downhill section near Oroville Dam is challenging even for serious riders. This is the site of the California State Championship Downhill Mountain Bike Race. The rugged terrain along the Feather River cuts through a wooded area, and offers nice views of the river. Ride it a section at a time, or take the ultimate 41 mile challenge.

This 8,400 acre wildlife refuge is one of the most intensively developed waterfowl marshlands in the entire United States. Established in 1931 by the California Department of Fish and Game Commission, the facility is operated year round. More than 80 miles of roads run through the area with more than five miles of trails available for hikers and bicyclists. The area attracts more than a million ducks, one hundred thousand geese and thousands of other types of bird life annually. There are excellent opportunities for hunting (one of the largest pheasant populations in the state), fishing and nature viewing. Gray Lodge is located just ten minutes west of Gridley.

Bidwell Park is the second largest municipal park in the country. Big Chico Creek is dammed at two places to provide swimming. Small children have five acres of fun all to themselves. There are typical park picnic areas, and not so typical areas which provide opportunities for rock climbing, canoeing and hiking on a nature trail that could be in a wilderness area hundreds of miles off the beaten track. Off-highway vehicles and horses are welcomed on designated trails; however, bicycles are the preferred form of transportation for most of the ten mile length of the park. There is a golf course, a shooting range, an amphitheater, ball fields and a nature center. Bidwell Park is the recreational hub of this thriving community. Touring Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park, home of the leader of the first overland expedition to California is a must do.

The drive along Olive Highway will take you to the sixth highest waterfall in the nation, which reaches a magnificent 640 feet. It is visible from the middle arm of Lake Oroville. There are two trails maintained by the United States Forest Service overlooking spectacular senery throughout either of the eight mile hikes. The nearby town of Feather Falls takes its name from the falls.

A Valley Oak located in the town of Live Oak, was dedicated as a Living Witness Tree on National Arbor Day in 1989. It is one of only 55 trees in the United States identified as growing during the time of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. The oldest producing Kiwi tree in the nation is located at the Plant Introduction Center in Chico. It was brought to Butte County in 1934 as part of a program to identify plants that would grow well in the area. Kiwi is now an important cash crop for the county. Despite a very eventful life including floods, freezes, fire, disease and relocation at the ripe old age of 142, Mother Orange Tree, is thriving. She was brought to Oroville in 1856 from Maxatlan, Mexico, by Judge Joseph Lewis, and is credited with starting a thriving citrus industry in the area. As plans for Oroville Dam, and Lake Oroville proceeded, an elaborate plan was implemented to relocate the tree above the proposed water line. Her new home is at the California State Parks and Recreation Headquarters in Oroville.

Lake Oroville has more than 15,000 surface acres and 167 miles of shoreline providing great recreational opportunities for thousands of Californians annually, as well as being an important source of water for California's Central Valley. Take the most inexpensive, fun-filled family vacation ever in beautiful Butte County. Camping at Lake Oroville in one of the only floating campground sites in the USA is a great experience. Hike to Feather Falls, the sixth tallest in the nation, or boat to the waterfall base. Standing 770 feet high and 6,920 feet across the top, Oroville Dam is the tallest and one of the Nation's largest earthen dams. It is responsible for the creation of Lake Oroville. Below the dam is a cavern that houses six power generation units capable of generating 2.8 billion kilowatt hours of power annually. Daily tours are available.