Parts of Upper Bidwell Park reopen after park fire damages hiking trails

CHICO, California — The Park Fire broke out in Upper Bidwell on July 24 and has since grown to nearly 430,000 acres, with 45% containment. As containment continues to increase and evacuations continue to be lifted across the North State, people are returning to previously evacuated areas, including Upper Bidwell Park.

The City of Chico announced that they have begun reopening Upper Bidwell Park, starting with a partial area of ​​the park. They say the park suffered significant damage from the fire and the public should be cautious when returning to burned areas as the fire left behind many burned trees and associated hazards.

The most damaged areas of the park include the areas where the fire started when a Chico man reportedly pushed his burning car down a hill, as well as areas where the fire then burned back into the park near Devil’s Kitchen and continued to the end of Upper Park Road. The city says the south side of the park from Bloody Pin Trail to Ten Mile House Road was also affected.

After a damage and safety assessment, the city announced that the following areas can reopen starting Friday: 16 August 2024:

Open areas on the north side of Bidwell Park:

• Main entrance gate on Wildwood Avenue
• North side of the Five Mile Recreation Area
• Parking Lots A to Parking Lots E (Horseshoe Lake)
• Chico Observatory
• Upper Park Shooting Range
• Upper Park Road to Diversion Dam Gate
• Swimming areas at Day Camp, Alligator Hole and Bear Hole

The trails are open as follows:

• The North Rim Trail/Fenceline Trail is open only to the Red Bud Trail.
• The middle path is only open to the Bear Hole connector
• Upper Trail and Upper Upper Trail are only open to the Middle Trail connector
• The Yahi Trail is only open to Bear Hole

Open areas on the south side of Bidwell Park:

• Hiking trails, except: Legacy Trail, only from the Annie Bidwell Trail access at Centennial & Chico Canyon Road to the Bloody Pin Trail
• Peregrine Point Disc Golf Course

Areas that remain closed:

• Upper Park Road behind the Diversion Dam gate
• Ten-mile home street
• On the north side, all sections of the route beyond the designated end points listed above
• On the south side, all sections of the hiking trails east of the Bloody Pin Trail

The city states that anyone entering closed areas of the park will face citations and fines.

“The Park Department thanks the public for their understanding during this closure. The Park Department of Public Works will continue to mitigate hazards, undertake remediation activities and reopen additional areas as quickly as possible,” the City of Chico said.

For more information, contact Linda Herman, City of Chico Parks and Natural Resources Manager, at 530-896-7800.