Chico, California bound: City of trees
Have you ever heard of or been to Chico, California, also known as the city of trees?
If not, your’e missing out on a little gem of a small city. What an absolutely beautiful area to visit and explore.
This is one of the areas in California I highly recommend you visit and take a good look around. There is beauty everywhere in Chico and it’s true what they say about it being the city of trees!
I’ve never seen so many different species of trees in one area. There’s everything from buckeyes, cottonwoods, palms, and pine, to oaks, maples, sycamore, and much more.
My favorite out of all of the trees was the Western Sycamore. These trees reach 110 ft high and get massively wide. The bark is smooth and white with grey patches. I would love to grow one of these beauties on my land.
Chico has several beautiful parks that you can spend hours hiking. As well as taking photograps of it’s ever-changing scenery. If you’re in the mood for mountain climbing, they’ve got that too!
One of my favorite parks near Chico is Billie Park in Paradise. If you want a good hike with steep climbs and gorgeous scenery, than this is the place for you.
There’s a small waterfall with bridges to cross and the Little Grand Canyon to gaze over. The view of the valley stretches as far as the eye can see. The photos below are from the back side of the valley which runs all the way down to Chico.
A must see view is the Butte Creek Watershed Overlook. This is where you get a bird’s eye view of the “Little Grand Canyon” that runs past Billie park and into Chico.
This canyon is just stunning and has earned its name Little Grand Canyon!
A fence runs along the top of the viewing area that has been claimed as a” lovers fence”.
Those who have professed their love to each other have placed padlocks of all colors and shapes all along the fence.
Some of the locks are even engraved or tell little stories.
I’d like to know when this trend began and how many locks have been removed because of lost love.
Personally I think it’s kind of romantic and a lot of fun!
If you want to hike or bike in a more open area, then Upper Bidwell park is for you. This area has very unique rock structures and a deep valley with a stream flowing through it.
This area happened to be blooming with fields of yellow and purple wildflowers, stretching out for miles. It was a beautiful sight to see!
If your brave enough to climb down the rocky cliff to the river, you’ll find cold clear water to swim in or fish.
While we were exploring a trail near the river, we spotted some interesting wildlife. We just happened to notice a few very well camouflaged lizards sunning themselves on the trees. Can you spot the one in the photo below? Luckily he stayed put long enough to get his photo.enough
While we were looking at the lizards, I happened to noticed a family of buzzards that were perched high, on a dead tree. The other one was flying around patrolling his area, or maybe looking for something to eat.
I have a feeling that the food source for these birds may be difficult to find. Because I didn’t see much in the way of rabbits, chipmunks or even squirrels.
We also happened to see a Falcon fly over head in a hurry. So maybe he spied his dinner for the day.
There is also a Lower Bidwell Park. This park has dense, lush green forest.
Another beautiful and very scenic park to check out is the Durham Community park right in the Chico area.
Here you can picnic, play, and walk around to your heart’s content. It’s a great place to take your favorite fur baby for some good exercise!
If you’re ever interested in visiting Chico, California and it’s parks, I’d recommend going in March through early May while the temperatures are cooler and everything is green.
As you can see from the photos the Chico area is one of the most beautiful areas in the country. The City of Trees lives up to its name!
Happy Travels!
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