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Birding and The Snow Goose Festival

Chico sits in the Pacific Flyway, and winter is the season: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service counts about 1.8 million waterfowl at the Sacramento refuges in an average November. The 27th Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway runs January 28 to 31, 2027, based in Chico, with more than 55 field trips across Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties.

Checked October 29, 2026

  • Jan 28-312027 Snow Goose Festival
  • 55+festival field trips
  • 1.8Mwaterfowl, average November count
  • $6a day, Sacramento refuge auto tour
Snow geese lifting off a wetland at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge
Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Snow Goose Festival

The festival calls itself one of the largest birding festivals in California. The 2027 program has more than 55 field trips, exhibits and free activities for all ages, with workshops and kids’ activities at the Historic Patrick Ranch Museum. The dinner banquet and keynote is at Bell Memorial Union on the Chico State campus on Saturday, January 30. The organizer says the full schedule comes out in December 2026; registration dates are not posted yet. Details: snowgoosefestival.org.

Choosing when or how far to go? See What to Do Around Chico by Season, Things To Do With Kids Around Chico, Day Trips From Chico.

Festival Dates on Our Calendar

October 2026

November 2026

December 2026

Sources: each card links to the organizer’s own page and shows the date we checked it. This list shows the next 45 days; see every upcoming event.

Where to See Birds

Place Run by Hours and fees as posted Good to know
Gray Lodge Wildlife Area CDFW Sunrise to sunset daily; CDFW Lands Pass for anyone 16 or older A 3-mile auto loop from Parking Lot 14; more than a million waterfowl a year; access can be limited mid-October to mid-February for hunting, never hunted on Christmas Day. 3207 Rutherford Road, Gridley.
Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Auto tour and trails 1 hour before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset; $6 a day or $12 a year, or a Duck Stamp or America the Beautiful pass 6-mile auto tour at 15 mph plus a 1.5-mile seasonal loop (March 15 to September 10); 2-mile Wetland Walk; visitor center Fridays 10 to 3. 752 County Road 99W, Willows.
Chico Creek Nature Center Chico Area Recreation and Park District Fri 10 to 1, Sat and Sun 10 to 3; $5 to $7 Bidwell Park visitor center; the local bird club meets here.

The refuge’s own numbers make the case for late fall: waterfowl average about 1.5 million in October, 1.8 million in November and 1.4 million in December. For guided walks, AltaCal Bird Alliance serves Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties; its field trips need pre-registration and a signed waiver, and it meets on the third Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. (second Monday in December, none June to August).

Area guide: Durham, Gridley & Biggs, Orland & Glenn County, Chico.

Map of Birding Spots

3 places are pinned. Pins are approximate and are not verified entrances or parking areas. Tap a pin for directions. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What We Could Not Verify

  • Snow Goose Festival registration dates and prices are not posted yet. Not confirmed
  • The Lands Pass price is not printed on the Gray Lodge page. Not confirmed
  • Gray Lodge visitor center hours and best months are not printed on its page. Not confirmed
  • AltaCal Bird Alliance trip costs are not published. Not confirmed

Questions People Ask

When is the Snow Goose Festival?

January 28 to 31, 2027, the 27th year, based in Chico. The full schedule is due in December 2026.

When is the best time to see snow geese near Chico?

Winter. The Sacramento refuge’s average waterfowl count peaks in November at about 1.8 million.

Do I need a pass for Gray Lodge?

Yes. CDFW requires a Lands Pass for anyone 16 or older.

Place Pages for This Guide

More Guides

Sources

  1. Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway: https://www.snowgoosefestival.org/ (checked October 29, 2026)
  2. CDFW, Gray Lodge Wildlife Area: https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Gray-Lodge-WA (checked October 29, 2026)
  3. USFWS, Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/sacramento (checked October 29, 2026)
  4. USFWS, Sacramento NWR Complex auto tours and trails: https://www.fws.gov/locations/sacramento-national-wildlife-refuge/sacramento-nwr-complex-auto-tours-and-trails (checked October 29, 2026)
  5. AltaCal Bird Alliance: https://www.altacal.org/ (checked October 29, 2026)
  6. AltaCal Bird Alliance, events: https://www.altacal.org/events (checked October 29, 2026)
  7. CARD, Chico Creek Nature Center: https://chicorec.gov/chico-creek-nature-center (checked October 29, 2026)

Cite this page: It's Chico, “Birding and The Snow Goose Festival”, itschico.com/guides/birding-snow-goose-festival/ (updated ). By the It's Chico editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.