Paradise and The Ridge: A Day From Official Pages

Water And Ice Safety: read this before you go

This page lists places to visit in Paradise and on the Ridge using only the Town of Paradise, the Paradise Recreation and Park District, the Honey Run Covered Bridge Association and CAL FIRE, and states what each says. It adds no commentary of its own.

Checked November 3, 2026

Nov 8, 2018Camp Fire began, per CAL FIRE
Thu-MonDepot Museum, 12 to 4 p.m.
5555 SkywayTown Hall and Building Resiliency Center
2025Honey Run bridge and park opened, per the association

Read this first: the hours, fees, rules and closures on this page were taken from the sources named beside them; we read those sources on November 3, 2026. The Town of Paradise recovery pages (read November 3, 2026) and the park district, bridge association and CAL FIRE facts on our Paradise, Gold Nugget Museum, Paradise Lake and Honey Run pages (operator pages read October 29, 2026). This is not legal, medical or safety advice. They change, so check the agency or business named before you rely on them. Anything we could not read is marked Not Confirmed where it appears.

What The Official Pages Say

CAL FIRE Incident Figures
The Camp Fire started at 6:33 a.m. on November 8, 2018, near Pulga Road at Camp Creek Road by Jarbo Gap. CAL FIRE lists 153,336 acres burned in Butte County, containment on November 25 after 17 days, 18,804 structures destroyed, 754 damaged and 85 civilian deaths, and gives the cause as power lines (read October 29, 2026; CAL FIRE’s site did not load for us on November 3).
Town of Paradise
The Town’s recovery page says: “As the Town of Paradise continues to recover from the Camp Fire, it is important to remain focused on our important work of recovery.” The Building Resiliency Center, 5555 Skyway, Monday to Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., is “open for walk-in appointments.” The Town publishes a Long-Term Recovery Plan and a Monthly Recovery Update.
Siren Test
The Town’s monthly update said that, since August 15, 2025, “the siren tests will now occur on the 15th of every month at 12:00 PM noon, lasting a few minutes.”
Rediscover The Ridge
The park district’s Rediscover the Ridge page says it is a collaboration of Ridge businesses and recreation organizations that highlights “the abundance of natural resources, which drive economic revitalization through recreational tourism.”

The Places

Operator facts, read October 29, 2026 unless noted
Place	Address	Days and hours or fee, as posted
Depot Museum (Gold Nugget Museum)	5570 Black Olive Dr, Paradise Community Park	Thursday to Monday, 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. and during special events; the Pearson Road museum was destroyed by the Camp Fire on November 8, 2018
Paradise Memorial Trailway and Bille Park	Bille Park: 501 Bille Road	Hours not printed on the pages we read Not Confirmed
Honey Run Covered Bridge	1670 Honey Run Road, Chico	The association says the rebuilt bridge and park opened in 2025; hours not printed Not Confirmed
Paradise Lake	6853 Lucretia Road, near Magalia	5:00 a.m. to sunset, closed Wednesdays; daily parking $5 (2026 rates); swimming, dogs and horses prohibited

A Simple Order

Drive to Paradise (about 30 minutes from Chico without traffic, Google Maps estimate read October 29). Visit the Depot Museum on a Thursday to Monday afternoon, then the Honey Run Covered Bridge in Butte Creek Canyon. Paradise Lake is farther north, about 50 minutes from Chico; it is closed Wednesdays. History is on Paradise and the Ridge: history and rebuilding.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you visit Paradise now?

Yes. The park district and the Town list parks, the Depot Museum and Paradise Lake with posted hours, and the Town says it continues its recovery work.

When is the Gold Nugget Depot Museum open?

Thursday to Monday, 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. and during special events, according to the museum’s page read October 29, 2026.

When are the Paradise sirens tested?

The Town says tests occur on the 15th of every month at 12:00 noon and last a few minutes.

Sources

Town of Paradise, Recovery: https://www.townofparadise.com/recovery (read November 3, 2026)
Town of Paradise, Monthly recovery update: https://www.townofparadise.com/monthly-recovery-update (read November 3, 2026)
Town of Paradise, Building Resiliency Center: https://www.townofparadise.com/planning/page/building-resiliency-center (read November 3, 2026)
Paradise Recreation and Park District, Rediscover the Ridge: https://www.paradiseprpd.com/rediscover-the-ridge (read November 3, 2026)
CAL FIRE, Camp Fire incident: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2018/11/8/camp-fire (read November 3, 2026, read Oct 29, 2026)
Our Paradise and the Ridge page: https://itschico.com/paradise-ridge/ (read November 3, 2026, operator pages read Oct 29, 2026)

Keep Planning

Take This Trip With You

Stops in the order this page mentions them, with a driving route in Google Maps. Check hours on each place page first. How far is each stop from where you start? Try the drive-time table.

Open The Route In Google Maps

On The Map

3 places named on this page are pinned. Tap a pin for the page and directions. Dashed pins were placed from the street address and are approximate. © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Trip Loop

Pick an itinerary and see its stops as a closed loop that ends where it starts. Distances are straight lines between pins and approximate; roads are longer. Open the loop in Google Maps for real driving directions.

Itinerary

Safety Notice

Water And Ice Safety: Read This Before You Go

Lakes, ponds, rivers, creeks, beaches and ice can kill, quickly and without warning. Conditions change by the hour and we cannot see them from here. This page is general information only. It is not a safety assessment, and it does not say or promise that any place, water, ice or activity is safe.

We do not inspect, test, measure or monitor water, ice, currents, depth, water quality, algae, wildlife, access, closures or lifeguard staffing at any place we list.
Posted signs, closures, advisories, flags and the directions of rangers, lifeguards and the land owner or managing agency always override anything here. A place being listed does not mean it is open, legal to enter, or permitted for swimming, wading, boating or fishing, and does not give you permission to be on private land or private water.
Children and weak swimmers: the CDC says to assign a responsible adult to watch children closely and constantly in or near water, with no phone, reading, alcohol or drugs, and to use life jackets for children in and around natural water. It also says inflatable or foam toys are not safety devices.
Open water hides hazards. The CDC names currents, waves, rocks, vegetation and poor visibility. As general guidance (not from a named source), also expect sudden drop-offs, very cold water even on a warm day, submerged objects, boat traffic and changing weather. Never swim alone, and never mix alcohol with water or boats.

Emergency in the United States: call 911. Learn CPR, as the CDC recommends.

Not ConfirmedWe have not verified current water or ice conditions, water quality, access, swimming or boating permission, lifeguard hours, fees, rules or closures for any place on this page. The land owner or managing agency (a park, city, county, state or federal office, or the property owner) is the one who can confirm them. Ask them before you go.

Sources read on 8 November 2026: the Minnesota DNR ice thickness guidelines (dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/thickness.html, no page date shown) and the CDC drowning prevention page (cdc.gov/drowning/prevention, page dated 29 September 2025). Guidance can change and can differ by state and by place: check the current text and your local agency before relying on it. This notice is general guidance only. It is not legal, medical, rescue or professional safety advice, and nobody on this site is a lifeguard or safety professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for any children and pets with you, and you use this information at your own risk. Water, ice, weather and local rules change quickly and differ by state, county and property. To the fullest extent the law allows, this site, its owner and its contributors are not responsible for any injury, death, loss or damage that results from using this information or from visiting any place, water or ice mentioned here. If you do not accept that, do not rely on this page (see the Limits Of Liability in our Terms Of Use).

Cite this page: It's Chico, “Paradise and The Ridge: A Day From Official Pages”, itschico.com/itineraries/paradise-and-the-ridge-recovery-day/ (updated 2026-11-05). 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.

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