Every park, lake, wildlife area, museum and stage in this guide, in one place: 34 pages across seven areas from Red Bluff to Lake Almanor, each read on the operator’s own pages, with drive times from Chico and a map.
places and venues with their own page, in 7 areas and 15 kinds. 7 are venues (theatres, museums, fairgrounds).
Browse by Area
Chico
Open the Chico area page for events and the drive-time table.
Bidwell ParkCity parkIn Chico
Chico State CampusLandmarkIn Chico
Downtown ChicoDowntownIn Chico- Gateway Science MuseumMuseumIn Chico
Bidwell-Sacramento River State ParkParkAbout 20 min from Chico
Chico History MuseumMuseumIn Chico
Laxson AuditoriumTheaterIn Chico
Silver Dollar FairgroundsFairgroundsIn Chico
Oroville & Lake Oroville
Open the Oroville & Lake Oroville area page for events and the drive-time table.
- Feather River Fish HatcheryHatcheryAbout 35 min from Chico
Oroville Wildlife AreaWildlife areaAbout 35 min from Chico
Downtown Oroville and the RiverfrontDowntownAbout 40 min from Chico- Lime Saddle MarinaMarinaAbout 40 min from Chico
- Bidwell Canyon MarinaMarinaAbout 50 min from Chico
Oroville Dam Overlooks and Visitor CenterOverlookAbout 50 min from Chico
Lake Oroville State Recreation AreaRecreation areaAbout 55 min from Chico- Loafer Creek Recreation AreaRecreation areaAbout 55 min from Chico
Oroville Chinese TempleMuseumAbout 40 min from Chico
Oroville State TheatreTheaterAbout 40 min from Chico
Paradise & The Ridge
Open the Paradise & The Ridge area page for events and the drive-time table.
Paradise Parks, Trailway and MuseumsDowntownAbout 30 min from Chico
Butte Creek CanyonRecreation areaAbout 35 min from Chico
Paradise LakeLakeAbout 50 min from Chico
Gold Nugget MuseumMuseumAbout 30 min from Chico
Lake Almanor & The Feather River
Open the Lake Almanor & The Feather River area page for events and the drive-time table.
Feather River Canyon on Highway 70Scenic driveAbout 1 hr 20 min from Chico
ChesterDowntownAbout 1 hr 35 min from Chico
Lake AlmanorLakeAbout 1 hr 45 min from Chico
Durham, Gridley & Biggs
Open the Durham, Gridley & Biggs area page for events and the drive-time table.
Gridley and BiggsDowntownAbout 45 min from Chico
Gray Lodge Wildlife AreaWildlife areaAbout 1 hr from Chico- Butte County FairgroundsFairgroundsAbout 45 min from Chico
Orland & Glenn County
Open the Orland & Glenn County area page for events and the drive-time table.
Orland and WillowsDowntownAbout 45 min from Chico
Black Butte LakeLakeAbout 55 min from Chico
Sacramento National Wildlife RefugeWildlife refugeAbout 55 min from Chico
Red Bluff & Corning
Open the Red Bluff & Corning area page for events and the drive-time table.
Red Bluff Recreation AreaRecreation areaAbout 1 hr from Chico
Red Bluff and CorningDowntownAbout 1 hr 5 min from Chico
Sacramento River Bend Outstanding Natural AreaRecreation areaAbout 1 hr 15 min from Chico
Every Place by Drive Time From Chico
| Place | Area | Kind | Typical, without traffic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bidwell Park | Chico | City park | In Chico |
| Chico History Museum | Chico | Museum | In Chico |
| Chico State Campus | Chico | Landmark | In Chico |
| Downtown Chico | Chico | Downtown | In Chico |
| Gateway Science Museum | Chico | Museum | In Chico |
| Laxson Auditorium | Chico | Theater | In Chico |
| Silver Dollar Fairgrounds | Chico | Fairgrounds | In Chico |
| Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park | Chico | Park | 20 min |
| Gold Nugget Museum | Paradise & The Ridge | Museum | 30 min |
| Paradise Parks, Trailway and Museums | Paradise & The Ridge | Downtown | 30 min |
| Butte Creek Canyon | Paradise & The Ridge | Recreation area | 35 min |
| Feather River Fish Hatchery | Oroville & Lake Oroville | Hatchery | 35 min |
| Oroville Wildlife Area | Oroville & Lake Oroville | Wildlife area | 35 min |
| Downtown Oroville and the Riverfront | Oroville & Lake Oroville | Downtown | 40 min |
| Lime Saddle Marina | Oroville & Lake Oroville | Marina | 40 min |
| Oroville Chinese Temple | Oroville & Lake Oroville | Museum | 40 min |
| Oroville State Theatre | Oroville & Lake Oroville | Theater | 40 min |
| Butte County Fairgrounds | Durham, Gridley & Biggs | Fairgrounds | 45 min |
| Gridley and Biggs | Durham, Gridley & Biggs | Downtown | 45 min |
| Orland and Willows | Orland & Glenn County | Downtown | 45 min |
| Bidwell Canyon Marina | Oroville & Lake Oroville | Marina | 50 min |
| Oroville Dam Overlooks and Visitor Center | Oroville & Lake Oroville | Overlook | 50 min |
| Paradise Lake | Paradise & The Ridge | Lake | 50 min |
| Black Butte Lake | Orland & Glenn County | Lake | 55 min |
| Lake Oroville State Recreation Area | Oroville & Lake Oroville | Recreation area | 55 min |
| Loafer Creek Recreation Area | Oroville & Lake Oroville | Recreation area | 55 min |
| Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge | Orland & Glenn County | Wildlife refuge | 55 min |
| Gray Lodge Wildlife Area | Durham, Gridley & Biggs | Wildlife area | 1 hr |
| Red Bluff Recreation Area | Red Bluff & Corning | Recreation area | 1 hr |
| Red Bluff and Corning | Red Bluff & Corning | Downtown | 1 hr 5 min |
| Sacramento River Bend Outstanding Natural Area | Red Bluff & Corning | Recreation area | 1 hr 15 min |
| Feather River Canyon on Highway 70 | Lake Almanor & The Feather River | Scenic drive | 1 hr 20 min |
| Chester | Lake Almanor & The Feather River | Downtown | 1 hr 35 min |
| Lake Almanor | Lake Almanor & The Feather River | Lake | 1 hr 45 min |
Google Maps driving estimates from central Chico read on October 29, 2026, plus 10 minutes, rounded to 5. Places in Chico itself are marked In Chico.
Map of Every Place
Something changed? Our Closed, Renamed and Moved tracker lists places that have closed, taken a new name or moved, each with its official source and the date we checked.
What We Could Not Verify
These items were not on an official page we could open on October 29, 2026, or two official pages disagree. Check with the operator before you rely on them.
- Not confirmedSenator Theatre (Chico) and Sierra Nevada Brewing (Chico): we could not confirm their visitor details on their own websites as of October 29, 2026, so they do not have pages yet.
- Not confirmedDurham: no official visitor page confirms its parks or visitor details yet, so Durham has no page of its own.
- Not confirmedEach place page lists its own unconfirmed items and any places where two official pages disagree.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best outdoor places near Chico?
Bidwell Park is in town. Within about an hour are Lake Oroville, Paradise Lake, Butte Creek Canyon, Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge and Black Butte Lake. Lake Almanor and the Feather River canyon are farther. The table above sorts every place by drive time.
How were these places checked?
Each page was built from the operator's or agency's own pages, read on October 29, 2026, and lists them as numbered sources. Anything we could not confirm is labelled Not confirmed on that page.
Can I suggest a place?
Yes. Use the Contact page and include the official link for the place.
Cite this page: It's Chico, “Places Around Chico”, itschico.com/places/ (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.