Upper Bidwell Park

By Jon Aull

Area Habitats

Blue Oak foothills woodland, Riparian, Grassland, Foothill Pine-Oak Woodland, Freshwater seeps/wetlands, pond.

Overview

Upper Bidwell Park is where the Sacramento Valley meets the foothills of the Cascades. Because of this meeting of mountains and valley, there is a great diversity of habitats. Upper Park preserves approximately 5 linear miles of the Big Chico Creek watershed, and is by far the largest part of the 3670 acre Bidwell Park. The dominant habitats are: riparian, which is the richest wildlife habitat in the Sacramento Valley; and blue oak foothills woodland, which comprises the majority of Upper Park. As you enter Upper Park at Wildwood Ave, you are flanked by a live and blue oak woodland on your right and grasslands on your left. Vernal pools are interspersed in these grasslands. This plain gives way to the rising foothills, and the familiar rock formation of “Monkey Face.” Blue oaks dominate the dry North Rim of the canyon, with its dry, thin soils. These soils are formed from hard volcanic mudflows of the Tuscan Formation and give rise to the annual spring wildflower displays, which typically peak around the middle of March. In the grasslands, one can spot flocks of Western Meadowlarks popping in and out of the grass, and Western Bluebirds and Western Kingbirds perched on fencelines along the road. This is also a good place to spot raptors like Red-tailed hawks and Northern Harriers. The man-made Horseshoe Lake is the departure point for most excursions into the Park. Parking Lot E is east of the lake. The lake hosts a variety of Mallard/domestic ducks, Canada Geese, Killdeer, frequent Great Blue Herons, and occasional Common Moorhen or stray migratory waterfowl. Swallows frequenting the lake include Violet-green, Tree, Northern Rough-winged and Cliff. Lewis’ woodpeckers have frequented the area in past years.

Acorn Woodpeckers rule the Upper Park, as you can see from the pock-marked Rod and Gun Club, which is used as a granary by the birds (unsuccessfully, as the acorns drop into the wall). Sparrows and towhees are usually in abundance in the scrub brush.

Because of its location within the City of Chico, Upper Park gets a lot of use, especially on summer weekends. From Parking Lot E, you can choose from a myriad of trails, with nearly 80 miles of trails in the Park. A good leisurely four hour birding route would be to walk down the road to the Yahi trail, take the riparian Yahi trail to Day Camp (about 1.5 miles from lot E), then take a hillside trail or the road back to the parking lot. This route goes through lush riparian forest along the creek and oak woodland/savannah on the hillside. Spur trails lead from the Yahi trail to the road in numerous places.

The 4 mile long (one way) Yahi trail is one of the premier trails in Northern California, with rich riparian habitat through the first mile and a half to Bear Hole, then spectacular views of Iron Canyon, with its sheer basalt cliffs dropping hundreds of feet to the creek below. The creek itself hosts limited waterfowl, such as Common and Hooded Mergansers and Wood Ducks. The updrafts create a great soaring area for Turkey Vultures and raptors. Peregrine falcons have been reported nesting on south rim canyon walls.

East of Bear Hole, the meeting of the volcanic hardpan of the Tuscan Formation and the impermeable basalt creates seeps and miniature wetland habitats. One of these, across the road from the Diversion Dam parking lot, hosts a population of Black Rail (a threatened species), and vocalizations can be heard on spring evenings.

The South Rim is the lesser frequented side of Upper Park. There are two main access points: the west end at the end of Centennial Ave, where you can pick up the Annie Bidwell Trail, and the east end at 10-mile house road, which is accessed from Hwy 32, seven miles east of the intersection of Bruce Road and 32. There are two main east west trails, the approximately 5 mile long (one way) Annie Bidwell Trail and the approximately 3.5 mile long Guardian’s trail higher on the rim. These trails pass through denser foothill pine and oak woodlands than you’ll find in the more sparsely vegetated North Rim on the other side of the creek. Hiking here can be pretty rugged.

Although seldom seen, the Upper Park also hosts larger animals such as mountain lion, black bear, coyote, and bobcat, and provides critical winter habitat for the Eastern Tehama deer herd, the largest in California, and critical habitat for threatened Spring Run Chinook salmon. Wild Turkeys also roam the area.

Rare Birds in This Area

Black Rail calling in spring across the main road from the Diversion Dam parking area. Peregrine Falcon. Yellow-breasted Chat on Yahi Trail.

C - Common

FC - Fairly Common

U - Uncommon

R - Rare

I - Irregular

Year Round Birds

Year round birds seen the Upper Bidwell Park include: Pied-Billed Grebe(U), Great Blue Heron(C), Great Egret(R), Snowy Egret(R), Green Heron(U), Turkey Vulture(C), Canada Goose(C), Wood Duck(U), Mallard(C), Northern Pintail(I), Common Merganser(C), Ruddy Duck(I), Osprey(R), White-tailed Kite(R), Bald Eagle(I), Northern Harrier(FC), Sharp-shinned Hawk(FC), Cooper's Hawk(FC), Red-sholdered Hawk(C), Red-tailed Hawk(C), American Kestrel(C), Peregrine Falcon(R), Prairie Falcon(R), Ring-necked Pheasant(U), Wild Turkey(FC), California Quail(C), Black Rail(R), Common Moorhen(R), American Coot(U), Killdeer(C), Rock Pigeon(C), Band-tailed Pigeon(C), Mourning Dove(C), Barn Owl(U), Western Screech-Owl(FC), Great Horned Owl(FC), Northern Pygmy-Owl(R), Burrowing Owl(R), Anna's Hummingbird(C), Belted Kingfisher(FC), Lewis's Woodpecker(U), Acorn Woodpecker(C), Red-breasted Sapsucker(FC), Nuttall's Woodpecker(C), Downy Woodpecker(C), Hairy Woodpecker(U), Northern Flicker(C), Pileated Woodpecker(I), Black Phoebe(C), Loggerhead Shrike(R), Hutton's Vireo(U), Steller's Jay(I), Western Scrub-Jay(C), American Crow(C), Common Raven(U), Horned Lark(R), Tree Swallow(C), Mountain Chickadee(R), Oak Titmouse(C), Bushtit(C), Red-breasted Nuthatch(I), White-breasted Nuthatch(C), Brown Creeper(U), Rock Wren(U), Canyon Wren(I), Bewick's Wren(C), American Dipper(U), Ruby Crowned Kinglet(C), Western Bluebird(C), Townsend's Solitaire(R), American Robin(C), Wrentit(R), Northern Mockingbird(C), European Starling(C), Phainopepla(FC), Common Yellowthroat(U), Spotted Towhee(C), California Towhee(C), Rufus-crowned Sparrow(U), Lark Sparrow(FC), Fox Sparrow(FC), Song Sparrow(R), Red-winged Blackbird(FC), Western Meadowlark(C), Brewer's Blackbird(C), Brown-headed Cowbird(FC), Purple Finch(R), House Finch(FC), Pine Siskin(R), Lesser Goldfinch(C), American Goldfinch(FC), Evening Grosbeak(R), and House Sparrow(FC).

Winter Birds

Birds that winter in the upper park include: Greater White-fronted Goose(U), Snow Goose(FC), Ross's Goose(FC), Cackling Goose(I), Tundra Swan(FC), Bufflehead(I), Common Goldeneye(I), Hooded Merganser(R), Merlin(R), Sandhill Crane(U), Greater Yellowlegs(R), Ring-billed Gull(R), California Gull(R), Northern Saw-whet Owl(R), Say's Phoebe(U), Golden-crowned Kinglet(R), Mountain Bluebird(I), Hermit Thrush(C), Varied Thrush(U), American Pipit(R), Cedar Waxwing(C), Orange-crowned Warbler(U), Yellow-rumped Warbler(C), Savannah Sparrow(U), White-throated Sparrow(R), White-crowned Sparrow(C), Golden-crowned Sparrow(C), and Dark-eyed Junco(C).

Summer Birds

Birds that summer and nest in the upper park: Swainson's Hawk(R), Common Nighthawk(R), Vaux's Swift(R), Black-chinned Hummingbird(R), Olive-sided Flycatcher(R), Western Wood-Pewee(C), Hammond's Flycatcher(U), Dusky Flycatcher(U), Pacific-slope Flycatcher(FC), Ash-throated Flycatcher(FC), Western Kingbird(C), Warbling Vireo(FC), Violet-green Swallow(FC), Northern Rough-winged Swallow(FC), Cliff Swallow(C), Barn Swallow(R), House Wren(C), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher(R), Hermit Warbler(U), MacGillivary's Warbler(U), Wilson's Warbler(U), Yellow-breasted Chat(U), Western Tanager(FC), Chipping Sparrow(R), Black-headed Grosbeak(C), Lazuli Bunting(R), Great-Tailed Grackle(R), and Bullock's Oriole(FC).

Spring Transient Birds

Birds that pass through the upper park area during the spring or fall migration include: Western Sandpiper(R), Rufous Hummingbird(U), Swainson's Thrush(R), Nashville Warbler(U), Yellow Warbler(U), Black-throated Gray Warbler(U), and Towsend's Warbler(U).

Directions

Access to Upper Park is divided into sections north and south of the creek. North of the Creek is accessed via Wildwood Ave from Manzanita. South of the creek access points are at the end of Centennial, which is the beginning of the Annie Bidwell Trail, and Ten-mile House Road (aka Green Gate) off of Hwy 32.

Fees

Free

Hours

The gate at Wildwood Avenue and Upper Park Road opens at 7:00 A.M. and closes one hour after sunset.

Hazards

Rattlesnakes are present, poison oak is omnipresent, ticks, rare mountain lion and bear sightings. Dangerous cliffs are found throughout the upper park. Horses, mountain bikes, and off leash dogs are allowed on trails on the north side of the Upper Park road. The Yahi Trail is closed to horses and bikes. Dogs are required to be on leash, although this rule is often ignored.

Difficulty

Easy to difficult depending on the park trail.

Facilities

Pit toilets at parking lots C, E, and Bear Hole (K), seasonally at Day Camp (H), and Salmon Hole (N). Water at parking lots C and E.

Contact

The Chico Creek Nature Center at 1968 E 8th St. (530-891-4671) serves as the information center for the Park and has maps. The City of Chico General Services Department at 965 Fir Street (530-896-7800) also has information.

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