Page 74 - North State Parent March 2023

PARKS, RECREATION & SPORTS NORTH STATE PARENT FAMILY RESOURCE GUIDE SPRING/SUMMER 2023
BUTTE COUNTY
Bidwell Park; Chico. 3,670-acre park offers miles of trails through Upper and Lower Bidwell Park. Choose an easy lower loop and stop at a few different playgrounds. chico.ca.us/amenities/mountain-biking. (530) 896-7200.
Bike Licenses; Chico. Register your bicycle or apply for a license online. chico.ca.us/ post/bicycle-license. (530) 879-7320.
Black Butte Lake; Oroville. Over 20 miles of multi-use trails with scenic vistas and wildlife viewing. Picnic areas around the lake and a playground at Buckhorn Recre- ation Area. bit.ly/3SkKZsB. (530)865-4781. B-line Transit Bike Maps; Chico. From flats for easy rides and commuting to more challenging foothill rides, the Butte County terrain offers a variety of intercon- nected trails to explore. Map (Chico Area): blinetransit.com/documents/Bike_Maps/ Bike_Map_2014_Front_300dpi.jpg
Map (Lower/Upper Bidwell Park): blin- etransit.com/documents/Bike_Maps/ Bike_Map_2014_Back_300dpi.jpg
Chico Velo Cycling Club Local Routes; Chico. Website offering some of Chico Velo’s favorite cycling routes from Chico’s flat 16-mile River Road to the 64-mile Meridian-River Road in Durham. chicovelo. org/local-routes.html.
Wildwood Park; Chico. Two pump tracks: beginner and intermediate-to-advanced. chicorec.com/wildwood-park. (530)895- 4711.
SHASTA COUNTY
Arboretum Loop Trail and Eagle Loop; Redding. 1.2-mile Arboretum Loop and 1-mile Eagle Loop; mostly paved flat trails with views of the Sacramento River and the Sundial Bridge. Viewpoints offer places to observe wildlife, including resident bald eagles on the Eagle Loop. Map: healthyshasta.org/maps. (530)225-5351. Anderson River Park; Anderson. Route
1 is 1.25 miles of easy, paved trail. Route
2 combines 1.5 miles of moderate paved, gravel, dirt and grassy trail. Route 3 is 2.75 miles of moderate paved, gravel, dirt and grassy trail. Route 4 is an easy .75-mile dirt and gravel trail. Park includes a play- ground. Map and Info: ci.anderson.ca.us/ andersonca/departments/community_ser- vices1/uploads/Anderson_Walks_Guide_ Web1.pdf.
Churn Creek Greenway, Redding McCon- nell Foundation Trails; Redding. 3.5 miles of compacted gravel trails; easily bikeable with wider tires and wide stroller wheels. Mostly flat with some rolling hills that add to the fun and adventure. Trails lead to Minder Park Playground off Minder Drive in Redding. Map: mcconnellfoundation. org/trails/. (530)226-6200.
Churn Creek Trails; Redding. Off Tidmore Lane in Redding and accessible from many neighborhood spots, these are part of open space preserved by the McConnell Foundation. These four miles of meander- ing trails with green meadows and spring wildflowers are available to cyclists and
hikers. Make sure you stop at the halfway point for play at Minder Park’s play structure or to enjoy a picnic. Drinking fountains avail- able at the park. These trails link to the Lema Ranch trails, which are only open to walkers. Clover Creek Preserve; Redding. 1.5-mile flat paved loop. Views are wide and make it easy to keep an eye on children biking ahead. Additional dirt trails lead to a pond and add to the nature and wildlife viewing experience. alltrails.com/trail/us/california/ clover-creek-preserve.
The Great Shasta Rail Trail; Burney. 40 miles of open trail sections on this planned 80-mile trail linking Burney and McCloud. Red cinder trail compacted in the cen-
ter but be careful of loose sides. A more advanced family adventure; prepare for wilderness conditions with extra food and water. Map and Info: greatshastarailtrail. org. (530)925-6362.
Hornbeck trailhead; Redding. Off Quartz Hill Road, this is a relatively smooth trail with a few short climbs and descents. Follow the green arrows for a six-mile beginner mountain bike route, or simply go out and come back when you are ready. How many smiley faces painted on rocks can you find? Did you find the geocache? This area was largely spared by the 2018 Carr Fire.
Sacramento River Trail; Redding. 12 miles of paved, mostly flat trail with some rolling hills. Access a section of the trail near the Middle Creek Trail intersection and find river views, picnic spots, a Peace Labyrinth of painted rocks (have fun adding to it!), and playground stops including Amethyst Park, Jump River, and Caldwell Junior Bike Park. Map and Info: traillink.com/trail/sac- ramento-river-trail/.
Swasey Flatlands; Redding. Just west
of Redding off Swasey Drive is a network of mountain bike, hiking, and equestri-
an trails on BLM land. Park at the first parking lot and take the ditch trail (Mule TH Connect) out of the southwest end of the parking lot. Stop at the creek crossing and look for frogs and count how many different wildflowers you can see. On
your way back, consider trying the short Learner Flow Trail back to the parking lot.
If your family is looking for a longer ride, simply follow the green arrows out of the first parking lot on the Mule TH Connect trail. The route is six miles of relatively flat dirt trails.
Northeast Crossing Trail; Redding. This is one of Redding’s newest trails. Although short, it has many options for linking to other trails or simply riding through the neighborhood. Start from Highland Park
at 555 Mill Valley Parkway. Ride along
quiet Mill Valley Parkway north to the trail head. Enter the paved trail that mean-
ders through native oak woodlands and
a bridge that crosses Boulder Creek. The trail is mostly flat and then starts a short climb to connect to the paved path along Highway 299 that ends at College View Drive. The route is about three miles round trip. This area also connects to the Sacra- mento River Trail by riding south from the park on Mission De Oro to Hilltop Drive and Browning Street. Head west and cross
Hilltop Drive. Continue west and then go south behind retail stores and locate the View Trail off to the right which connects to the Sacramento River Trail for more riding, playground stops, and Turtle Bay Exploration Park.
SISKIYOU COUNTY
Gateway Trail Loop; Mt. Shasta. 10.6-mile single track loop trail for intermediate level mountain bikers. A popular, mostly wooded cross-country ride. Be ready for a combination of smooth berms and a little more technical rocky area. Map: mtbproj- ect.com/trail/7013462/gateway-trail-loop. Greenhorn Park; Yreka. A variety of trail types that allow bikes; lake access, a play- ground, and viewing old mining artifacts. Map: cyclesiskiyou.com/greenhorn-park- trails/. (530)598-8887.
Lake Siskiyou Trail; Mt. Shasta. Park at one of the trail head lots off WA Barr Road (before going over the dam) and explore some of the trail around the lake. Check out the Wagon Creek Pedestrian Bridge at the northwest arm of the lake and take a family photo with a stunning view of Mt. Shasta in the background. The dirt trail around the lake is seven miles and relatively easy.
OTHER AREAS
Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail; Susanville. 25.4 miles of gravel and dirt trail following the old Fenley and Lassen Branch Line of the Southern Pacific rail- road. Best with mountain bikes, possible to pull children in a tagalong or bike trailer, just more challenging. Use trailheads including Susanville, Hobo Camp, and Devils Corral to enjoy sections of the trail. Map and Info: blm.gov/visit/bizz-johnson. (530)257-0456.
Trinity Trail Alliance; Trinity County. Multi-use easy to intermediate trails. The Weaver Basin Trail System in Weaverville has 50 miles of multi-use trails. The 4-mile Trinity Lakeshore Trail at Trinity Lake winds through shaded forest. The Ewing Reser- voir Trail System in Hayfork is a 2.5-mile loop following the reservoir shoreline. Maps and Info: trinitytrailalliance.com/ trails.html.
ANNUAL BIKING EVENTS
MULTIPLE COUNTIES
The Bigfoot Mountain Bike Challenge
will inspire families to get out and ex- perience the joy of riding on dirt trails, enjoying nature, and visiting places they may not explore outside of a challenge. Participants have from April 1-May 31 to complete at least three rides, submit their passport, and collect a pair of socks for their efforts. Jr. Challenge participants will earn a sticker and a water bottle, and one lucky rider will be chosen to win a brand- new Cleary bike! Download a passport at bigfootmtbchallenge.com. (530)638-5098.
BUTTE COUNTY
Chico Bicycle Music Festival. Annually in July. Fun for all ages, this nonprofit event promoting bicycling features a bike-pow- ered music stage, community rides and much more. facebook.com/ChicoBicycleM- usicFestival/. (530)891-6424.
Tour ‘De Chocolate; Paradise. Annually in May. Three routes to choose from (8, 15 & 25 mi.). All include chocolate treats & raise funds for youth organizations. chocolatef- est.us/events/tour. (530)342-4896. Wildflower Century Ride; Chico. Annually in April. Regularly listed in Bicycling Maga- zine as a Top Ten Century. Offers 12, 30, 60, 65, 100 & 125 mi. tracks. wildflowercentury. org. (530)343-8356.
SHASTA COUNTY
Shasta Bike Month & Challenge. Mark your calendars for May and sign up with your family or coworkers to form a team and ride for fun, transportation and prizes! shastabikechallenge.org. (530)225-5351.
SISKIYOU COUNTY
Castle Crags Century Ride; Mt. Shasta. Annually in June. This “altitude adjustment” ride through the beautiful Mt. Shasta area is hosted by the Mt. Shasta Rotary Club. Offers five ride options that follow 1 or 2 loops that end in the Mt. Shasta City Park. castlecragscentury@gmail.com. facebook. com/CastleCragsCentury/.
Humbug Hurry Up; Yreka. Annually in June. Features mountain biking racing that’s fun for all ages, including a kids race. jeffersonmountainbike.com.
Siskiyou Scenic Bicycle Tour. Takes place each May. All bikes welcome, including electric bikes. Fee; must register. bikereg. com/56143.
The Art of Survival Century; Tulelake. Annually in May. Choose routes of Century, Metric Century, 45 mi, 16 mi family-friendly or a 20 mi mountain bike route through beautiful parts of Siskiyou & Modoc Coun- ties. survivalcentury.com.
YMCA Mountain Bike Racing Series; Yreka. Annually in June. This competitive
& challenging three-part series of evening races takes place in Upper Greenhorn Park. Beginner to expert levels riding distances ranging from 5-15mi. siskiyouymca.org/ annual-ymca-events. (530)842-9622.
CLUBS & COALITIONS
MULTIPLE COUNTIES
California Bicycle Coalition. CalBike advocates for equitable, inclusive, and prosperous communities where bicycling helps to enable all Californians to lead healthy and joyful lives. calbike.org.
74 North State Parent Family Resource Guide Spring/Summer 2023 • www.northstateparent.com