Annie’s Glen: This section of the park is on the south side of Big Chico Creek between the Pine St. and Camellia Way bridges. It became separated from the rest of Lower Park when the Pine St. bridge was built. In 2009, a bicycle and pedestrian underpass was completed that re-connects Annie’s Glen to Bidwell Park. At the same time, a bike/pedestrian bridge was built over the creek from Annie’s Glen to provide a safe crossing route to nearby schools, avoiding a major vehicle intersection.

Cedar Grove: The 2008 Cedar Grove Area Concept Plan

The 2008 Bidwell Park Master Management Plan Update included Appendix G: The Cedar Grove Area Concept Plan. The proposed concept plan for the Cedar Grove area included the rehabilitation, enhancement, and renovation of existing facilities at the site. Improvements would be made to parking, circulation, signage, lighting, and facilities, such as restrooms. The purpose of the improvements is to provide enhanced infrastructure for the area to accommodate the existing events and functions taking place in the Cedar Grove Area, such as the annual Endangered Species Fair, Shakespeare in the Park event. It would also support use of the area by individuals for picnics, hiking/ walking, nature exploration along the World of Trees Nature trail, and visiting the Big Chico Creek Nature Center. The Cedar Grove Area Concept Plan separates the overall area into two distinct use areas: the group picnic/festival meadow area and the nature center area. Although separate vehicle access points are provided, pedestrian pathways connect the two areas and a proposed overflow parking area could serve either area during high visitation events.

Specific improvements proposed in each of the two areas include the following:

In the Nature Center area:

► Paving and delineation of the existing parking lot to maximize parking efficiency with 38 standard and 2 ADA parking spaces;

► Accommodation of school bus and emergency vehicle access and required turning radius;

► Planting of additional trees in/near parking area to provide shade and soften the appearance of delineated parking;

► Establishment of trail and sidewalk connections to enable access to other areas of the Park;

► Use of low barrier fencing in high use areas to direct pedestrian traffic and discourage off-trail use; and

► Establishment of an entry plaza to the Park, including an information kiosk and benches.

In the group picnic area:

► Improved access from Cedar Way;

► Paving and delineation of the existing parking lot to maximize parking efficiency with 45 standard and 4 ADA parking spaces;

► Planting of additional trees in/near parking area to provide shade and soften the appearance of delineated parking;

► Installation of electricity to provide lighting along trails during community events;

► Improvement of restrooms;

► Installation of a small playground/play structure in the group picnic area;

► Establishment of a “meadow trail” around the festival meadow;

► Use of low barrier fencing in high use areas to direct pedestrian traffic and discourage off-trail use;

► Establishment/formalization of an unpaved overflow parking area providing 48 standard spaces that would be used during major events only; and

► Establishment of an entry plaza to the group picnic area, including and informational kiosk, and benches.

Since the BPMMP Update and Cedar Grove Concept Plan was approved nothing has been done to fulfill the concept plan.

Horseshoe Lake Master Plan: A comprehensive master plan for the Horseshoe Lake and former Rifle Range area has been proposed. It would address parking, restroom and trail access to Upper Park. No funding source has been identified.

Light Pollution at Observatory: The unshielded parking lot lights at Wildwood Park obscured the view from the Observatory. FOBP requested that the city correct this problem, which was done. FOBP has also asked the Park Commission to consider initiating a discussion of adoption of a Night Sky Ordinance for Chico, but they declined to do so.

Lost Park: The area along Big Chico Creek between the Memorial Way bridge and the Esplanade is part of Bidwell Park, but encroachments and zero lot line coverage by adjacent property owners have made much of it unusable as park land. FOBP adopted Lost Park in 2013, see our Lost Park page for a map and more details.

Memorial Benches: Park benches have become a popular way to honor the memory of a loved one who enjoyed visiting Bidwell Park. The donor can propose a specific site, but it’s up to the Park Division and Park Commission to decide whether the location is appropriate. Generally, benches are less likely to be approved in Upper Park, where, according to the current Master Plan, the wilderness aspect is supposed to prevail. At some point, there won’t be any more places to add benches so the Park Commission may want to start considering offering other options to potential donors. There is currently a 3-per-year limit on new Lower Park bench donations.

Middle Park: The area between Manzanita Ave and the start of the Upper Park gravel road is sometimes called Middle Park, but other times it is included in Upper Park. Although Chico’s General Plan defines Upper Park as a Resource Conservation Area, which limits its use to passive recreation, the golf course, Rod & Gun Club, Horse Arena, fishing pier and observatory (all active uses) are in this part of the park.

Observatory Outdoor Seating Area & Roadway Realignment: The Kiwanas Club, who built and operate the observatory, want to build a outdoor seating area next to the observatory. They recently added concrete spotting pads and realigned the road into the parking area to reduce glare. A Mitigated Negative Declaration level of environmental review has been approved and the Kiwanas are raising money for the seating area.

One Mile Recreation Area: A new computerized lighting and irrigation system was completed in 2005. The lights are similar to those at Wildwood Park. The new system will reduce the city’s water usage and maintenance staff time.

Rod and Gun Club:

The Rod and Gun Club has been an interesting facility in Bidwell Park. Up until the early 2000s the Club’s facilities included Horseshoe Lake, an outdoor rifle range and skeet shoot facility (where the parking lot is now and the open area to the north and east of the Lake), and the indoor gun range. In the 1980s conflicts between shooters and park users forced the Park Commission to closed down the outdoor rifle range and skeet shooting area. Hikers complained of bullets whizzing by their heads while they hiked on the hill behind the ranges.

The Rod and Gun Club abandoned the range and skeet facility and left it to rot. Their contract required them to revert the area back to the way it was before the range improvements were made; however, they refused to do anything or contribute in the clean up of the area because “the City closed down the range” so they felt they didn’t have to live up to their contract. The Park Commission for some reason agreed and continued to extend their five year contracts without requiring them to clean up the range.

Finally the Park Department decided that they wanted to range improvements removed and when they had the soil tested due to the likelihood of lead contamination it turned out to be highly contaminated. In addition to lead contamination the broken pieces of skeets were also determined to be hazardous. The City ended up spending almost $1.5 million to clean up the Rod and Gun Club’s environmental contamination in the Park without the Club contributing a cent. To reduce costs the contaminated materials were scooped up and buried under what is now Parking Lot E.

Since then the Club’s lease has been repeatedly renewed. They currently are requesting that the Park Department allow them to close off the parking lot (Lot D) to public use and allow only Club use. In addition, they want to use a portion of the Horseshoe Lake area for a archery range and exclusive Club use.

Sycamore Pool Replacement Dam: The Park Division is planning to use $240,000 of Proposition 40 funds and a possible Prop 40 grant of $260,000 to replace the current board dam with an inflatable dam. It will be safer and less time-consuming for park maintenance workers during their weekly cleaning of Sycamore Pool.