Bidwell Park

Bidwell Park was established based on a contribution from General John and his wife Annie Bidwell. They were founders of Chico, California, thus the park was also named after them. The park is 3,618 acres of land in Big Chico Creek Canyon. It also extends up five miles into the foothills.

Originally Annie Bidwell deeded 2,238 acres to the park in 1905. She also gave land for the Children's Park in downtown. Eventually, in 1995 the rest of the acreage was given to the park. At Bidwell Park there is Big Chico Creek, Bidwell Golf Course, and Sycamore Pool. It is a community location for both residents and visitors to the area.

The park is taken care of by the city government and is broken into two sections: upper and lower. Upper Park is undeveloped canyon land and due to the sensitivity of the ecosystem there are certain rules one must follow to visit this area such as staying on the paths. Lower Park is mostly picnic areas and play grounds.

Bidwell Park was used in the movie Adventures of Robin Hood, with Errol Flynn. The oaks and sycamores made the park perfect in 1938 for filming Sherwood Forest.