Activities in Sacramento Valley
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A
Bike Sacramento
Rent bicycles from Bike Sacramento on the waterfront of the American River Parkway, and cycle along the lovely park trails.
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B
Central Pacific Passenger Depot
From the restored depot, on weekends from April to September, you can board a steam-powered passenger train for a 40-minute jaunt along the riverfront.
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Feather Falls
The area surrounding Lake Oroville is full of hiking trails, and a favorite is the 7-mile round-trip walk to 640ft Feather Falls, which takes about four hours.
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Jedediah Smith National Recreation Trail
There's a nice walking/running/bicycling path called the Jedediah Smith National Recreation Trail that's accessible from Old Sacramento at the end of J St. Rent bicycles at the waterfront from Bike Sacramento.
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Tubing Rentals
In summer tubing on the Sacramento River is extremely popular and really fun. Inner tubes can be rented at grocery stores and other shops along Nord Ave (Hwy 32) for around US$6. Tubers enter at the Irvine Finch Launch Ramp on Hwy 32, a few miles west of Chico, and come out at the Washout off River Rd.
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C
Spirit of Sacramento
One of Old Sac's great features is its riverfront setting. The Spirit of Sacramento, an 1842 paddle wheeler, makes one-hour sightseeing tours of the Sacramento River that are well worth the price. There are also cocktail and dinner cruises. The boat leaves several times daily in summer from the L St dock.
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Freeman Bicycle Trail
The Freeman Bicycle Trail is a 41-mile off-road loop that takes cyclists to the top of Oroville Dam, then follows the Feather River back to the Thermalito Forebay and Afterbay storage reservoirs, west of Hwy 70. The ride is mostly flat, but the dam ascent is steep. Get a free map of the ride from the chamber of commerce.
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Forebay Aquatic Center
The Forebay Aquatic Center, just off Hwy 70, rents bikes for around US$7 per hour. They also offer sailing classes, youth programs, summer camps, kayaking classes, moonlight paddle excursions and several other courses. They have a number of canoes, a variety of kayaks and handful of sailboats available for rental, too (a certain level of competency must be demonstrated to rent sailboats).
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D
Bidwell Park
Starting right downtown, 3670-acre Bidwell Park is the nation's third-largest municipal park. It stretches 10 miles northwest along Chico Creek with lush groves and miles of trails. The upper part of the park is a fairly untamed wilderness, surprising to find in the midst of an American city. Several classic movies have been shot here, including The Adventures of Robin Hood and parts of Gone with the Wind.
The park is full of hiking and mountain-biking trails and swimming spots. You'll find pools at One-Mile and Five-Mile recreation areas and swimming holes (including Bear Hole, Salmon Hole and Brown Hole) in Upper Bidwell Park, north of Manzanita Ave; expect some…
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