Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park
Also known as Bidwell-Sacramento River SP
- Status
- Open (per official listing)
- Entrance fee
- $6 per dayAnnual pass available
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Statewide rule — see below
- Camping
- Yes
- Official site
- parks.ca.gov(530) 342-5185
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
Covering about 292 acres, Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park lies in Butte County, about 7 miles southwest of Chico.
Things to do include boating, swimming, fishing, wildlife watching, and geocaching. On the water side, there is a swimming beach and a boat ramp.
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| The park’s wording doesn’t give clock times — see the official wording below. | |||
Official wording
Seasons/Climate Recommended Clothing: Summer and spring are warm; fall and winter can be cool. Layered clothing is advised.
Indian Fishery Day Use Area: Indian Fishery is an oxbow lake surrounded by a beautiful oak woodland. This is a wonderful area to picnic, bird watch, fish, hike or simply enjoy the wildlife that abounds in the ox bow lake. It is common to observe river otters darting through the water, turtles basking on a fallen tree or herons stalking a meal. Visit Indian Fishery and enjoy the grandeur of massive oaks and the rapidly disappearing river habitat.
Big Chico Creek Day Use Area: This area of the park is characterized by lush river habitat that opens up to a large gravel bar that fronts the Sacramento River. Here park visitors fish, swim, jet-ski, water-ski and sun bathe. This is also the location where many river rafts and tubes exit the river.
Pine Creek Day Use Area: Pine Creek is a popular location for fishing, canoeing, kayaking, picnicking and bird and wildlife watching. Those entering Pine Creek with a canoe or kayak can get a close look at some of the last vestiges of riparian habitat.
Irvine Finch River Access: This five acre parking lot and launch ramp affords the park visitor an easy way to access the Sacramento River for boating, canoeing or floating down the river on inner tubes.
Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/Los Angeles).
Fees and passes
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Day Use | $6 |
Official wording
Special rates may apply for peak season, high demand holiday periods, and during weekends. Prices are subject to change without notice. • Vehicle Day Use: $6.00
California park passes
- California Explorer Annual Pass — $195. Vehicle day-use entry to 134 state parks incl. high-demand Southern California beaches Details
- Golden Poppy Annual Pass — $125. Vehicle day-use entry to 112 state parks Details
- Historian Passport — $50. Admission for up to four people at per-person-fee State Historic Parks Details
- Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Annual Pass — $50. Entry to State Vehicular Recreation Areas that collect day-use fees Details
- SNO-Park Pass — $40 season / $15 day. 18 SNO-PARK winter recreation areas Details
From the California state guide. Confirm which passes this park accepts.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- ReserveCalifornia
- Phone
- (800) 444-7275
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Pets
See the park’s wording
Are dogs allowed?
Service animals are generally permitted where pets are not. Check with the park for specific areas.
Camping
Overnight facilities: En route Campsites
From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Things to do
BoatingPicnickingFishingSwimmingWildlife viewing and birdingGeocachingHikingBiking
Amenities
Facilities
- Restrooms
- Drinking water
- Picnic areas
- Nature center or museum
- Parking
Water
- Swimming beach
- Boat ramp
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Accessibility
Overview
Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park includes four small day use areas along rivers or creeks. All are in the area of the intersection of Highway 32 and River Road between Chico and Orland. Phone (530) 342-5185 for more information.
Picnic Area
Accessible picnicking is available at the Pine Creek Boat Launch. Parking, designed to accommodate vehicles pulling a trailer, is accessible. Routes and vault restroom are accessible.
Trails
The Indian Fishery Nature Trail is a marsh trail on compacted native soil that leads to a fishing area. It is accessible for 0.50 mile. Signed trailhead and parking are located off River Road.
Official accessibility information
Conditions change. Contact the park to confirm specific accessible features before your visit.
Getting there
- Address
- 12105 River Road
Chico, CA 95926 - Nearest town
- Chico — about 7 mi southwest (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 39.7179, -121.9459
- Phone
- (530) 342-5185
Entrances
- Directions point
Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)
Directions from the park
From Chico, take West Sacramento Ave. 5 miles until it intersects with River Road. Big Chico Creek is to the left, Indian Fishery straight ahead and Pine Creek is to the right. Irvine Finch River Access is located just west of the Hwy. 32 Sacramento River Bridge. From I-5 take the Highway 32 exit at Orland. Irvine Finch River Access is just East of Hamilton City. To access the rest of the park proceed East on Highway 32 and turn right on River Road.
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- California State Parks — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- California State Parks Listing page (one link per unit, page_id = officialId), unioned with the CSP Enterprise GIS 'ParkEntryPoints' ArcGIS layer (coords, address, county, unit number, management status) and the 'CSPParkUnit_CurrentStatus' layer (open/partial/full closure)
- Wikidata
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology