View of One Mile Recreation Area One Mile Recreation Area is a portion of Lower Bidwell Park. There is parking located just off Vallombrosa Avenue (on Vallombrosa Way), but it is easily accessible by bike or foot. There are picnic tables, walking trails and Sycamore Pool, allowing for many recreational opportunities. The extent of One Mile is from Pine Street to Highway 99, although the walking/biking trails extend beyond the highway.
This is an especially popular spot on hot summer days. This is likely due to the fact that there is a lot of open grass for sunbathing or picnicking, it is centrally located in Chico, and it has easy access to nice cool water. All year round, however, people can be found enjoying the facilities and having general outdoor fun.
Because this is a part of Bidwell Park, all of the usual park rules apply. This includes both the alcohol and glass bans, so be aware of this if you are planning a picnic or other outing at One Mile.
What is "One Mile" one mile away from anyway? It's not the Bidwell Mansion as popularly believed. The mansion is only a half mile away. It is one mile from the beginning of Bidwell Park, which is where the railroad tracks cross Big Chico Creek. Historically, this is where the park's extent begins. The Park Commission used to exercise its authority over the entire extent, passing many rules and regulations applying to the length of the creek traversing the campus. However, in more recent times, the Commission has abrogated authority over the area to CSU Chico.1
Comments
2008-08-26 16:19:54 I had always heard that it was "One Mile" because it's "one mile away from downtown" and never really understood what that was supposed to mean since it was so vague. I always asked "Where in downtown?" without getting an answer. This makes more sense, although I never knew that the beginning of Bidwell Park was where the tracks cross the creek. I really think I learn something new everyday on this wiki! —StaceyEllis
Footnotes
1. Chico Examiner April 20, 2000
