Jon Stallman and friends have been flying at Bidwell Park for more than ten years.  On June 2, 2009, after a year and a half of seemingly endless hearings, studies and reports, the City of Chico officially sanctioned paragliding at Bidwell Park.  We owe a big thanks to Jon, for his tireless efforts working with the City and Parks Department, as well as to the Foundation for Free Flight and a number of generous free-flight pilots who donated additional funds and support.

Paragliding at Bidwell Park has been sanctioned for a one-year trial period.  At the end of the first year, Jon must present a report to the City Council.  If we don't screw up, and if the City likes us, then we will get an indefinite permit, conditioned upon further annual reports and our good behavior.  Please carefully read and follow all the rules, below, so that we can keep flying at Bidwell Park long into the future.

About Bidwell Park

Bidwell Park is often referred to as the "Jewel of Chico."  It is, perhaps, the greatest legacy that Chico's founders (General John and Annie Bidwell) left to the community.  The second largest municipal park in the country (after Central Park in New York), Bidwell has 3,750 acres of land along the banks of Big Chico Creek.  The creek rushes down from the Sierra Nevada, before it runs through several miles of Bidwell Park.  The park contains an 18-hole golf course, baseball fields, swimming holes and a children’s playground, as well as roads and trails for jogging, hiking, bicycling and horseback riding.  The park stretches nearly eleven miles, beginning at Bidwell Mansion in downtown Chico and ending five miles into the foothills of Upper Park.

Map Showing Bidwell Park's Launches and Landing Zones 

Local Contact

Jon Stallman is the site administrator.  Contact Jon (cell phone: 530.864.5110 or home phone: 530.809.1081) to arrange a site intro prior to flying.  Because this is a newly-opened site, everything we do will be scrutinized.  We must go out of our way to make a positive impression -- follow all the rules and regulations and be respectful of the park's natural resources as well as the general public.

Requirements

• You must have an official site intro before flying at Bidwell Park.  Contact Jon ahead of time and, if he is not available, he will arrange a site intro with another qualified pilot.
• You must obtain a permit from the Chico City and Parks Department, during regular business hours.  Jon can give you directions to the office.  You will have to sign a USHPA waiver and show your current USHPA card as well as a drivers license or photo ID.  The permit is good for one year and you must keep it with you while flying in the park.
• You must contact the Chico Municipal Airport tower between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM to open a soaring window in the Class D airspace.  They prefer that you contact them via cell phone (530.345.8828), but you can also contact them via an air-band radio (121.00).  Two-meter radios will not broadcast in this range, however, Jon has an air-band radio.  There must be communication with the tower before anyone leaves the ground.  Notify the tower, on the tower control frequency, and inform them in as few words as possible:  "Tower.  Paragliders departing from Bidwell Park.  Tower.  Confirm."  Wait for a response from the tower to confirm the departure or restrictions.

Hiking to Launch (Note:  This is a walk-up site.  You should be in good physical condition, especially during hot, summer days.)

Access to the lower launch (#1 or Monkey's Launch):  Park your car at the Bear Hole LZ.  It is .67 miles (as the crow flies) between the launch and the LZ and about 800' vertical. The trail has several switchbacks in the middle and one steep climb at the end.  Walk across the trail on the open, relatively flat field, for 100 yards.  Head up the main trail, which has a moderate grade for another 50 yards.  Turn on another trail with a steep section for 50 feet.  Walk across a small, nearly flat plateau for about 100 yards.  The steepest climb starts at about 100 yards from the top and then there's a short walk through the grass to the launch.

Access to the middle launch (#2 or Julian's):  This hike is shorter, less steep and not as high as Launch #1.  The trail leaves the parking lot and meanders through an oak woodland.  It starts to climb the slope of north rim gradually.  At the end, there is a small steep section to the top.  It takes about 15 - 20 minutes, at a brisk pace, to hike to the top.

Access to the upper launch (#3 or Rattle Snake):  From the Bear Hole parking lot, take the trail heading toward the ridge, across the open field.  There are three sets of trails that parallel the rim, located on the slopes of north rim lower trail, the middle trail and the upper trail.  Take the lower trail up the canyon, until you reach a sign post labeled "Live Oak Trail."  Take Live Oak trail up thermal hill, until a steep trail turns to the right.  Climb to the top of thermal hill, cross the top on a relatively flat field and begin the final climb to the top of the rim.  The last climb is steep and rocky and rattlesnakes are frequently seen in this stretch.  Upon cresting the rim on the Live Oak Trail, turn to the right, into an open field after the small oak trees. This is the layout area and the initial launch for kiting over the edge of the rim to the main launch.

Call the Chico Municipal Airport's automated weather service (530.879.3850).  The ideal wind conditions are, on average, are from 130° - 170° at around 10 mph, with no gusts.  The site will often work with 180° - 190° winds, but the turbulence on the ridge in these conditions is dangerous.

• Monkey Launch:  No more than 15 mph.  At 18 mph, the lift band flattens.  At less than 12 mph, it will be difficult to make it to the primary LZ.
• Julian's Launch:  This is a cliff launch and is about 300' lower than the Rattle Snake launch, so you will need to bench up to get high.  It has an open area, with no rocks, and a house thermal right at launch.  Look for 170° at 10 mph, on the airport phone, and 160° at 15 mph on top.
• Rattle Snake Launch:  Look for 130° - 170°, from 9 -16 mph.  12 mph is perfect.  16 mph is pushing the limits, with the steep gradient.

Weather.com is the most accurate basic weather site for this area.  If the weather forecast predicts that the wind will be south from 5-12 mph, then the winds will actually be southeast from 5-18 mph.  Below 200', strong winds blow through the canyon from the west. When parking at Bear Hole, the wind may appear that it's coming from the west, but upon cresting thermal hill, and higher, the wind will be southeast.  Avoid the south-wind rotors on the opposite rim wall.

In the summer, there is usually an inversion between 3,000' - 5000'.  Mid-day thermals can be like bullets shooting out of the LZ, especially on low inversion days.

Always be aware of the wind speed and direction and don't push the envelope.  There can be a strong rotor if the wind is too far from the east.

• For ridge lift:  Look for 130° - 170° at 9 mph (reported from the airport phone).
• For ridge lift with thermals:  Look for a good skew T lapse rate, with south winds from 130° - 170° from 4-9 mph.
• For convergence with ridge lift:  Later in the evenings, the sun shines on the west slopes of north rim, while the prevailing wind is from the south.  If you get up with ridge lift and then then manage to drift back on the rim, you can enter the convergence zone between the heated lee of the rim and the prevailing ridge lift.  In these conditions, you can gain from 1,000' - 3,000' of altitude.
• For a glass-off:  In the summer, the daytime heating transitions to glass-off conditions at around 6:00 pm.  Even if the winds are 20-30 mph on launch, the delta breezes and central valley winds decrease and the latent heat lifts off until dark, making for magical, smooth flights.

Flying at Bidwell Park

Flying in the park offers beautiful views and great soaring opportunities.  There are two rims:  the North Rim and the South Rim.  The best flying is usually along the North Rim.  The South Rim can also be good, but it is currently closed, due to legal issues with a Disc Golf course.  The flying is best with a south wind (5 - 15 mph), typically from March through October.

There are many unique features of the park that make it soarable.  There is a long ridge that faces south, offering ridge soaring in the prevailing wind.  The wind comes from the flat Sacramento Valley, and has an oragraphic lift off the North Rim.  There can also be fantastic glass-offs in the evenings that can last for hours (generally from 7:00 - 9:00 PM) in the summer.  In the valley, below the ridge, there are some terrain features that can act as good thermal triggers.  Pilots have experienced multi-hour flights, with thermal climbs to 3000' over launch.  There can also be a convergence when there's a low sun angle in the evening that heats the valley on the back side of the ridge.  With a light prevailing south wind (ridge soarable) and the heated backside a convergence of the heated air on the western slope, the prevailing south wind creates a smooth convergence that can send you to thousands of feet over the ridge.

There are several cross country routes to the north, but they have their limitations.  If you want to explore cross country routes, you should be prepared for a long hike out after landing.  Your retrieve driver can meet you along Richardson Springs Road and Cohassit Road, followed by Ponderosa Way, which links Chico to Lassen Park.

When the flying is good, there can be as many as 50 turkey vultures in the air, mapping the thermals.  Watch the birds -- by observing their flight, you can see how strong the wind is or if there is turbulence.

Other Considerations

• Avoid the power lines.  They roughly mark the Class D air space.  If you go cross country, stay to the east and you will be clear of Class D airspace.  You will need to be at least 1000’ over launch to cross the high-tension power lines to Horseshoe Lake.  We do NOT encourage crossing the power lines, as they have with large spans between the towers and are hard to spot from the air.
• Always be aware of horses and give them lots of space.  Do not kite your glider around them and avoid landing near them.
• It can be very hot during the summer, so bring plenty of water for the hike to launch.
• Carry a first aid kit with you and know how to treat rattlesnake bites.
• Pull out Star Thistle while para-waiting at launch and in the LZ.

Please Note

We must be conscientious about protecting wildlife, plants and soil in the park if we want to continue to fly at Bidwell.

Do not disturb the Peregrine falcon that is nesting at the south rim cliff wall at the east end.  You should avoid this area and, if you fly there, you should be at least 500' above the rim.  The nesting season is from February to June.  During this time, the east end of the south rim is completely off limits. Do not go below the rim of the cliff on the east end of the south side (the disc golf course area). From June to February, you can expplore this area without disturbing the nesting falcon. For additional information, or specific GPS points, please contact Jon Stallman.

Local Attractions

Chico is home to the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.  The brewery is open to the public for self-guided tours and shopping at the gift store from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily. You can see the brewing process for yourself, then try the award-winning ales and lagers in the Taproom & Restaurant (closed Mondays).  Guided tours are complimentary and available daily.

Chico is also home to California State University, Chico.  Well known as a fun college town, Chico’s culture has become a hotspot for many events.  There are live performances on both indoor and outdoor stages.  In the summer, Thursday night market transforms downtown into a carnival-like atmosphere.  The Chico Outlaws, a minor-league baseball team, entertains during the summer nights.  The nightlife keeps the streets alive well into the morning.

Map of Bidwell Park

Lodging in Chico

Short Flying Videos Made At Bidwell Park

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1h3ak_jvn8
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w9AYojNXVs  
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fa7SoijAjI

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Contact:  kim"at"flyzephyr"dot"com    USHPA Advanced Paragliding Instructor & Observer    510.748.0451   KG6KIM

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