A mag­i­cal place to ven­ture at any time of year, dur­ing the win­ter, the foliage and scenery change make the beloved Upper Bid­well Park  an even more spe­cial place. Low­er Bid­well Park fea­tures a com­bi­na­tion of beau­ti­ful native foliage and his­tor­i­cal orna­men­tal plant­i­ngs that absolute­ly shine in the fall sea­son. There are miles of paved and unpaved trails in Low­er Bid­well Park that can be home to your autumn walk or bike ride. The Big Chico Creek Eco­log­i­cal Reserve (BCCER) in For­est Ranch pro­tects hun­dreds of plants and many of them put on quite a fall show. 

The break-tak­ing hike to Phan­tom Falls is an easy 6.6 mile loop offer­ing views of five water­falls, which begin to flow just after the first big rain in mid-Novem­ber. For those inter­est­ed in a more chal­leng­ing hike, the Many Water­falls Loop offers a chal­leng­ing day hike. At 11.3 miles, the hike fea­tures at least 9 water­falls and up to 14 if you go a few days after a major rain­fall. You'll also be treat­ed to a view of Beat­son Hol­low, a spot where Bald Eagles have been spotted.

There are sev­er­al col­or­ful hik­ing options in the Bureau of Land Management's Forks of Butte Creek Recre­ation Area. You'll see lush patch­es of big-leaf maple and Indi­an rhubarb dur­ing the fall sea­son. The moderate Indi­an Springs trail brings you deep into Butte Creek canyon, but not before treat­ing you to a dense canopy of col­or­ful foliage.

The walk along Par­adise Lake is easy and relax­ing; notice the yel­low and caramel leaves of the black oak trees as you stroll along. The Gray Lodge Wildlife Area in Gri­d­ley fea­tures an easy 2.4 mile strollwith splash­es of col­or and glimpses of migra­to­ry birds and mam­mals. This area becomes heav­i­ly pop­u­lat­ed with birds as ear­ly as mid-Octo­ber and ends with the North­ern migra­tion that hap­pens around ear­ly spring. When the birds begin to migrate, the nice leisure­ly stroll around Gray Lodge becomes a place where you can admire over 300 species of migra­to­ry ani­mals, such as snow geese, pel­i­cans, ducks, and cranes.