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Chico State

Burning For Something To Do

The beautiful town of Chico is quite a destination. You could say with all of the trees and sun and blue skies during the summer months, it’s like being on a tropical island! You could say that… but, unlike tropical island getaways, Chico’s missing the sandy beaches and ocean breeze. Instead of waves you can surf, it has massive heat waves to ride out.

Despite this reality, Wildcats have mastered a number of ways to appreciate the summertime sun while beating the heat: from outdoor activities to making the most of community and campus resources.

Stay Cool 

People enjoy the cool waters of Big Chico Creek at One Mile Recreation Area on Friday, June 3, 2016 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/University Photographer)
People enjoy the cool waters of Big Chico Creek at One Mile Recreation Area. (Jason Halley / CSU, Chico)

Nature may bring excessive sunshine, but it also offers some refreshing ways to cool down. Big Chico Creek, running through Lower and Upper Bidwell Park to campus, offers the best water holes around:

  • One Mile Recreation Area
  • Five Mile Recreation Area
  • Bear Hole
  • Salmon Hole
  • Alligator Hole
  • Diversion Dam

Or, a short trip will bring you to the nearby Sacramento River or Butte Creek for a float!

“One of my personal favorites is floating down Butte Creek to Honey Run Bridge, it has some great swimming holes along the way,” says Briannah Brekke (BS, Agricultural Business, ’14).

For the more adventurous, try visiting North Table Mountain Ecological Preserve in Oroville, a 6.4 mile trek to a low-slope waterfall.

Quench Your Thirst

Hand-made ice cream treats from La Flor De Michoacan Paleteria y Neveria (Photo via Facebook)
Hand-made ice cream treats from La Flor De Michoacan Paleteria y Neveria (Photo via Facebook)

Summertime can also be a good time to try some refreshing drinks and treats from local businesses (and use someone else’s air conditioning). Cool down with some of these favorites:

  • Cold-brew iced coffee from downtown cafes like Naked Lounge or Upper Crust
  • Lemonades and iced teas (and a slice of pie!) from Sweet Cottage
  • Fresh juices from Live Life Juice Co.
  • Chico classic Shubert’s Ice Cream & Candy

Senior Rachel Biccum offers up La Flor de Michoacán as her favorite place in town to sample traditional Mexican Ice Cream with a variety of unique flavors.

Get Down(town)

Students enjoy the Thursday Night Market in downtown Chico. (Jason Halley / CSU, Chico)
Students enjoy the Thursday Night Market in downtown Chico. (Jason Halley / CSU, Chico)

If you can’t beat the heat, join it! Summer brings about Chico’s annual Thursday Night Markets and Friday Night Concerts, where you can find music, delicious food, and an abundance of acrobatic yoga-ers. It’s a literal treat to “eat” the benefits of these warm months with the fresh, local fruits and veggies.

You can find summer activities to suit anyone’s taste:

  • Music: Has Beans, Thursdays at 7 p.m. (open mic night)
  • Comedy: The Maltese, Fridays at 9 p.m. (open mic night)
  • Slice of Chico: downtown sidewalk sale with free watermelon, July 8–9, 9 a. m. to 5 p.m.
  • Movies in the Park: McFarland, July 16
  • Summer Sizzler 5K and 10K run, August 7

Keep On Campus

New students attend a pool party during Wildcat Welcome Week. The party was held at the WREC center on the CSU, Chico campus in Chico, Calif. (Christie Landrie/University Student Photographer)
Students attend a pool party at the Wildcat Recreation Center. (Christie Landrie / CSU, Chico)

Sticking closer to home? Exploring what campus has to offer in the summer could be exactly what you’re looking for.

The Wildcat Recreation Center (WREC) is open daily and offers a number of ongoing classes to stay fit and stay cool. Create your own beach getaway by lounging by the WREC pool!

For a sports fix, catch the aptly-named Chico Heat baseball team play in our Nettleton Stadium.

The campus’ summertime “ghost-town” feel offers a chance to explore hidden nooks of our beautiful campus less obvious in the bustle of the semester. The library remains open 7:30 a.m.–7:45 p.m., and with over half of the students gone, you’ll get first crack at the books and computers. Take advantage of our grassy fields to play games of glow-in-the-dark Frisbee or water tag, and pass the time as the temperature climbs!

Whatever your pastime preference may be, the Chico heat will drive you out or drive you in to the best possible places. With great power (of the sun) comes great responsibility (to soak it in in all its glory).