\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The next time you find yourself looking for an outdoorsy Northern California getaway, set your sights on the welcoming hamlet of Thermalito, a census-designated place with a population of around 6,600<\/a>,\u00a0adjacent to the city of Oroville. This friendly community, nestled in the shadow of the majestic Sierra Nevada mountains, offers abundant outdoor recreation alongside a\u00a0small-town vibe, with one resident noting<\/a> the “great atmosphere” and “generous” people. If your idea of a fun vacation involves hitting the trails, the beach, the lake, or all of the above, you’re in the right place. Thermalito’s Forebay and Afterbay both offer sandy beaches and lake access, while nearby Riverbend Park is a scenic nature area with miles of trails to explore.<\/p>\n The concept of a California road trip holds a mythical place in popular culture. If you’ve ever dreamed of making an iconic and cinematic California journey of your own, Thermalito is well-positioned for one. It’s\u00a0around an hour’s drive north of Sacramento and less than two hours south of Redding. This part of Northern California offers no shortage of prime views, and if you’re feeling inspired, you can soundtrack the drive with these one-hit wonders from the ’70s that belong on every road trip playlist<\/a>. If you’re flying in, the closest major airport is\u00a0Sacramento International Airport\u00a0(SMF), about an hour from Thermalito.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Enjoy lake and beach fun in Thermalito<\/p>\n They may not be among the beaches with the clearest water in America<\/a> (that’d be in Hawaii), but Thermalito’s two reservoirs are nothing to sneeze at. At the Forebay, which encompasses two sections \u2014 the North Forebay and South Forebay \u2014 you can fish, kayak, paddleboard, swim, or sail, among other outdoor activities.\u00a0Local realtor Brian Voigt also\u00a0notes<\/a>\u00a0that the Forebay hosts events year-round, including the\u00a0Fourth of July fireworks<\/a>, which you can\u00a0watch from the lake or on the beach<\/a>. Notably, the North Forebay features a sandy beach with 200 yards of swimming access, and motorized vessels are prohibited there, making it ideal for a dip, a turn in a sailboat, or a paddling outing.\u00a0Don’t have your own watercraft?\u00a0You can rent one for the day at the nearby Forebay Aquatic Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n The larger of the two reservoirs, Afterbay, spans 4,300 acres and is a popular spot for various activities,\u00a0including jet skiing, wakeboarding, paddling, fishing, water skiing, and more. As Explore Butte County<\/a> explains, while motorized boats and water sports are permitted during the day, “no-wake speed lim\u00adits before and after sun\u00adset allow for peace\u00adful pad\u00addling, swim\u00adming and fishing,” meaning that a more serene experience at the Afterbay is also possible. To take a vessel out on the water here, launch it at the two-lane Monument Hill Boat Ramp\/Day Use Area<\/a>\u00a0on the eastern side\u00a0of the Afterbay. The site\u00a0also includes\u00a0a recreation area and a swimming beach tucked along the reservoir’s\u00a017-mile shoreline. Before you soak up the sun, though, be sure you know about the\u00a0type of sunscreen you should be wearing on every beach day<\/a>.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Explore Thermalito’s river trails<\/p>\n If you’re more of a landlubber, don’t miss the opportunity to spend time at Riverbend Park<\/a>, a 210-acre park with pavilions, sports fields, disc golf, another boat launch, and a network of paved trails running through it for walkers, cyclists, and hikers alike to traverse. One visitor even\u00a0called it<\/a>\u00a0one of the “best (prettiest, well planned) river access public parks I’ve seen along the Pacific coast states.” If you’re on two wheels, one fun trail option is the Feather River Bike Trail<\/a>, a\u00a03.6-mile out-and-back route with\u00a0multiple access points.\u00a0The trail runs\u00a0upstream along the \u2014 you’ve guessed it \u2014 Feather River,\u00a0offering scenic views of the river, the Table Mountain Bridge, and a panoramic vista over Oroville. If you’d rather walk or run the trail with Fido’s company, that’s also an option: Dogs are permitted on the Feather River Bike Trail as long as they’re leashed, with one park-goer noting that<\/a> Riverbend Park is a “great park to walk your dog along the river.”<\/p>\n For a shorter route that still provides a workout, there’s the Riverbend Park Half-Mile Fitness Trail<\/a>. As its name suggests, this path connects\u00a0six outdoor fitness stations installed through a\u00a0partnership with CalFresh Healthy Living. Visitors also\u00a0praise<\/a> the park for its clean trails and\u00a0kid-friendly atmosphere. If you’re still craving more waterfront paths to wander after your visit to Thermalito, continue your Northern California travels to Rancho Cordova, Sacramento’s vibrant suburb with river views and trails<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The next time you find yourself looking for an outdoorsy Northern California…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":382095,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[121,123,122],"class_list":["post-382094","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sacramento","tag-sacramento","tag-sacramento-headlines","tag-sacramento-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382094","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=382094"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382094\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/382095"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=382094"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=382094"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=382094"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}