Raising the gates

As of Monday (June 8), park rangers will open gates in Lower Bidwell Park and Five-Mile Recreation Area to vehicle traffic seven days a week, after nearly two years of being closed Monday through Thursday.

The change comes on the heels of the Chico City Council meeting on June 2, during which members of the council and the public expressed frustration with confronting locked gates in the park. Vehicle access has been blocked at several gates since the city’s budget and staff were drastically reduced in July 2013.

Now, the gates at Cedar Grove, South Five-Mile and North One-Mile open at 7:30 a.m., while entrances at Cedar Grove Way and Peterson Memorial Drive will open at 11 a.m., according to a city of Chico press release. The gate at Horseshoe Lake in Upper Park will remain open only on Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, call the Park Division at 896-7800.