CHICO — With more free time on their hands because of the COVID-19 crisis, Chicoans are heading to their local 3,670-acre park.
Despite the city closing Caper Acres and Children’s Playground until further notice to alleviate the spread of the virus among children, Bidwell Park remains open and has seen a noticeable uptick in use. Whether for hiking, biking, fishing, sports, walking dogs or merely relaxing, residents are using the park more often than ever before.
Longtime Chico resident Nigel Solece headed to Bidwell Park on Sunday with his son Nigel and neighbors for the third time this week.
“I’ve been in Chico 30 years and this is the busiest I’ve seen it,” Solece said. “This many people in the park on a Sunday, you don’t see this.”
At Upper Park, parking lots were filled at near capacity for most of Sunday, which led to Nigel and others briefly struggling to find available spots.
Solece, a Chico State employee on administrative leave, attributed the increased crowds to fewer people working and schools being temporarily closed. He said spending time outdoors gives families an opportunity to take a break from all the discussion surrounding coronavirus.
“It relaxes your mind and you get to talk about things you don’t talk about on a usual basis,” Solece said.
Alongside other families practicing social distancing, 20-year resident Jen Lane and her four-year-old daughter Eden Pruett hiked to the rock formation Monkey Face in Upper Park on Sunday.
“It’s a reminder that there are other activities to do in times of crisis,” Lane said.
The city has posted signs throughout the park encouraging people to wash their hands, maintain at least six feet apart, cover their mouth when sneezing or coughing, not shake hands or congregate in groups and flatten the curve.
“People have (it) in the back of their minds to give extra space,” Lane said.
Leo Morlet, a daily runner in Bidwell Park, said the trails are a bit tighter but he hasn’t had any issues with people keeping their distance.
“For the most part people know the park etiquette,” Morlet said.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Morlet has no plans to stop his normal running routine and recommended people take time to focus on physical health.
“Your immune system is important so you have to keep it up and exercise is one of the ways to do that,” Morlet said. “It mixes it up from staying in the house. You need sunlight, we need to breathe and get your mind off everything that is happening.”
“We have this wonderful park to do it.”
